Top 10 Reasons I’m Thankful to Be a Part of a Farming Family

by Julie Vrazel

Every year on Thanksgiving—rain or shine, cold or warm—we feed our cattle before we can dig into our feast. It doesn’t matter that it’s a holiday, our bovine family comes first.

Growing up as part of a farming family meant I didn’t have the same routine as my friends from town.
And I’m thankful I didn’t.

As we embark upon the holidays—a time for family and reflection—I find myself reminiscing on the top 10 reasons I’m thankful to be part of a farming family.

10. I have an appreciation for the outdoors, especially fresh air. I didn’t grow up with an Xbox or cable television, because there was too much to explore outside.

9. On a farm, educational opportunities are endless. From naming crops and farm equipment to livestock stewardship and husbandry, I’ve learned about our food from gate to plate. And I’m still learning, because agriculture is ever-changing.

8. Farm food is delicious. There’s just something about walking into the kitchen covered in dirt to find fresh food from the garden just waiting for me on the counter.

7. Whether or not we admit it, we’ve all done it—running into town for butter and smelling like the farm. It’s not my proudest moment, but you can’t make a meal without butter!

6. We are part of something larger than our small, family farm. We work with farmers and ranchers across the nation to provide nutritious, affordable food for people we don’t even know.

5. There is never a dull moment in rural America. Some days we’re facing the wrath of Mother Nature or our farm equipment breaks down. But there also are days when a calf is born and crops are flourishing that make working in agriculture the best job to have.

4. I learned the true meaning of a budget from my parents. I didn’t get an allowance like my friends at school, but I did have a cow, which raised a calf every year.

3. Life lessons—responsibility, hard work and self-reliance—are passed down on the farm.

2. Farmers and ranchers take care of each other. Our neighbor—who farms hundreds of acres in our community—was injured in a car wreck earlier this year. Our rural community came together to harvest his crops while he was recovering in the hospital.

And the number one reason why I’m so thankful to be from a farming family…

1. I get to work alongside my family, maintaining close relationships with the ones I love most.

It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of daily tasks and holiday preparations, but I’m thankful for my family and all the other farmers and ranchers who dedicate their lives to something bigger than themselves.