Farmers help people put food on their tables. They grow the crops and raise
the animals that feed the country. They must also sell their products.
Farms are businesses. They must make decisions about what to grow. They
must also decide when to plant and harvest. As business people, farmers must
negotiate prices for their crops. Deciding on the best time to sell is also
important.
Farming involves a great deal of manual labor. Farmers who grow grains
or produce will spend much of their time in the fields. Some farmers work
in greenhouses. They might grow fruit, vegetables or flowers. They must prepare
the soil, fertilize, plant, maintain and eventually harvest the crops. Their
responsibility to the product doesn't end until it is sold.
Other farmers work with animals. Livestock, dairy and poultry farms are
common in North America. This type of farmer, sometimes called a rancher,
is responsible for the care of animals. That includes feeding, breeding, birthing,
and fixing fences and barns. Most farm work is done outdoors.
"You have the opportunity to protect the land, plant trees, protect wildlife
and harvest from these same sources," says David Slaymaker. He is a rancher
in Nebraska.
Farmers must put in a hard day's work, though different seasons may require
different tasks. Farmers with orchards must carry picking bags that can weigh
30 pounds. Farmers with ground crops will spend a lot of time bending down.
This can strain the back. Other hazards include spending long hours in the
sun and exposure to chemicals (farmers often spray chemicals to protect their
crops from insects and diseases).
Clay Chihasz works on a ranch in Nebraska. He says that there are no average
workdays. He must work until the needs of the ranch are met. "During calving
season you have cows having calves at all hours of the night and day -- it
makes for a long workday," says Chihasz. Ranch work is year-round. The animals
must be fed and given water daily.
Some farmers use machines and other equipment to help with their work.
They must keep these machines in good condition. Some of the heavy machinery
used in farming can be dangerous if used incorrectly.
Slaymaker says that some aspects of farming can be done by those with special
needs. Modifications can be made to mechanical equipment to accommodate special
needs. Chihasz says that ranchers need to be tough. He says that they can
expect to get hurt sometimes. He says that the work is tiring because of early
mornings and late nights. However, Chihasz has seen the work done by a rancher
with a physical challenge.
"I was at a ranch rodeo with a guy this summer that had [had] his hand
torn off in a hay baler, and it did not slow him down one bit. He was riding
his horse, roping off this horse, and wrestling calves all afternoon and he
never missed a beat. It is just like anything else, if you have a heart and
passion for what you are doing, nothing physical will stop you from doing
it," says Chihasz.