Any other farmers/homesteaders out there

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Margies3

We grew up in town (albeit a very, very small town!). But my dad farmed my Grandma's farm (about 80 acres). We raised everything imaginable as far as animals go. And we grew corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.). Plus working 2 very large gardens so Mom and Grandma (and us!) could can enough food to make it thru the winter. And we had cherry trees and peach trees. We bought our apples and strawberries from a neighbor farmer who sold "pick your own".

I would NEVER want to go back to living/working on a farm. However, I do wish that my sons could have been raised on a farm and learned their work ethics the way we did as kids. Kids today don't have any idea what it really means to WORK. They complain if you ask them to dust the living room. Please!!! give me a break!

We are very fortunate with our boys. While they did not grow up on a farm but in suburbia playing sports and video games they have always had chores and responsibilities. My husband believed that I should not have to wash my own car, carry my own groceries or scrub my own toilets as long as the boys were home. When my oldest son went in the Army he called home from boot camp... I was so worried about how mean I'd heard the drill instructors were to the young men I asked if he was OK... He said "Oh mom, don't worry. They can't do anything to me except yell and make me do chores, just like at home. LOL!!!!

Twice each year, once in summer and once over Christmas break, since we've been on the farm, all our boys come home, and they work. They are responsible for all the fence, my milk parlor, the new chicken coops, the new electrical and central air and heat in the house. And while they are here I get my car washed and groceries carried, although I do now clean toilets.

Our oldest son (Dr. Ken PhD) is a great worker, the next Mr. Jay the MBA cooked his way though college and always makes us something wonderful while he is home. Our Joe is the handyman supreme. Each has unique talents and the youngest who is still at TAMU is the most hardworking kid around and knows the animals and the farm since he is the only one who lived here.

Give those boys more to do than dust

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

I can't grow anything except corn on my feet.

That's gross Scott... get a greenhouse plant and work on it.

[Scott Hutchinson]

Well when I was younger I did sow some wild oats. I prefer to sow To The Spirit.

[houston]

GOOD GRIEF Scott!

[Hoovie]

I grew a wild hair once...

Had a knot on my face that kept getting bigger. Finally, I opened it up there was a 3" hair in there!

Proves God doesn't want us to shave, eh?

[Scott Hutchinson]

I was just trying to be humorous,I meant no harm.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

I was just trying to be humorous,I meant no harm.

You are fine Scott. If they keep hounding us we'll plaster 70,000 Youtube videos on this thread!

[Titus2woman]

OK... it's a good thing I work in medicine... You guys are a crack up! No harm no foul Scott... If you could only hear what the nine gynecologists I work with talk about all day you wouldn't even bother to wonder at your corns and ingrown hairs!

You know my husband's grannie was highly offended to hear a preacher say 'pregnant' over the pulpit... and even my husband frankly hates the word gyne-anything...They would be horrified to hear what I listen to in my work every day... I guess it's all just context.

[Scott Hutchinson]

I do get silly from time to time,but it's all in fun.

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

We are very fortunate with our boys. While they did not grow up on a farm but in suburbia playing sports and video games they have always had chores and responsibilities. My husband believed that I should not have to wash my own car, carry my own groceries or scrub my own toilets as long as the boys were home. When my oldest son went in the Army he called home from boot camp... I was so worried about how mean I'd heard the drill instructors were to the young men I asked if he was OK... He said "Oh mom, don't worry. They can't do anything to me except yell and make me do chores, just like at home. LOL!!!!

Twice each year, once in summer and once over Christmas break, since we've been on the farm, all our boys come home, and they work. They are responsible for all the fence, my milk parlor, the new chicken coops, the new electrical and central air and heat in the house. And while they are here I get my car washed and groceries carried, although I do now clean toilets.

Our oldest son (Dr. Ken PhD) is a great worker, the next Mr. Jay the MBA cooked his way though college and always makes us something wonderful while he is home. Our Joe is the handyman supreme. Each has unique talents and the youngest who is still at TAMU is the most hardworking kid around and knows the animals and the farm since he is the only one who lived here.

Give those boys more to do than dust :)

Oh believe me, they do alot more than dusting. But they still have an awful lot of free time. Something we had VERY little of when we were kids - especially in the summertime on Grandma's farm. If they had to get up at 6:00 to be out in the field to pick the strawberries, then back to the house by 9:00 to wash jars, clean berries, help cook jam and freeze berries until suppertime, they would think it was cruel and unusual punishment. LOL

On the other hand, I have to say - both of my boys got jobs while still in high school, all the while keeping up with band and sports and everything else that high school entails. Working while in school is not always the best thing for every kid. But for our boys, it has been good. I'm very proud of them for that. Plus (they both work at McDonald's), I've been told over and over by management out there what great workers they are and how polite and considerate they are. So overall, I guess they're doing ok