STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann
UNL Extension Educator

     What a difference a year can make; and what a difference some rain will make!  I have to admit while driving to my office this morning I did some windshield touring of our fields and pastures. I cannot believe how things look so much different from even 6 weeks ago, let alone a year ago.  How long has it been since we have seen water in the terraces or even the road ditches?  How long has it been since we have actually seen some grass showing itself in our pastures and hay fields?  The quick answer is – “a heck of a long time” in the agriculture world!
     It was not that long ago when we were talking a third year of drought, short grazing season and wheat that would be lucky to make 20 bushels.  That has changed considerably and I would say that even though we are early in the production year, things are definitely looking up.  I would say our wheat yield potential has doubled over the past 4-6 weeks and the cows are as content as I have seen them in a very long time. I think we all need to tip back our hats and offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to ‘the good man upstairs’ for giving us this reprieve and hope for a good cropping and grazing year.
     I do know that some of our friends and neighbors paid the price with wind and hail and your heart has to ache for them, but I know they are happy for those that avoided those acts of nature.  They know that we live and work in a climate that can change at as fast as a jackrabbit can shift directions when chased. It is part of what we do and where we live. We are a resilient people who are generous – especially when it comes to pulling together and helping those in need. That was evident when you hear stories from Hildreth, Franklin, Wilcox, Red Cloud, Beaver Crossing or Pilger to name just a few.  
     When thinking of just that, it occurred to me how lucky we really are to be from this part of the world, even with the headaches and heartaches we occasionally experience. In my daily reading I came across something that really resonated with me.  I am not sure who the author is, but found several renditions as I looked for credits. This particular piece has 20 ways that you can tell you grew up on a farm. I know some of you have probably seen this but it took my fancy and quite honestly, I can relate to most of these. It is entitled appropriately: “You know you grew up on a farm when!”
      1) You give directions not by streets, but by fields, farmsteads and land marks. Paved roads and road signs – what are those? 2) You know how to drive on gravel and minimum maintenance roads. Ice, snow or mud – no problem! 3) You were driving Tractors before your feet could hit the pedals. That’s where you learned to drive. 4) Your homepage on your computer is the weather channel and everyone knows to be quiet when the weather comes on the evening news. Your radio is permanently tuned to KRVN and you wait for the markets or auction reports! 5) Forget ladders; you would rather use a tractor and loader to clean those gutters, trim trees and hang decorations. 6) You plan events around planting, county fair and harvesting. A wedding during any of those times – forget about it! 7) Automatic transmission, no thanks! You were driving stick-shift by the 3rd grade! 8) You can fix anything with some elbow grease, bailing wire and a holstered pliers. 10) Most of your wardrobe came from your family’s seed or feed dealer; and if not from that source -- the area Farm/Ranch Supply Store. 11) You learned quickly where your loyalty would be – Green or Red? And that is not a sports team! 12) You know the difference between bales – big rounds and small squares. 13) You can drive down the road and tell what crops and what stage they are in with a sideways glance. 14) A neighbor is in need; so you, and everyone you knew, was there to lend a hand! 15) You learned to support your Church, school and community – come hell or high water! 16) You learned not to measure distance in miles, but in minutes or hours. 17) You knew the pedigrees of your animals better than you did your own. 18) You still wave at everyone you meet in your vehicle. You can’t seem to resist. 19) You still use the terms “Howdy” and “You Bet”! 20) You know where your food comes from, after all, you raised it and grew it!
     I hope you noticed the 14th and 15th lines.  They are what made me think of why we are so lucky to be living where we do. To have the friends and neighbors we do. It is why I am so proud of my rural roots and the people that have the same passion that I do for this way of life, even with the little bumps in the road that all of us experience. I think it would be fun if all of you who read this would respond to my email address at dlienemann2@unl.edu and give me your take or simply give me a call. Maybe we can add to that list with ones that this writer or writers missed, never experienced or never thought about. What about growing up on a farm made you what you are today? I am already thinking of a couple of things, I hope you will too. I think this would be fun and educational, as well as a chance to think about our upbringing and how it has contributed to making us what we are today.
     I believe that the experiences we have growing up has a huge impact on what we do and who we are later in life. I think of my experiences in the old Ash Grove District 22 one room school house that my siblings and I and all our young neighbor friends attended, or the uplifting messages and spirit I received in the old country Pleasant View Christian Church that our family attended along with other families who carried the same beliefs that we did.  Both are gone now, but the memory and impact lives on in my daily life. I am proud of being born and raised on a farm. I cannot think of a better legacy from which to spring! God has blessed our farms, our farmers and the people who grew up on farms!      

The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster  County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: www.webster.unl.edu/home