Sowing Seeds of Support: Building a Strong Agricultural Community

Hello everyone, my name is Erin, and I am a grain farmer in northern Alberta. I’m so thankful to share some stories about my agricultural community with you. My biggest takeaway for you is that community is intentional; it doesn’t happen by accident! Farm life is a unique job with odd hours. It takes effort to find and stay in community when so much of your work is done in your own yard, in your own machinery and your own timing.

My agricultural community gives me a sense of belonging. I can connect with other people who understand my work and my challenges. It reminds me that I am not alone and that I have supports. I enjoy attending our local municipality events, like the Farm Family Awards, to celebrate my neighbours. I look forward to agriculture shows and events, to meet and learn from other farmers. We can share ideas and frustrations, workshop problems, and learn from each other. My kids joined the local 4H club this year, which has given us a whole new group of farmers to connect with. Volunteering on the agriculture board has allowed me to give my point of view to our elected officials and enabled me to learn about the dynamics and decisions the municipal government is responsible for. The internet has given me access to a much larger community as well, through podcasts about farming, blogs with great recipes and YouTube videos with simple explanations for fixing equipment. When I am tired in harvest, stressed when the weather is too dry or too wet, or discouraged when I’m paying big bills, knowing that I belong to a group of hard-working and passionate people who want to help me succeed gives me encouragement.

My agricultural community gives me a sense of purpose. I have different strengths and skills than the other people in my family that I am farming with. It’s important for me to fill my role knowing that my skills are valuable and make a difference. We can’t all do the same parts of the job, and it takes all of us to operate the farm. I want to be appreciated for my roles and show appreciation for others’ roles, too. Recognizing the value in each other’s skills is so important. I’m thankful for the organization skills that had the idea to put magnetic labels on each grain bin showing what type of grain was in it. I’m thankful for the cooking skills to bring healthy, creative meals and snacks to the field. I’m thankful for the technology skills to navigate the increasingly complex machines, so when a combine starts throwing codes, we can fix it in a timely manner without frustrations running over. I’m thankful for the time management skills that make a group text and keep it updated so we aren’t all making separate trips for parts or supplies. I’m thankful for the neighbour who has different equipment we can rent and borrow, trading with each other to keep costs down. I’m thankful for the neighbour who has much more experience with cattle, and came to help the kids and me find our 4H cows when they decided to break out of their pen and go for a grand explore! Valuing each other’s skills means our farm is a positive and productive place to be. The sense of purpose I have, is knowing that my contributions matter and have meaning.

My agricultural community gives me a sense of family. I am thankful to live and work in the same yard with my husband and parents. Living on a multi-generational farm means we can learn from each other. The job of the ride-on lawn mower that used to be mine is now my kids. I am able to teach them to help with the garden, the tractors and yard maintenance, the way my mom and grandma taught me. I’m thankful that my teenagers and their friends can walk next door to Grandma’s house for cookies and a game of ping pong. We work together to make meals and deliver them to the field. The kids can deliver a lunch bag and take a ride with dad or grandpa at the same time. We try to do a sit-down lunch in the field as often as the weather permits, using this time to sit together, visit, relax and reconnect. This gives us a chance to communicate about the rhythm of the day and clarify the day’s plan. This crew of farm family isn’t necessarily connected by genetics either, some friends and neighbours are a part of the farm family each spring and fall.

My agricultural community gives me a sense of support.

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