A Challenge to Farmers: Take a Day Off This Winter
If you have kids, you understand all too well that the days fly by. So do the years. Especially when raising a family on a dairy farm. Seasons fold to the next and the to-do list never gets done. The idea of taking a vacation or a day off can seem near impossible, but really can be the single best thing a farmer can do. A change of scenery, time to rest, and a chance to talk about something other than the farm and laugh.
Growing up on a family dairy in central Oregon, my family did not once go on a family vacation. A family of eight farming in the 80s didn’t offer much money for a vacation. But, my parents still would push pause and tried really hard to make the days count. Before moving or vaccinating cattle, dad would play a game of baseball with all of us kids in the front yard. When it was time to irrigate, dad would race—me on foot, him on the tractor, seeing who could reach the front gate the quickest. Obviously, dad always won, but I was always determined to beat dad and win someday.
The same thing happened when we received our first IMB computer in the mid 80s. The loud, brown clunky computer was used for record-keeping by my mother, but my father and I would compete playing Jump Man Junior. That is until we crashed the motherboard, which then caused my mother to put her foot down; ending our ‘video gaming competition.’ My dad has been gone for more than six years now, and these memories still pop up from time to time, causing my smile to stretch wide.
Pause and make memories. I think the latter part comes more naturally when you live on a farm because families often work closely together. Sometimes too closely together, but nonetheless, memories still are being made. Still, with the fast-paced life dairy farming now requires, more than ever before, pushing pause and leaving the farm is needed. A change of scenery can offer so much, including a fresh perspective.
Last year, my family did just that. We pushed pause. All five of us hopped on a plane and went to Disney World. Truth be told, the family member that was the most excited was my husband. An abundance of sunshine and a plethora of entertainment provided a break from the non-stop dairy life he lives and breathes back home. A family trip away was so needed. We giggled and laughed; spending much-needed time together as a family unit and didn’t have to worry about farm stresses. Yes, we came back to a long to-do list, but as farmers know, the to-do list really never ends.
My challenge for you all is to take a day off this winter. If you can’t get away, play a board game with the kids or grandkids or go to a movie. If you can, I encourage you to change zip codes, even if it's for a long weekend. I promise you will come back refreshed and ready to take on the next project for your farm.
