How Growing Up on the Farm Taught Me the Value of Hard Work
Growing up, working on the farm was never the highlight of my life. Feeding calves and cleaning up feed every day sometimes interfered with after-school activities or delayed me from spending time with friends. At the time, I didn’t always appreciate the routine or responsibility.
But when I left for college, something changed. I began to crave the rhythm of farm life. I missed walking out to the barn on crisp fall mornings, bundled in my favorite ratty sweatshirt, working alongside my dad. The very chores I once saw as burdens became things I longed for.
As I continued to grew older, I started to notice the sharp contrast between farm kids and those who didn’t grow up the same way. There’s a drive that comes from rising early, taking care of animals, and knowing your work matters. I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the way I was raised and the farm and people that raised me.
Having chores and responsibilities from a young age gave me purpose and instilled in me a work ethic I might not have developed otherwise. I learned to be a helper in all aspects of life—whether on the farm, in the classroom, or with friends and family. Challenges don’t feel insurmountable—they just feel like the next task to tackle, piece by piece.
I’m also grateful for the resourcefulness that farm life gave me. On the farm, we’re always looking for ways to do things better—more efficiently, more affordably, or simply with the tools we already have. That mindset has shaped how I approach problems and opportunities alike.
Growing Gratitude… and the Next Generation
As I raise my own kids, it has given me the opportunity to reflect. All of these intangible benefits have shaped who I am as a person, and I want to pass many of those same values on to my children. Just this past weekend, as we needed another bale wagon hauler, I was reminded of that. My 10-year-old son eagerly threw his hat into the ring to help. Instead of seeing him as too young or not capable enough, we chose to teach him and enlist his help.
His spirit soared as he drove the tractor and wagon around the field, following the skid loader as his dad piled bales onto the wagon. He was proud to be part of our team and worked all day without complaint. Will that always be the case? I assure you, it won’t. But are we helping to shape a foundation of work ethic, team spirit, and a helper’s heart? We sure hope so.
And for all of this, I’m thankful. I’m thankful that my first instinct is to roll up my sleeves and get to work—and even more thankful that I’m watching that same instinct begin to grow in my kids.
Sarah Kern lives and farms near Watkins, MN. Alongside her parents, husband, and kids, she raises corn, soybeans, and dairy steers on the farm and works full time as an ag lender at a local bank.
