What Do You Do For Fun?

July Storms Wisconsin Farm

People are curious about what farmers do for fun. They are also considerate to ask about personal time when first greeting or calling. They ask things like, “Did you do anything fun for the 4th of July?” or “Do anything fun last weekend?” I know they mean well, but for a farmer, those questions can be a little tricky.

Out here, every day is much like the next — the work doesn’t pause for weekends or holidays. So when someone asks me what I did for fun, I wonder what they have in mind. Camping? Road trips? Floating down the river on a kayak? Fun can mean so many different things to different people.

Ask a farmer what they did for fun, and you might hear, “I moved round bales with the loader tractor.” Or "I harvested all the cherries and made jam." It may not sound exciting, but for us, it’s part of a life we chose — and that makes it satisfying.

Folks with Monday-through-Friday jobs feel like their fun is reserved for the weekend. Farmers will tell you that our fun happens all week long. Sure, the work is never-ending, but when the work is yours — when it gives you purpose and feeds your soul and belly — it becomes its own kind of fun. William often reminds me of Mark Twain’s words: “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

No, we don’t take off for the lake or the campground. We don't have to. We get to enjoy natural surroundings every single day. One of my favorite simple pleasures is driving the field roads at dusk in the summer, marveling at how the crops grow when the conditions are just right. William has his fun with tractors, tinkering and visiting. I have my fun tending the garden and putting food by for the winter. On the farm, fun isn’t something that happens after work — it’s woven into the day and the work itself.

Do we take vacations? Yes, but not usually in the summer when the farm is in full swing. Of course, besides chores and work, each day offers long moments of rest to prepare and enjoy meals, catch up on news, read, or do things not connected to drudgery type work. Yes, farmers work hard, but we also have lots of free time in between. Our work day starts after coffee and doesn't end until the chickens are in at sundown, but that doesn't mean non-stop work. Winters, of course, offer more time for rest and even the chance to get away. Thankfully we have good neighbors willing to care for our animals while we’re gone for a couple weeks.

Next time you find yourself talking to a farmer, instead of asking what they did on a holiday or weekend, try asking what sort of farm fun they've been having lately. You might just be reminded that the simplest things — a field road at dusk, a good day’s work, a quiet moment in the garden — are often the most gratifying. Those are life's measures of real fun.

The Farm Store is filled to the brim with goodness and air-conditioning! Stop on by.

Sending love from the farm,

Sarah