Back to normal life? If only it were that simple.
Sadly the doctors who are in charge of me have decided that, whilst I can use my hand for anything else, I'm not allowed to drive for at least another week (boo!!!), maybe another 3 weeks (many many loud angry swear words). I appreciate that I want to get back to normal, but I don't think driving a car is going to do any more damage than, say, typing.
The BIG problem with not being able to drive, however, is work. I'm allowed to work, but suddenly I'm not allowed to drive to the farms where I do that work. Thankfully, option B for getting me out of the office and back into the wild is sending me out to do paired or group work, such as taking blood samples.
It is rediculously great to be back outside. To be able to smell the weeds and shrubs that grow around cattle handling facilities mixed in with the smells and calls of the animals. To be out in the light breeze and under the warm sun, doing something practical and useful. To be back to what I came to New Zealand to do.
And back to hanging out with farmers.
I do go to the local pub on a Friday evening to catch up with a portion of the local agricultural community, as well as living with a farm manager. That has been just enough to get some decent farmer chat in during the average week. Yet it's not quite the same as travelling round, seeing the farms, catching up over animals and fields, but one to one.
As many of you will know, I grew up on a farm in the midst of Yorkshire, surrounded by farming friends and family, with my foolish adolescent weekends spent with the local Young Farmers Club. This having shared values and shared experiences, goes , in part, towards explaining the reason why I love working with farmers.
But, along with the animals, the paddocks, the plants, and the weather (for better or worse), there's more than just familiarity that makes farmers great people to work, and socialise, with.
Truth or Consequences
Farmers nearly all talk in a very specific way. They speak their minds, tell you the truth, for better or worse, even if it's a harsh truth, and just want to get on with it. Some people seem to struggle with this blunt honesty where no one minces their words or tries to make a subject look better than it is.
Yet this is my favourite thing about talking to farmers. The only bullshit is on the ground. You get as close to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as you're likely to get from any human when talking to a farmer. Again, you might not like what is said, but they just speak their minds, normally with no though to causing offence, occasionally just commenting in jest.
I guess one could say that farmers have never learnt the city slicker techniques of modulating what they say. Never learnt to take into consideration other people's feelings and thus appear brusque. Some days they may even sound like they are trying to be vindictive- which at times can be true, especially with "the new guy", yet if you show you can stand up to it without flinching they will know they can trust you. It doesn't matter how smart you are or what you know, first you have to prove you've got a spine, and that's important in one of the worlds most dangerous jobs when working in a team.
Yet the other side to it is this- when there's only two of you in the entire valley, it's useless lying to the other person: "If it wasn't me, and it apparently wasn't you..."
What's more, with a 14+ hour work day one doesn't see many other people. If you can't laugh and joke with your work mates you'd go mad. They're the only ones you have to confide in, or to discuss things with face to face. Best to be honest now and not dig a hole for yourself. Equally those few people met in the day are best spoken to sincerely, opening your mind to them. There's not many other people about. They will end up knowing you so well that any hint of trying to hide something or lie, such as a new girlfriend ("a real girl bro?" "Wasn't expecting that!" "Isn't your usually a bit more woolly?" "Baa!" "BAAA!"). You really do end up becoming a family.
As well as the 14+ hour work day not leaving time to go socialise elsewhere, it also results in tiredness. It gets harder and harder to invent and then tell convincing lies as one tires, why even start?
There are plenty of young farm hands who have not realised any of this and struggled- at best learning the hard way, at worst having to leave the job.
We Three Kings of Agriculture...
I recon there's three types of farmer.
The Enthusiasts
These farmers are in it because they love agriculture. For some it's the freedom, owning your own business, doing your own work, or because cows are awesome, tractors are amazing, and the landscape is breath taking.
A bit like this Mitchell and Webb sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDTiFkXgEE
They also did one about being a vet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qP8LHurwHw
The great thing about these farmers is that they are capable of being really chatty. Plus they have a wealth of knowledge about agriculture and their countryside (not to mention local history).
As well as this, with the introduction of the radio into tractors and cattle shed, most of them have a better idea of what's in the news than many townies I know. Not the old stereotypical backward red neck views either, but modern, well rounded, educated views. Well done to talk radio and the news, giving everyone something to think about whilst cupping cows and leading bales.
To give you an example, last Friday night I went to the pub. It was much quieter than usual, I was tired, and I'd arrived later than most. Yet I still learnt about irrigation systems, changes to forestry machinery, what they do with the stumps of felled trees, newly encroaching weeds and the problems of billing as a contractor. I find it fascinating.
In turn I do my part, occasionally throwing in knowledge as well- reminding them how important it is to vaccinate cattle for Leptospirosis, what Theileria is, or why BVD is something to worry about- subjects that they are interested to hear more about, having heard a few lines in the news or from other farmers.
The Socialite
There's a few farmers who enjoy the job, not so much for the agriculture, but for the lifestyle. They get to work out in the open air, being physically active, whilst chatting with mates, in real life or via Facebook.
Most of these guys and gals are the workers, rather than management, doing a job they have found they like and are, potentially, good at.
The advent of smart phones has meant they are no longer alone, out on the farm, able to be connected by their managers as well as keep social contact with friends. It's a blessing or a curse, depending upon whether you're worker or manager. Either way they're always well ahead of me on knowing the newest jokes, news, sport, weather, new movies, TV, etc. etc.
Half of them are so chilled out you wonder how anything gets done. Some of the time one has to work hard to make sure they're listening if an animal will need extra care when you leave, because they will forget.
On the other hand they have some of the best chat there is! As well as all the news from the web, they know all about every local farm, and will bring out a few old stories of stupid stuff that's happened that week. There's banter and jokes and I normally can't keep up, especially if there's a few of them, yet it's entertaining.
I imagine that some of them eventually leave to do other work, whilst the best graduate into becoming Enthusiasts.
Finally
The Loners
Those of us in the farming community all know of these men (and they are nearly always men)- many of us probably have them in our family. To much an extent they are the British publics go-to farmer image. An old man, up on the hills or down some long road, only ever heard to shout "GER OFF MOI LAAND!!!"
Without other people about, other than any family, it easy for these guys to seem "backward", struggling to keep up with the modern world and having no social life. They become a harsh caricature of the Truth or Consequences.
And they like it this way- out of reach from everyone else's bullshit, living their own life with the land and their animals.
These are the farmers we all need to keep an eye on. No matter how far from the world they are, whether family or neighbour. Without a point of reference for their thoughts and ideas, without a strong wife nor workers, their thoughts can wander.
Lack of contact with the rest of the world can make them naïve, losing their defensive streak, easily taken advantage of by some conspiring company rep, or wayward woman. I've heard too many stories of men having their lives and businesses ruined by such people.
They also have no one to share their troubles with, becoming insular in their isolation, defensive, and ignorant of their problems- which can grow, or in their mind grow, resulting in anxiety, depression, and aggression. These emotions might get taken out on their animals, visitors, or themselves , through active aggressive attitudes or neglect. This is also given as a reason why farmers have one of the worlds highest suicide rates (a long with vets).
These men really need people to talk to, even if they don't always want them. I feel there aren't many women Loners because they wouldn't be so daft as to get so far away from other people. Equally a strong farmer's wife wouldn't let it happen to her husband. But the stubborn nature of these men, with the inability to quit, to hold on to the bitter end and never admit a mistake (perhaps because they no longer feel they have anyone they trust enough to admit their mistakes and fears to), results in them being increasingly isolated.
I hope that through Young Farmers Clubs, by having local pubs, and smart phones, as well as a "hello" or "G'day" from the milk tanker driver, or the postman, the number of true, lonely Loners we have will decrease. I'd never want to prevent anyone from from living the life they want, and being alone in the hills, with no one but your dog and livestock, is a wonderful, calming life, at one with the land. Just because that is their working day, however, doesn't mean it needs to be their entire life.
Of course many of these attributes are shared with people across the world, and the farming types I have described are not distinct, but merge into one another. A socialite might grow up into an enthusiast, might become old and grumpy and become a loner. Someone who spends their work days as a loner might enjoy contracting work over the summer, becoming a socialite.
Conclusion
So there you are, farmers. They struggle to be anything but honest. They have great banter, terrible jokes, live a life bound to beautiful land, away from everyone else's troubles and lies. Once you've proven yourself to them you'll have a friend for life. They have a ton of knowledge about everything from animals to aquifers, tractors to trees, weeds to what's on television.
Like any community, they have their own customs, traditions and mannerisms, for better or worse, a difficult community for outsiders to understand at times, but a great bunch once you're in.
But as the community shifts and shrinks as farming practices change, we all need to keep an eye on those who are struggling in silence and ensure they do have people they trust whom they can comfortably open up to with their worries or complaints.
Maybe that's why people always say farmers complain. Better complaining to you than the sheep. The sheep don't listen.
"BAAA!!!"
