It’s more than a job.
Growing up on a farm has been nothing short of a blessing. I remember when I was younger, waking up on those summer mornings I looked forward to spending the day with the man I admire the most, my dad. We’d always start the day by watering the crops we had planted and then we’d get some breakfast. Our daily tasks ranged from spraying cabbage all day or even servicing tractors. I always enjoyed what we did and put my best foot forward.
Spending these days with my dad during the summer helped shape me into who I have become. My dad wasn’t just babysitting me during the summer months, he was teaching and showing me how to make a living. Now at 18 years old I realize how much of those years left a lasting impact on me. When I was younger, I thought getting up and managing this farm was just a job but now I have realized it’s much more.
Owning and operating a farm is more than just a job. It’s a lifestyle. Our whole family revolves around our business. Now I’m getting up in the mornings early and starting these wells. I’m the one spraying these fields and servicing these tractors. I realize now how great that time was to be with my dad, learning and working. Now I understand why my dad always got home late every night. For our family it’s more than just a job, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I truly love what we do and I am glad to be apart of the 1.3% percent of Americans that call themselves farmers.
Sometimes things may not go your way, but that’s the farming industry. I’ve always been told that farming is nothing short of gambling for your livelihood. Some years the market may shift and you loose money or some years it may shift and you make more money than you ever have. It’s a huge risk for my family but we’re willing to take it because farming is a dying art that gets smaller and smaller each year. We want to keep our family business going and continue the legacy that our family started over 50 years ago.
I take pride in what I do and I strive to produce the best vegetables that South Georgia has to offer. In order to be the best at what I do I have learned that all it takes is hard work and dedication. On weekends I may not be able to hang out with my friends, I may have to tend to the crop over getting to have 2 free days and that is the reality of it. Growing up on a farm is the lifestyle I was born into and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Logan Bennet
Colquitt County, Georgia