A Farmer’s Life For Me?

All my life, I have been surrounded by the farming industry, what with living in the countryside and all. But, my family was definitely not made of farmers. So, I never actually fully experienced the farming life. I don’t think I ever even sat in a tractor up until a few years back, and drove one for the first time last year! As a child, my one wish was to marry a farmer, so I could fulfill my dream of having lots of horses. Yea, be careful what you wish for, they say!

Colm and I are together almost two years now. When we first started dating, he didn’t really work on the farm, except for emergencies. He works with farm machinery, so he always had a high interest in the farm, and I got dragged around many agricultural shows, staring at tractors, slurry tanks, agitators etc. I knew he always had a love for the land, and he’s ream of stories of his childhood, helping out with everything. Unfortunately, it was following the sudden and unexpected death of his father, in September, that threw him back in to farming with absolutely no choice. One day, we were your average couple, just moved in together, the next day, we were trying to sort out what sheep were where, where the area maps were, and of course, deal with what had just happened. http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/dadof2-killed-by-swarm-of-wasps-2354434.html

I’ll be completely honest and tell you I am a creature who loves her comfort. I like to be warm, dry and preferably not running after a sheep. So, to be thrown in to a lifestyle I had always watched from the outside and never desired (bar that damn wish as a child!), was quite a change for me. I went into it as best I could, embracing it, whilst bitching about it at any given opportunity to my friends. Ironically, my best friend, who is even more a lady of leisure than me, also landed herself a farmer. We were a right pair, a few years back, before settling down. Being matched with farmers was the last thing we ever saw coming!

Sorry, sidetracked. So, embracing the farm. I decked myself out in funky wellies and just went with it. My first real encounter with farm work was helping out with the dagging of the sheep. This is not a pleasant experience! My job was to hold the sheep, while Colm chopped away at them. Sheep are a lot stronger than I anticipated!! And since that day, I hate them, hate them with a passion!! Stupid, heavy, ignorant, teeth-grinding, toe-stepping sheep. Baaaaaa!!! I decided quickly that I preferred the bovine animals on the farm. They have more character, are more interesting, and seem to be easier to manage. But, alas, they too come with their disadvantages. Being near a cow while it sneezes is not a good idea! Actually, being near one when anything is leaving its body is just not good.

I don’t visit the farm as regularly as I should. The only reason I really go out there, is to just spend time with himself. With him working full time and the farm, it’s very hard to get quality time together. We’re currently trying to figure out something that I could take on, as a hobby, on the farm. Preferably, something I could earn from  Pigs, turkeys, chickens… just not sure. Until then, I’m just helping out where I can. Tomorrow, I’m helping with the beloved sheep again. Injection time!