10 Lessons on Parenting from a Small Family Farm

[NOTE: This week’s guest post comes from Josh Ketchum. To learn more about Josh, check out his bio following today’s article. Also, note that this will be our final guest post until December, as we will be taking one week off, then relaunching our podcast on September 4.]

We purchased 20 acres in Graves County, Kentucky, in the fall of 2013, and are now in the process of building a home on the property. We have four children ages 2 to 10 (3 boys and 1 girl). While the experience has been a real challenge at times to manage the extra work and stresses, it has also been lots of fun and a great blessing. We currently have 5 Dexter cows, 12 pigs, 7 Barbados Blackbelly sheep, a horse and pony, and some Bantam chickens. Here are 10 lessons we are teaching and learning ourselves, with our small family farm.    

1. Hard work – We grew up on farms and learned the value of working hard in physical labor.  We wanted our children to be taught how to work and hopefully find joy and reward in it.

2. God’s creation – Being exposed to the intricacies of the animal world and how God majestically designed each plant and animal is amazing.  It causes us, as a family, to marvel at God’s wondrous creation and providential care.  It also helps teach about man’s superior role to animals, and their purpose as food and labor for man. 

3. Systems and unique roles within a system – We live in a world filled with systems that interact and relate to one another.  Our goal is to see the farm as a system in which all parts play a unique role contributing to the success of the overall system.  The key is figuring out how to use the unique contribution for the overall success. (For example, pigs can make a mess rooting up a nice pasture, but it can be a very  helpful contribution if they are rooting up a future garden spot.) 

4. Sexuality – One of the most cited lessons people tell us our kids will learn, and we have observed them learning, on the farm is sexuality.  Much of the interaction and management of the animals has to do with males and females and their producing offspring.  The farm life teaches about basic desires and how God intended for procreation to take place.

5. Individuality –  Farm life and outdoor life in general allows for kids to develop their own individual interests and pursuits.  One of our sons likes hunting, our little girl loves the pony, and another son loves to accomplish tasks, while the future opportunities are endless for them to pursue their interests.

6. Family goals and teamwork – The farm creates needed family projects that require everyone to work together.  These can be fun, family recreation times that allow for teaching and gaining a sense of accomplishments.  Whether it is planting a garden, moving a fence line, or making a concrete ramp, there is something about taking down a project together!

7. Death and Loss – A farm saying goes, “If you have livestock, you will have deadstock.”  While we haven’t had anything besides some chickens die in our first year, we most likely will in the future, and lessons are taught to us all when there is death and loss.

8. Health – We are trying to raise as healthy of animals as possible. We are concerned with their health, thus we monitor their diet, provide clean water, and care for wounds.  All the while, learning how to maintain our own health. 

9. Lifetime learning – The entire farm adventure has been a learning process for our family.  As parents, we are trying to display an example of learning and growing for our kids.  We want them to be lifetime learners, being willing to find their own answer, gain experience, and continue to try new things.

10. A sense of responsibility –  A local counselor says that most all of our anxiety and depression issues could be overcome if we had to do something everyday to provide food for ourselves.  The family farm teaches responsibility, and requires you to be steadfast and consistent on a daily basis.

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Josh Ketchum serves as the pulpit minister for the Seven Oaks Church of Christ in Mayfield, Kentucky. He also runs Life in the Kingdom, a daily blog that you will want to check out and subscribe to. Josh is married to Amanda, and they have four children.

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Photo background credit: Kevin Dooley on Creative Commons