When I was growing up I used to spend a lot of time on my relatives’ farms. Spending time on the farm was one of the most fun times of my life.
Most of our relatives lived on farms in the North and in the South of Romania.
Every summer, my parents and I would pack the car and drive either to the North or the South. It was a whole-day trip. Although we only drove about 600 km, there were lots of villages and cities that we had to go through, which meant many people and animals on the road and a low speed limit. The drive took us the entire day, usually from 7 am to 7 pm.
I loved spending time on my relatives’ farm when I was little. I would love it now too, but I haven’t had the chance to spend a few days (not even a few hours) on a farm in a very long time. However, this is about to change. This summer I decided to take my whole family to a few U-pick farms around Alberta. Stay tuned! I’ll keep you posted.
What did I do on my relatives’ farm when I was little? I had many “jobs”, although they did not feel like work and I happily volunteered for them. I loved helping on the farm.
Here’s a few of the “jobs” I was in charge of during my days on the farm:
1. Feed the chickens in the morning.
There were chickens clucking around all the time. They would be allowed to wander in the yard and garden in the morning. At night they would go back to their little wooden house. They would eat grass, worms, and insects all day long. Those were some happy and lucky chickens!
2. Water the garden.
I can’t remember exactly which vegetables were in the garden, but I remember many heads of cabbage and rows of onions. Endless rows that took me a while to water, especially since I was carrying the water from a nearby fountain with a big bucket. There wasn’t a sophisticated system for watering the garden, just a slow, but fun and active way to do it. I loved it!
3. Feed and play with the cats.
Okay, you got me. This wasn’t really needed 😉 , but it sure felt that it should have been included in my duties.
One or two cats were always in the house and each time I ate they knew to come quickly and sit on the floor next to me knowing that my heart wouldn’t allow them to go hungry.
Although my grandmother would always tell me not to give food to the cats, I always did. The cats were allowed to move freely outside and they would always find food to eat, including mice and rats. But how could I not share my food with them, when they were so cute and their beautiful eyes were begging me so nicely for a bit of food?
4. Milk the cows.
I did this “job” a few times, but I wasn’t very successful as I didn’t have enough strength to squeeze the udders.
The best part was drinking the sweet warm milk after (and I was really good at that!). Milk that wasn’t exposed to boiling temperature. Just raw and fresh. It was indeed delicious!
5. Have fun!
I was actually having fun on the farm all day long. No matter what I was doing, everything was incredibly entertaining. Even more, I had made many friends there who I was playing with every day, from early morning until late at night.
Spending time on the farm was one of the best times of my life and I want my kids to experience it too. I am aware that I won’t be able to offer them the whole experience (unless I take them to Romania), but I hope I can at least give them a glimpse of the farm experience.
This summer we’ll go to a few U-pick farms in Alberta. I made a list of the farms I would like to take the kids to (I can’t live without lists!). It’s just a matter of waiting for a sunny weekend day, packing fresh, whole foods, arriving, and having fun.
What about you? Have you ever been to a farm? Have your kids? I would love to hear/read about your experience! Please share in the comments below.
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