Growing up on a farm

I read this article and it made me sick!  Seriously?  This proposed law change could keep young teens from doing everyday jobs on the farm.  I was doing some everyday jobs before that.  I've been helping herd cattle, care for bottle calves, breaking cattle to lead and steering clear of PTO shafts for as long as I can remember.  These critics in the article are right, it would limit 4-Her's, FFAer's and farm kids in general.

Even if I was raised on a farm, my parents still had my brother and I go to Farm Safety Day.  The safety stickers on farm equipment still scare me with those graphicish pictures!  My grandparents would also tell me of freak accidents, so I knew what to steer clear of.

I learned a lot in 4-H.  This was when I began my cattle showing journey.  No, we did not go all out like some showers, but I did my best with my dad helping me.  He wasn't with me every time I worked with my cattle, and that was okay.  He knew it was important for me to realize that I needed to do a lot of the hard work by myself. 

One of my favorite livestock projects, Cinnamon.

They don't mention FFA in this article.  I wonder if that is because when you are a member, you have to have an SAE project.  SAE means Supervised Agricultural Experience.  I wonder if because it is titled that way, FFA is in the clear.  My SAE was my cattle, the ones I kept to breed, like Cinnamon and the ones I sold, like that nasty steer, Black Bart.  I filled out my Iowa Degree revolving around my SAE and I earned a certificate and a pin showing my accompishments.

Also, I hope that even with this proposed law change, people can still ride on a full wagon of hay, walk up an elevator, and still be able to help care for a bucket/bottle calf while under the age of 10.  I wouldn't change my upbringing for anything in the world.