How did you guys meet your wife? Need some advice...

[skip]

I am curious about this. Especially from the young farmer crowd. Something I never gave any thought to. I am on the road enough I get to take in the scenery at many different locations throughout the summer. Haven't ended up with anything yet, but in due time I either will or won't.

Talking to a friend tonight. A year older than me. Good, honest, hard working guy. Met him at school. Visit at least every couple weeks. We were discussing exactly this. He is from a rural area, like really rural. Graduated with ten people. Guy has done the school teacher chasing trick, otherwise it is pretty much the same crowd all the time. Farms with his dad and brother and a couple hired men. He is a good positive guy, they farm BIG and have a BIG cow herd. Getting away just does not happen for him very often. He was discussing this with me. Bottom line going to the bar for a couple whiskey just isn't cutting it for him any more.

So--how did you meet your wife?

Any recommendations on getting some exposure?

[bluefargo]

I'm not from the young farmer crowd but for what it's worth here's my answer. Your friend won't find a mate while feeding cows, driving tractor or in the local bar. He's got to get out into the world - take some trips, join some clubs, get involved in something where there's a chance some eligable females may show. Could be politics, could be church, could be mixed curling, cattle organization - you name it.
If he's the work 7 days a week type tell him to quit it. Take some time off.

I met my wife on a blind date. A few of us used to sing and play at the odd party. One of the guys asked if I wanted a date that night as he knew the girl for me. I said sure. That was almost 40 years ago.

The rural area thing is a problem especially in Sask.. Our rural areas our getting so empty that some women just can't take it. Jobs are scarse. Schools and recreation are getting farther away. But there are still some girls who like rural living enough to put up with the distances.

[per]

I knew she was going to be at a small house party at a friends that I was also invited to. I decided to fly in and make a large entrance. Buzzed the house with my Cub and swung around and put her down on the highway just as the startled masses came out of the house. Taxied up and parked on the lawn up front. She took the bait and we have been married for 20 years. Your best bet is introductions from friends and relationships made at activities. Showing off does not always work.

[per]

Your could try taking different types of dancing lessons in the city. You might be amazed at who you might meet. It could be the one or others that know of someone.

Like the previous writer comments, the bars are not the right place. It would be complete luck to find the one you are looking for, especially at the times you finally can get to the bar (which is late). If its the bar scene you are looking for the perfect one, you better get there between 4:30 and leave at 7:00 in a Friday. Many will go with work collegues for a social drink.

You can try small town community functions (there's a pile of fall suppers taking place right now). Sometimes the biggest hurdle is finding the nerve to ask someone out.

Good luck

[skhadenuf]

Depends on what you are looking for,
If you want sympathy wear your leafs hat everywhere you go, If she feels sorry for you she has a good heart and knows her hockey, if she's blonde and says gee I didn't know they changed the canadian flag to blue and white, likely easy score for a one night stand but I wouldn't take her home to mom.
If your looking for an NDP er wear something from the past like an old checkered shirt, suspenders, black bow tie and pants a little too short, but be neat. Talk about how your grandpa knew Tommy and likely nothing else you say will matter your in!!!
If your looking for someone more from the right politically, tell her your dad hung out with Ralph Klein, just don't mention it was at AA.
But seriously get at it your not getting younger, and the chance that a hot looking babe being single and having a flat at the end of your driveway on a day your at home not on the field or in the barn are slim to none, go out to every function you can get involved in something off the farm, some have tried the match making thing on the internet and has worked for some not for others. But do not just settle for what comes along first, just to be with someone it really does have to feel right!

[mcfarms]

Rodeo Cabs, Road trips and or hutterite colonies..... lol ooorrr announce you're going to college for a semester each winter before or after christmas until you get a degree or a wife or both.

[per]

Although he wanted the information you guys have provided. Skip asked how we met our wives. Along with the advise lets hear that answer as well. Makes for an interesting thread.

[mcfarms]

gee but I did tell you

[lcarduner]

Don't be afraid to try 'internet dating'. You might meet someone you didn't know that lives within jogging distance to your home. LOL!

[mcfarms]

Ya I tried that once but then my wife caught me and made me stop

[rockpile]

That was very noble of you Fran and I would
appreciate a higher level of decorum on this site
and a return to respect and civility among users free
of the childish personal crap!!! CWB aside, here is
something that has always bothered me, and I'm
switching gears. Let us take canola as an example.
How do you know what a grain company or broker
has sold a bushel of canola for to an end user? As a
farmer, you are marketing into a procurement field,
established by buyers (mostly grain companies) to
get the product out of the bin and into transit. Does
this necessarily mean that there is a direct
relationship to what the end buyer is paying or is it
just the local lever to get the farmer to part with it?
I raise this question, which was never satisfactorily
answered, from my experience with one of the
Wheat Pools in the 1980's. At that time everything
revolved around canola sales to Japan and the
procedure in place was that at 4 AM Vancouver
time a price and volume purchase for that day was
received in the marketing office and the choice was
either to sell or reject. At the same moment,
futures and cash prices were established
domestically to bring product forward as needed.
As a matter of information, not even the CEO of the
Pool was privy to this trading intelligence - he had
to wait for the year end results. So, my question is
this - where is the transparency where a single
producer can witness an honest basis between the
end user and the middleman? I've never found it
and be sure, there are 2 sets of books. By the way,
as I see it, the CWB and any old grain company
aren't that much different - one is mandatory by
law, the other by lack of access. To go back to
Burbert's co-op Wheat Board idea, I'll just say
mandatory if necessary, but not necessarily
mandatory! Have a good one,
Rockpile

[skhadenuf]

yeah the internet may be okey but with dial up by the time you connect to the other person you'll each be too old to get excited about anything other than where you put your false teeth.

[Hopperbin]

How old till going to college for a semester does not work??
It seems online is the way to go these days. Bars are like slough water. At least online there is conversation before sex.

[mcfarms]

Re college, my wife is 6 years younger than me and when we met at a Rodeo Cab I was 26 and she was 20, we were friends for 2 years while she was finishing school and stuff and really didn't start getting serious until then. She says that she did also take some college courses after Uni just asked her and she said that there were a lot of single even divorced people in her program with ages varying from 18-30. I would say its a bit of an inverse scale yes lots around 20 but there are those of higher age too. And really at 23-24 for the girl I know of more than one couple that have age differences up to 8 years apart and are great couples. I don't think you can get arrested for wandering through a college sometime to just see the age ranges of the students( OK its maybe a little creepy) but I do know that colleges like Lethbridge offer short courses that would give you some insight as well as add value to you and your farm ( if you have the time to take) I have thought in the past that my biggest mistake when I was single was that I went to college too young for the girls as I was the same age and should have waited until I was 22 23 then I would have had more life experience and more money( lol) that said at 23-24 I had my head down working hard and might have not gone. Though now as a middle aged guy I think I should have taken the time and done it. ( though things seem to have worked themselves out) I have a relative who never looked up and went out of his comfort zone because of perceived work and pressures and now he say's he could have hired a neighbour to feed cows and hauled his grain when he could . He regrets his choice I feel.

[barbiek]

I am the wife. We actually met at our
provincial fed of ag annual meeting. He
was a delegate and I was working at the
trade show. We sat down to lunch at the
same table and just started talking. He
came by my booth after the meeting and
we talked some more.

I then called him a few weeks later and
asked him out.

You never know, you can meet that
special person anywhere!