My husband and I are involved in a family farm. We and our children are responsible for the daily care of our purebred beef cattle farm and have been in this role for almost 22 years now.
It seems like just yesterday that I moved to the frozen tundra of Minnesota to be a farmer's wife. How honored I was by the calling at the time. The year that I moved to Minnesota was recorded as the coldest winter in 10 years, and I recall thinking that as much as I loved my new husband, I was not sure I would survive the winter.
You see, when you are responsible for livestock, your regular life instantaneously becomes second to "The Cows." And no amount of romance prepares you for that adjustment. And yet here I am 22 years later with a depth of understanding and commitment I never deemed possible so many years ago.
I have been following the devastation caused by the wildfires in the southwest and the deep sadness and struggle those ranchers are facing for years to come. My heart is truly broken for them. Some have lost everything, including their lives, all for the sake of "The Cows."
Most of us will never quite understand what that really means. To care for any livestock, with the higher goal of feeding people is a definitive call. It is an investment of multiple magnitude, that requires us to always place someone else first. And in most cases they are not human.
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We calve in the winter here as that is typically the best time for our particular farm. Even though it requires a bit more labor on our part, we find that our animals thrive as a result. But ... in all situations of life, no matter how well you plan and prepare, things happen.
We have good years and tough years and this calving season has been a tough one. I have watched my dear husband night after night watching over calves who need extra care for one reason or another, helping young heifers giving birth for the first time that need assistance and agonizing over his own limitations when he has done all he can and it still isn't enough.
There is an emotional investment in what we are doing. Every life is precious and deserves all of our time. Such commitment can be exhausting and rewarding all at the same time.
What I truly love about the farmer and what he or she represents is the self discipline to do what they believe to be right and true and honorable. Our faith has been tested this year as much as our resolve. But everyday and throughout the night we continue the call of caring for our livestock, not just because we should, but more often because we love what we do and the gift of servanthood we have been given.
I am hopeful that all people find something they truly love as much as we love farming. Because that is where true joy for living can be found. Not everyone is made for farming. Thank goodness we are all called to different things. However, understanding one another is the key and I am hopeful I have shared a deeper understanding of what it is to farm.
Editor's note: Lawrence and her husband Bryan raise turf grass, alfalfa, corn and purebred Hereford cattle near Princeton, Minn. She works for the Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation and is state coordinator for the Speak for Yourself program. Reach her at marytinathefarmerswife@gmail.com .
