I absolutely love hearing all of the amazing ways our readers and followers spend time outdoors with their children. The reason I started this website was to help inspire parents to get their children outdoors more with activities, crafts, and adventures. However, in the process, I’ve been inspired and overwhelmed by the incredible parents out there that are instilling a deep love of nature and the outdoors in their children. I am thrilled to share one of those stories with you today. Leslie Alvis is a homeschooling mother of four in Ohio. She occasionally has the opportunity to take over the chores at her father’s cattle farm with the kids. She’s sharing the tale of their most recent January farm adventure. I couldn’t love this more! Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the read.
Meet the family
I’m Leslie and I’m a hopeless fresh-air addict. I was raised on a farm, with the belief that green grass, fresh air, and sunshine will cure just about anything. My husband grew up in the country, roaming the woods and helping his dad with outdoor projects. We’ve gotten each of our four babies (now ages 10, 7, 4 and 1) outside as early as possible. They all inherited our love for green grass, fresh air, and sunshine. We rarely turn down any excuse to get outdoors, no matter the season. Although we don’t currently live in the country, we love any opportunity that lets us pretend that we do. And that’s where today’s adventure begins.
The farm
My dad, a retired veterinarian turned gentleman farmer, owns a small hay and grass-fed beef cattle operation in Northeast Ohio. There are usually between 40-80 cattle on his farm at any given time. He uses rotational grazing to optimize his pasture and employs science in the care and maintenance of his herd. He maintains a careful system for each part of his twice-daily feeding schedule.
Any time my farmer father needs to leave the farm, he asks us to do the farm chores and we say YES! Maybe I’m nuts…I usually end up thinking so, somewhere between a million heavy buckets of grain, countless bales of hay, and all those spools of temporary fencing wire. Why, in the madness of my days caring for and homeschooling four children, do I think I should add the responsibility of keeping several dozen cattle alive?
Embracing it
When my dad leaves, he scrawls all the necessary information on a sheet of notebook paper, walks us through the process, and then entrusts us with the care of his livelihood. The first time I pull into the farm driveway after he departs, I always wonder what I’ve gotten us into. Every single time. There are a lot of hungry cows waiting on us. And I have four children in tow. Sometimes they are hungry, too! Snacks are a necessity. Along with rubber boots and heavy duty jeans.
Still, my children love every excursion to Grandpa’s farm. And really – even though the craziness of it overwhelms me sometimes – so do I. I love our family working together outside. I love teaching my children how to care for livestock and seeing their confidence grow. And I love getting everyone up first thing in the morning and heading out into the crisp dawn air. I love the simplicity of filling hungry bovine bellies and knowing they are content for the day. And I love working outside at sunset, watching the colors of the sky shift and glow and reflect on my kids’ faces.
Last weekend we took over farm chore duty for my dad. It was our first time doing winter chores at the farm. January in Ohio can be brutal – I remember breaking through inches of ice in my calves’ water trough each morning growing up. However, the weather cooperated for us, with days of sun and mild temperatures. Being out in the sunshine and crisp air was medicine for this housebound mama and her stir-crazy crew. Plus, we learned a lot about the differences between seasonal chores. I discovered that feeding hay is less intense than the summertime chore of moving temporary fence twice a day and rotating the cows to new grazing areas. It was also easier to have the kids help pitch hay.
Finding our routine
We divide up the chores and find a routine pretty quickly. Everyone helps out, based on their ability and dependability. I send Noah (10) out to start pitching hay to the cows in the barn. Meg (7) starts filling a trough with water. Lauren (4) helps me fill buckets of grain. And of course, I find a secure place for toddler Eden (1) so I don’t lose track of her. Thankfully, none of our children have ever been frightened of the cows. It’s much more likely that the cows will be scared of the children! We try to teach them early to move slowly, talk quietly, and stay clear of the electric fence.
Staying safe
Safety on a farm is always an issue and it’s something I think about a lot when we’re doing chores and exploring the farm. I want to encourage exploration and adventure, but I admit that sometimes I do worry about the children’s safety. Especially when they are off on their own, having adventures of climbing through the barns, hiding in the huge square bales of hay, or disappearing into the waving grass of the summer pasture. The farm feels vast and empty when my parents are gone and I’m the only adult there. I relax more when my husband can join us after his day’s work. But, when we’re on our own, I keep everyone within the sound of my voice as we work from one area of the farm to the next.
Daily grind
We start by caring for the cattle housed in the huge barn near the house. Usually, there are only a few animals in the barn: some calves being gentled for sale, new or expectant mothers with special needs, and the occasional animal requiring medical attention. The barn chores involve feeding hay and grain, filling water tubs, and bedding stall areas. Noah and I carry heavier buckets of grain or push wheelbarrows full of hay. The girls can help water the cattle, but I have learned to keep close tabs on whoever has the hose running. We had a disastrous flood once when a child forgot their responsibility to turn off the hose before we left the barn. That was one of those “What in the world are we doing???” moments. I think we all learned from the experience…especially as we all worked hard to try to clean up the mess.
After we finish in the barn, we move to the cattle in the pastures. We feed grain and hay to four separate herds. Some live in the pasture on the main farm and some across the road. Sometimes these cows are alarmed by the activity and noise involved with four children running around. However, their stomachs usually overrule their anxiety and soon they are nose-to-nose with the kids, munching on the hay and grain we pile into their feeder. The kids absolutely love it. They dump grain in uneven piles on the ground that we have to spread out. They haul hay toward the feeder in little handfuls. And they giggle at the cows’ long tongues, huge eyes and woolly faces. Lauren thinks she is Cinderella, singing to herself as she tosses out grain and hay to her barnyard friends.
Farm life with kids
Of course, there are tears and fights and whining and dirty diapers and potty emergencies…because this is life with kids! And, for a few days, it’s life with kids and cows. So we add bellowing and overflowing water tubs and spilled wheelbarrows to the madness. We flex with the challenges, deal with the necessities, and try to extend grace to each other. But sometimes we fail. Sometimes I sit a child down on an overturned bucket or a bale of hay until they can adjust their attitude. Sometimes I just have to keep working while I counsel them through a disagreement or the tragedy of muddy jeans. But, we work through it. Because dusk is falling and the cows have to be fed. Life goes on.
But the good far outweighs the bad and I know these are experiences my children will cherish forever. My favorite moments at the farm are when we have the time to just enjoy the experience: the smell of sweet hay, the sounds of the cattle munching, and the feeling of being outside together in the open spaces of the country. As hard as it is, I know it’s making a positive impact on the children when they get up the first morning after Grandpa’s return and beg, “We want to go help Grandpa do chores at the farm!”
“It isn’t the farm that makes the farmer – it’s the love, the hard work and the character.” unknown
Leslie Alvis is a wife, mom, follower of Christ, and lover of all things outdoors. She uses writing and photography as ways to keep her sanity amidst the chaos of rearing and homeschooling four children. Outdoor activities with her family are some of her favorite things. You can see more of their family’s adventures on Instagram at @c_l_allofus.
Also, check out Leslie’s post on Making Maple Syrup with Kids.