5 Things You Learn Being a Farmer’s Wife
Being married is hard work. Being married to a farmer adds a whole other layer of difficulty. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband. But, being a farmer’s wife does present it challenges.
(1) You can never make plans. We have some great friends and, believe it or not, they are not all farmers. For our friends who are not farmers they will invite us to go out and do something fun. I always want to say YES, but I never can. Our lives revolve around planting, fertilizing, or harvest and you never really know if you’ll actually be available. So, for weddings, dinners, or just a fun night on the town it is usually a last-minute acceptance. You know, only if it is raining.
(2) The same goes for date nights. During planting and harvest date night usually involves time in the tractor or checking crops. And in all honesty, sometimes checking crops is about exciting as watching paint dry. But as a farmer’s wife, if you really want to see your honey then you’ll be riding shotgun while checking crops.
(3) Following the same pattern: there is no set dinnertime. Farm life is so unpredictable and I gave up on setting a time for dinner year’s ago. If we waited to eat dinner together every night, we would be eating dinner at 10 o’clock. Despite not waiting for Jeffrey, he almost always has a good meal waiting for him when he gets in.
(4) You learn to be good with directions, or lack thereof. Who I am kidding? I still have not learned this lesson. As a farmer’s wife you have many titles. Wife, farmhand, chauffeur, errand runner, chef, accountant, and secretary…I have yet to add navigator. The other day he called and wanted me to pick him up from the field and take him back to shop. “I am in southwest corner of the big field,” Jeffrey explained. “Come get me please.” What? Where? It would be easy to use the Find My Friends app, but he loves his android. Only farmers talk like this! Only farmers can speak and understand directionless navigation. Who says, “I will meet you in the southwest corner of the big parking lot”?
(5) Finally, I’ve mastered my next career: Weather Woman. Farmer’s wives know the weather. You learn to appreciate Mother Nature in ways you’d never thought possible. You check the weather before you go to the bed and again when you wake in the morning. After all, Mother Nature does determine your plans. 100% chance of rain? Bingo! It is a real date in a car and restaurant.
P.S It would be greatly appreciated if you could wish for a full week of rain after harvest here in Virginia. This farm girl needs a vacation and a real date!