As we all know, farmers are the most honest, hard working, under trodden, underpaid people in society. Forget this working 9-5 stuff, RDO's, sick days and public holidays. The work doesn't wait for anyone, so from the moment to sun comes up till way past when it sets we are out there, come rain or shine, working our noses to the grindstone getting the job done. This is how we like to portray ourselves. We hear it spoken about in the pubs, see it on social media, it's immortalised in Facebook memes - and it is worn as a badge of honour.
But is it true? Is it fair to suggest that we are more hardworking and deserving that others?
I remember being at a conference with a group of young farmers years ago, and there was a heap of chest beating about how hard farmers work. Someone made the comment "Imagine only having to work from 9-5 each day and pick up a guaranteed paycheque - how easy would life be?". The presenter pulled him up quickly and asked what time he started work each day. He said it started when he walked out his front door and hopped in his ute at 7.30am, and finished when he walked back in at 6.30pm - 11 hours each day. The presenter made the point that for a lot of people in cities, there may be a 2 hour commute each way to and from work, meaning it was over 12 hours between when they walked out the door till when they returned. "But that's not work - they still only do 8 hours" was the cry. The presenter prodded further asking why the drive out to the furthest sheep trough, or the trip to town to buy a 20L of chemical should be considered 'work', and a city persons commute should not. It made everybody think.
There is no doubt that farmers work hard, but there are times when we do ourselves a big disservice and are disrespectful to the rest of society by suggesting that we are more hard done by and more deserving of public sympathy than others. Farmers work hard. Doctors work hard. Deli owners work hard, as do mechanics, plumbers, labourers, factory workers, fruit pickers, secretaries - and even some politicians! Stay at home mums probably work even harder than most. We can also argue that as farm owners we don't get paid what we are worth - and we make sure people know it. But, as a business owner there are also times we receive windfalls and may get paid more than some say we deserve - but then we go quiet.
We can talk about the long days, the crazy hours, the hard physical work, being always covered in grease and dirt, the stresses of unreliable weather, low commodity prices, increasing costs and diminishing returns. We can whinge about how no one understands us, or cares about us or is willing to dip into their pockets and pay a little extra for products in the supermarket to 'support the farmer'.
But would you swap with them? Would you swap with someone who has the same repetitive job day in day out, who has someone else tell them and keep them accountable for what they need to achieve each day. How much value do you place on having the flexibility to be able to schedule an appointment for whenever it suits you, go see your child's sport day if you believe you can justify the time off, have a leisurely 2 hr chat with the neighbour when you coincidently meet at the back fence when going around the sheep, or knock off early and take your wife out for lunch 'just because'. How much value do you place on being able justify a day or two at the field days and still call them work because you are a bit interested in a new auger? How much do you appreciate having family close and present at your workplace, and being able to share with them aspects of your everyday life?
And how much do you value being able to be able to stop for a moment and hear the silence, or the soft bleating of lambs in the distant horizon, or get a whiff of a flowering crop in spring - or to stare in awe for a moment at a glorious sunset at harvest while waiting for the chaser bin driver to scurry back.
There are many people in lots of different occupations who work hard, and farmers are among them. But its not a competition, and if it was, there is no prize. Embrace the life you lead, work hard in whatever field you choose, celebrate your successes, create strong relationships with your neighbours, hug your families - and take time to stare in awe at the sunsets...
But is it true? Is it fair to suggest that we are more hardworking and deserving that others?
I remember being at a conference with a group of young farmers years ago, and there was a heap of chest beating about how hard farmers work. Someone made the comment "Imagine only having to work from 9-5 each day and pick up a guaranteed paycheque - how easy would life be?". The presenter pulled him up quickly and asked what time he started work each day. He said it started when he walked out his front door and hopped in his ute at 7.30am, and finished when he walked back in at 6.30pm - 11 hours each day. The presenter made the point that for a lot of people in cities, there may be a 2 hour commute each way to and from work, meaning it was over 12 hours between when they walked out the door till when they returned. "But that's not work - they still only do 8 hours" was the cry. The presenter prodded further asking why the drive out to the furthest sheep trough, or the trip to town to buy a 20L of chemical should be considered 'work', and a city persons commute should not. It made everybody think.
There is no doubt that farmers work hard, but there are times when we do ourselves a big disservice and are disrespectful to the rest of society by suggesting that we are more hard done by and more deserving of public sympathy than others. Farmers work hard. Doctors work hard. Deli owners work hard, as do mechanics, plumbers, labourers, factory workers, fruit pickers, secretaries - and even some politicians! Stay at home mums probably work even harder than most. We can also argue that as farm owners we don't get paid what we are worth - and we make sure people know it. But, as a business owner there are also times we receive windfalls and may get paid more than some say we deserve - but then we go quiet.
We can talk about the long days, the crazy hours, the hard physical work, being always covered in grease and dirt, the stresses of unreliable weather, low commodity prices, increasing costs and diminishing returns. We can whinge about how no one understands us, or cares about us or is willing to dip into their pockets and pay a little extra for products in the supermarket to 'support the farmer'.
But would you swap with them? Would you swap with someone who has the same repetitive job day in day out, who has someone else tell them and keep them accountable for what they need to achieve each day. How much value do you place on having the flexibility to be able to schedule an appointment for whenever it suits you, go see your child's sport day if you believe you can justify the time off, have a leisurely 2 hr chat with the neighbour when you coincidently meet at the back fence when going around the sheep, or knock off early and take your wife out for lunch 'just because'. How much value do you place on being able justify a day or two at the field days and still call them work because you are a bit interested in a new auger? How much do you appreciate having family close and present at your workplace, and being able to share with them aspects of your everyday life?
And how much do you value being able to be able to stop for a moment and hear the silence, or the soft bleating of lambs in the distant horizon, or get a whiff of a flowering crop in spring - or to stare in awe for a moment at a glorious sunset at harvest while waiting for the chaser bin driver to scurry back.
There are many people in lots of different occupations who work hard, and farmers are among them. But its not a competition, and if it was, there is no prize. Embrace the life you lead, work hard in whatever field you choose, celebrate your successes, create strong relationships with your neighbours, hug your families - and take time to stare in awe at the sunsets...
Comment