By Carie Moore
As a farmer and one who works with farmers daily, agriculture is a big part of my life. I also love to eat so there’s that too. I try to have routine, eat healthy, support our family life, and our farm. For the most part, I can do that, but there are THOSE days. I had one earlier this week.
I was up at dawn and out the door to my off-farm job eating a fried egg and fresh ham sandwich on whole wheat toast with a protein shake. I loaded up the trailer, fueled up the truck and tractor at the gas station, and in doing so grabbed coffee and a maple doughnut (1 of my 2 major weaknesses). I had a healthy lunch of turkey, avocado, tomato, lettuce, multi grain wrap, string cheese and almonds (with a side of dirt). I put in just shy of 10 hours planting trees and loading grass seed orders and by the time I left work I needed to stop at the c-store again for a few items for the guys at home. I was starving and in a hurry. So, it was fries and chicken strips to go, another coffee, and eating in my vehicle.
I got home and helped transfer fertilizer from one cart to the one we were using to plant canola, then I had to carry 6 bags of canola seed up the ladder to the top of the drill. I went to the field after that and did some field prep for the canola planting. After I was done I parked the tractor and had to walk back to my vehicle a mile away. I’m only pointing this out because this is a daily occurrence for most farmers. We don’t think of it as out of the ordinary. It’s just “farm life.”
The point is, your body needs fuel. It’s not always what you want or have time for. Whether it’s me or my kids, I know that fast and fried food is not a regular staple to our lifestyle. I also know if my body says its hungry and physical labor is on the agenda, I need to feed my muscles and my brain.
Safety is important on the farm and to be on my game physically and mentally while operating equipment is key. My meal had protein and vegetables: chicken, tomatoes, and potatoes. I put a positive outlook on it! I wasn’t distracted by a growling stomach or hunger pains. I wasn’t famished at 10 p.m. and loading up on a bunch of food before going to bed. Were all of these choices good? No, but it wasn’t a bad choice by any means; it was making a smart choice in a not so ideal situation.
There is no perfect food or food choices. We all have different lifestyles, food availability, and nutritional needs. We eat food to fuel our body, that’s it’s main purpose. Some days we are busier than others, so food choices change, but it’s to make sure my family can perform the tasks at hand. I can’t feed them a salad if we’re going out to clean up the yard and plant the garden. A bologna sandwich with cheese and a small pudding is going to go farther to meet their needs for the afternoon. Food = fuel.
And by the way, when I got home, I had a hidden frozen cookie you can only get from the local café. I point out that I HIDE them because children just don’t understand the pleasure of indulging on something as awesome as that monster or peanut butter cookie! So, they get hidden! I hid them in my vehicle over winter because they once found them in the freezer and ate them all, even though they were in a brown bag under vegetables. Remember the phrase, “If momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy?” Desperate times call for desperate measures!