Rural vs. Urban Living
Suzanne Pyle
Think about your childhood. Is there anything you would change? How or where you grew up? For me, I would have loved to grow up on a farm. It shapes your life and your personality. You learn to be self-sufficient and work as a team with other people. You grow up never being afraid of a little hard work and never afraid to get dirty. Growing up on a farm creates a well-rounded beneficial citizen because it endows you knowledge, appreciation and respect for people and land.
Learning to Drive
Children who grow up on farms learn to drive earlier than most kids. Farm kids usually learn to drive before the age of 15.
Showing at Fairs
Kids learn to teach their animals to show in the 4H fair. They grow knowledge about the animal's body and the animal itself. They also learn to be confident in front of other people.
4H in Saline, MI
This is my with my heifer at the time, Evey. She is now pregnant and should be expecting a calf.
Appreciation
A farm also helps you have appreciation for all that you have and where you were raised. You learn to appreciate the value of a dollar. You understood how hard you had to work to make money, because it didn’t come easy. You appreciated where you came from and how you were raised. Growing up on a farm gave you so many opportunities and things to do. You were definitely never bored, and never had an excuse not to work. You learned the true meaning of family. Not many jobs teach you about your family and the value of them as much as farming does. You work beside them and put up with them daily, but you’re also a leaning block when things go wrong.
Respect
Lastly, you learned to have respect. You grew up respecting anyone older than you. You also had manners, learning the importance of listening and following instructions. You learned to respect the land, and where you came from. You learn to be conservative with all your resources, and felt honored you got to grow up this way. You respected animals, their space, and how they should be treated. Sometimes you learned the hard way to stay away from certain animals, like being bucked off a horse kicked by a cow, or chased by a chicken. But none of this slowed you down as a child
If you don’t grow up on a farm, you may like the feeling of being free with your time and not having any worries in the world. Living in the city, being close to stores makes it convenient when you need something in a hurry. You are even able to converse with all different kinds of people. Growing up on a farm makes you a better citizen growing up with a great personality and appreciation for everything you have in life. You learn to respect and appreciate the little things in life. Farming gains so much on your knowledge and you really don’t understand how much of a difference it makes until you have that experience.