Just last night, I decided the kids and I needed to get out of the house for a bit. We packed up my farmer's HOT supper (yep, he's spoiled big-time!!) and picked up my farmer's dad, farmer's brother, and the hired man's HOT suppers as well (yep, they're spoiled too!!!). Off we went to the field!
After fighting off the mosquitoes while the farmers ate their suppers, the kids and I hopped in the combine with my farmer's dad. The kids loved it. Their Pepere loved it (I'm sure Elise's matter-of-fact stories will never get old) and I enjoyed the little break from the monotony of the day. I, of course, took a few pictures! I'm active on social media, and no, I don't mind posting photos of my farm kids doing typical farm things on the Internet.
I captured and posted this photo on my personal Twitter account, with the caption/hash tags: "#harvest15 #fourthgenerationfarmer #farmlife #farm365 #westcdnag #takingoffthewheat"
I love it. It epitomizes my life and theirs. Now here's what I have to deal with following my totally innocent and beautiful #farmlife post; some crackpot, social media TROLL that goes by the Twitter name @jesusxanimals, commenting and telling me that what I'm doing is the culture of death, and it's ANIMAL ABUSE. Excuse me? What? I'm so confused right now....
Here's our "conversation" up until I decided to block the TROLL and continue on enjoying my #farmlife. Except I didn't continue on enjoying. I wasted my entire lunch hour with my farm kids (who were eating home-grown vegetables and ethically-raised meat) pondering on what this total stranger had to say to me via social media.
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| First this comment... #animalabuse ???? |
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| Umm.....yep...damn straight I'm teaching farming to children.... |
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| I tried to keep it civil. Which is how I ended this by blocking @Jesusxanimals before I got into it "publicly" |
They just don't get it. There are so many ignorant people in this world, (like @jesusxanimals) and they believe that by hiding behind a screen and typing ignorant comments to random STRANGERS that this will somehow change THEIR world for the better. I'm sorry. I don't agree.
I eat. You eat. Everyone eats. I gather this "person" was vegan (#govegan) and all the power to them for THEIR choice. BUT---who feeds this person their vegan food? That's right.....a farmer. And how did #takingoffthewheat and #farm365 turn into a conversation about #animalabuse and akin to the holocaust????? I'm just....blown away by the thought of this!
Farming is not "the culture of death". I absolutely, straight out LAUGHED at this comment.
Maybe I'm the ignorant one, but I'd like to think otherwise.
Farmers-in MY OPINION- are the most important and CAPABLE people in this world. They deal with death on a daily basis, whether that be their animals or their crops, but they also deal with LIFE. That farmer that helped deliver that little calf, which in turn dies the next night for unknown causes, will help bring another ten little calves into the world the very next day. You think he/she doesn't think about that one that lost the fight? You are so wrong if you do. That farmer who has to carry around the biggest conciencse of all other professions/lifestyles, who lost his entire crop to a late frost in the spring, or the random hail storm that blew through, will turn around and TRY to plant another, faster growing crop before the growing season is over, so that he can TRY to pay his bills and feed his family. To feed YOU, the CONSUMER. That farmer, who deals with so many uncontrollable factors in his/her line of work (Mother Nature, ignorant people, the price of oil/fertilizer/vaccinations,etc) will cry at night and get up the next day and will just keep going. Because that's what farmers do- they are strong. They have to be. They are the BACKBONE of our province, our country, our WORLD. And guess what, I'm SO PROUD to be a born & raised FARMER. I'm SO PROUD of my ancestors, my parents, my in-laws, MY FARMER. They/we work hard to make a life for ourselves. My kids will never, EVER confuse #farmlife with #animal abuse because that's just a ridiculous idea. I was raised to know better than that and I refuse to associate or burden myself with anyone who follows what the above-mentioned TROLL believes.
C
ps. You can follow me on Twitter @CarrieHounjet for cute harvest, farm life pictures. :)
