At my desk, I have what some would call a “mood board” that is filled with inspirational quotes and photos of what matters the most to me. Some of these photos include my dog, my family, and snapshots of scenes of my childhood spent on the farm. I have Paul Harvey’s infamous “So God Made a Farmer” speech on display and a few others to trigger inspiration as I am writing. There is one excerpt of a particular quote by Helen C. Coon that I find myself glancing at multiple times a day that pulls a little at my heart strings.
“Just a farmer,’ you said
And I laughed cause I knew all the things that farmers must be able to do.”
I have found that it is perceived by many that farmers are uneducated. I am here to challenge that stereotype. Using myself as a prime example, I can remember in high school when someone I thought at the time was a dear friend of mine looked me straight in the eyes and told me that I would never graduate college because I was a farm kid. Anger boiled inside of me; after all, she basically just called me a fool to my face. This left an imprint on me. It fueled me to graduate college and has given me the drive to become successful as I learn and grow within my career.
Working with and around farmers my whole life, I can’t begin to count the number of times I have heard them say something to this extent about themselves. When someone asked what they did for a living, “I’m just a farmer” was generally the common response, followed by a chuckle. While in conversation, I never gave this much thought, but now that I glance up at this quote daily, I find myself proud to understand the truth behind it and am humbled that my family fits into the “farmer” category.
If you had to write a job description about a farmer, I have the notion that it would be never ending, because that’s what farming is. You might see words like mechanic, plumber, agronomist, human resources, public relations, business manager, breeder, weatherman, and waste management under the job title of a farmer. The thing is, these are all true and the list could include even more.
From the outside, many do not understand what it takes to be a farmer and the amount of work that is required to run an operation smoothly. It can be easy to brand and label farmers based upon stereotypes but consider taking a deeper look at all the different areas they must become experts in to ensure the success and profitability of their farm.
From time to time, I still hear farmers describe themselves as “just a farmer.” I have to smile to myself, because I know the respect and power behind the title.
Jenna Byrne is an associate editor for Hoard’s Dairyman. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2022, majoring in agricultural business with an emphasis in communications and marketing. She grew up on her family’s dairy farm near Neillsville, Wis.