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5 Benefits of Raising a Family on a Farm

farm life

There are so many wonderful benefits of raising a family on a farm. Growing up on a family farm and especially living a rural life, children gain special friendships and bonds. You may end up living pretty far from town, so children become each other’s best friend. The farm is where the entire family works together, plays together, and makes life memories together.

1. Your Kid Will Grow Up to Be Humble.

Confidence is important, but humility is, too, and no one is better at bringing us down a peg or two than farm animals. Horses are probably the acknowledged master at reminding us that we still have a lot to learn. It’s almost like they can sense our growing ego, as they never cease to get the timing right, throwing in a buck or stomping on a foot just when we were congratulating ourselves.

2. Teach Responsibility

Anything that is raised or grown on a farm depends on the farmer. Daily care for animals and plants is essential for raising and producing a quality, healthy and delicious product. Feeding and watering, cleaning and grooming, building and fixing are daily tasks that take place on every farm, every day. Kids who farm learn how important their role is in the production of the food that feeds them, their families and their friends.

3. Problem-Solving Skills

Animals have a mind of their own and things change on a daily basis. As a farmer kids need to figure out ways to get chores done if animals, weather or equipment doesn’t want to cooperate. Fixing fence, pulling weeds, fixing watering systems so that everything on the farm continues to function are just some problems that farmers face daily.

4. Fresh Milk

There are many benefits to collecting fresh, raw milk. Because raw milk contains certain proteins and compounds, it has been known to cure allergies and even eczema. Milk is also extremely important for developing brains and nervous systems of infants and young children. Raising milk cows is a great way to give your kids the best milk available.

5. Kids are Less Stressed

Children who are less stressed are more likely to be healthy. Why do children that live in the country have less stress? A study by Environment and Behavior showed that kids with natural scenery have less stress than those who don’t.

farm

Think you are ready to move your family to a farm? Finding a piece of land can take time, get to know farmers in your desired area. Chat them up at the local farmers market, let them know you’re scouting for land, and definitely check out farms for sale in Michigan. Lastly, don’t overextend yourself financially.

4 Comments

  • Diane Brimmer

    We do live on a farm in Michigan! Our daughter and her husband have a family farm business They raise beef and plant over 400 acres of crops. The kids even get in on the farming. The girls and soon the grandson raise calves for the 4H projects. They learn fast about caring for their animal, it going to market and saving their earnings for a future animal and feed for next year. They have a lot of responsibility for caring for their animal, walking it, feeding, and then showing it at market. I am so proud of them. They love it!

  • Tamra Phelps

    My cousins lived on a farm when we were kids. Their parents still do. In all honesty, I did not want to live on a farm because I saw how hard it was! They had chores before daylight, before catching the school bus. It’s true they grew up to be all the things you describe, though. But it was a hard life.

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