Holidays Don't Exist on the Farm

Yesterday was Father's Day. My husband really just wanted to relax, drink a beer, and grill some food. I put him to work instead. We had to extend our chickens' roosting bar as we're picking up another 22 chickens this afternoon. We also had to prepare our larger brooder for our incoming quail that will be hatching this week. This was all in addition to our regular chores of feeding cattle, horses, and all the other animals we have.

For most people, holidays mean sleeping in, gathering with family, firing up the grill, and taking a break from the normal routine.

On the farm, holidays are just another day with extra food.

The animals don't know it's Christmas morning. They don't care that it's Thanksgiving, Easter, Memorial Day, or the Fourth of July. They still need to be fed. Water tanks still need to be checked. Fences still need to be repaired. Eggs still need collecting. Sick animals still need care.

The sun comes up, and the chores are waiting.

One of the biggest misconceptions about farming and homesteading is that life slows down when everyone else is celebrating. The reality is that livestock require care 365 days a year. There are no weekends. There are no snow days. There are no holidays.

I've hauled water on Christmas morning.

I've fed animals before family dinners.

I've checked livestock in the dark before fireworks started.

And I've left holiday gatherings early because something on the farm needed attention.

At first glance, it can seem unfair. While everyone else is relaxing, you're mucking stalls, fixing gates, carrying feed buckets, or making sure a newborn animal is warm enough to make it through the night.

But somewhere along the way, your perspective changes.

You begin to realize that caring for animals isn't an interruption to your holiday—it's part of it.

The horses waiting at the fence. The chickens scratching in the yard. The cattle grazing peacefully in the pasture. They're part of the reason you're building this life in the first place.

The farm becomes more than a place you live. It becomes part of your family.

There's also something grounding about starting a holiday with chores. Before the celebrations begin, before the food hits the table, you're reminded of your responsibility and purpose. You're reminded that life continues beyond the festivities.

The work isn't always glamorous.

Sometimes it's freezing cold. Sometimes it's pouring rain. Sometimes you're tired and would rather stay inside with another cup of coffee.

But the animals depend on you.

And dependence creates discipline.

Discipline creates character.

Character creates resilience.

The very things that make farm life difficult are often the same things that make it meaningful.

So while others may spend the holiday sleeping in, we'll be filling water troughs, tossing hay, gathering eggs, and checking fences.

Not because we have to.

Because we chose this life.

And despite the early mornings, muddy boots, and holiday chores, there's nowhere else we'd rather be.

The farm doesn't take holidays.

Neither do the people who love it.