I’m a music gal. Any genre, old and new, at work, on the tractor, or in my free time – I typically have a jam on. I’ve been known to spend a little cash on a concert ticket as well.

Growing up in Appalachia, I’m no stranger to music’s rich history and the stories it tells. I was a member of my school’s choir program for several years and sang in church even, though I’m not sure how – or why – anyone let me because I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.

I was driving down the road a few days ago, windows down, speakers turned up a bit too loud, and I passed a dairy farm where an older gentleman with gray hair was cutting hay. Not far away were several young kids – grandchildren I’m assuming – driving through the field on an ATV.

The part that made me giggle: The three on the ATV seemed to have “forgotten” the fourth who was running behind waving their hands in the air! Or, maybe, they were just regular pranksters in the making.

With my music blaring, I thought to myself, “What kind of tune they would sing about their life on the farm? Would it be hip and upbeat? Slow and strong? Bluegrass? Some classic rock?”

It’s likely there would be major differences in the older farmer’s song than the young kids. The farmer, swiftly cutting hay, may play a traditional country tune. That is, until something clogs the baler later in the process. I’d guess the kid getting left behind might write quite the diss track.

It’s likely the song may be different depending on the task at hand. Some days, I feel like we could write a heavy metal song with everything going on at once. And more than I’d like to admit, something screamo would also be appropriate with the level our frustration can reach.

We all have different things we like to pass time with as we do chores, while mine is listening to music, yours might be different. But we all can be guilty of forgetting to appreciate the not-so-fun things, leading us to associate with that less than pleasant genre. I try to always remind myself, “I get to,” not, “I have to.” Beyond those three words, I can’t say I have a lot of advice.

Farming – dairy farming especially – consists of an unmeasurable number of hard, unpredictable times. We don’t all have the same taste in music, nor do we approach the lifestyle similarly. With that said, I encourage you to be versatile. Appreciate something as insignificant as a song on the radio, and next time, maybe listen to the words of the chorus, something may resonate.

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Samantha Stamm is the 2025 Hoard’s Dairyman editorial intern. She co-owns and manages an Angus seedstock and commercial cow-calf operation with her family in northeast Kentucky. Stamm earned a master's degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University and a bachelor's degree in agribusiness with a dual major in animal science from Morehead State University.