My Life as a Farmer’s Wife

This is the first in series of guest posts by Christine.

Christine & precious Little One

Having come from the city, I had all these ideas in my head about what farming was like.  In my graduating year of high school, and all throughout college and university, I refused to eat meat. I was a strict vegetarian (even vegan for a while, but loved dairy too much to give it up all together), and I was on various environmental, recycling and animal rights committees. It was a personal choice for me. The thought of how animals were treated and then butchered just disgusted me.

Then I married a beef farmer.

That's my hubby!

I quickly learned that much of what I thought was true of farming actually wasn’t.  Though I still shared some of the beliefs of these groups, I saw how I was also conditioned through a narrow point of view. Everything was not just so simple. It wasn’t so black and white.

If there may be some incidents of poor or alarming treatment of animals, it is not majority. The grand majority of farmers take very good care of their animals because poor treatment of animals costs farmers money. It is in their own interest to treat them well. For example, if a farmer stresses their animals, they may not produce as well, and may have an increased chance of illness and other stress related issues.

There is actually more care and thought put behind why certain things are done. Also, in the country people are exposed to the birth and death cycle. In the city, I was more removed from the life and death cycle. I never really (and I mean really) stopped to think of where and how the food in my shopping cart got to the grocery shelves.  I had an idea, but never really understood just how much the farmer had to work to get food to the masses.

In the rural areas, people experience a different relationship with their animals. It can be argued that some value life more. I used to think all farmers just raised animals, killed, butchered them, and that there was a disregard for life. It’s quite the opposite.  As for treating animals poorly, from firsthand experience on our farm, I know it’s the opposite. My husband’s animals are his livelihood. He treats them with the care some people would be happy to have. Imagine having access to clean drinking water every day? What about never having to worry that you’re well cared for and have a constant supply of nourishing food? There are people on this planet (and even in our country) who don’t have that kind of care.

My husband spends countless hours in the fields, in the barn, doing chores, fixing equipment, taking care of cattle, mending fences, and never has a day off. Even on days like Thanksgiving or Christmas, when most people get to rest, relax, and just enjoy time with the family, you can be sure that as soon as the meal is over, he’s back out there getting farm chores done.

Farming is a lot more complicated than I was led to believe. Death is a part of life. It’s not that farmers enjoy it, but it’s a part of life. As a city girl, it is taking me a while to adapt to this aspect of farming.  When my husband and I were first married, I helped him deliver a calf who was breached. The cow had a prolapsed uterus and died while giving birth. We lost both the mother and the baby. It was a hard hit for my husband (losing animals also means losing income), and a hard hit on me with it being the first time I experienced life and death on the farm. I said I didn’t think I had what it took to be a farmer’s wife. That was over five years ago. I don’t think it’s something one can ever get used to.

You might be wondering that if I was a vegetarian for much of my adult life, do I eat meat now? Yes. I do eat meat in moderation. It was quite the adjustment, and it didn’t happen overnight.

Being from the city and of mixed cultural background (Filipina/Caribbean/Chinese roots) and being married to a country boy of very Anglo-Saxon decent, I’m sort of like a bridge, offering a unique perspective from both the rural and city. Stay tuned until next time! I’ll be sharing some of our family’s favourite beef recipes!

AUTHOR’S BIO
Christine McNaughton is a city girl gone country (or at least trying to!). Born in Toronto and raised in Montreal, Christine received a B.A. in Honours English from York University (English Literature), and is also certified in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language). She teaches English, and works as a freelance writer, blogger, product reviewer, and brand promoter.

Christine lives on a working beef farm with her husband and preemie daughter on Manitoulin Island, Ontario.