An Open Letter to the Future Wife of Prince Farming
Quite frankly, we need the next generation of farmers like Chris Soules, which means we also need you. I know that a town like Arlington with about 500 residents looks like a ghost town compared to places like Chicago and Los Angeles, but that does not mean that you would be any less important.
I want to begin this letter acknowledging the fact that I know you have received a lot of criticism from Iowans, specifically those of us involved in agriculture. Quite honestly, at the beginning of this season, I was a skeptic. Iowa’s agricultural community put a lot of faith in The Bachelor, hoping that for once a major reality TV show might realistically depict our lifestyles. However, the first few episodes showed scenes of women in bikinis racing what are considered giant lawnmowers here in Iowa (a real green and yellow tractor is about five times bigger) and what seemed to be some alcoholic tendencies. One contestant commented during the premiere that “there are more women here than there are in Iowa” when the room contained about 20 other contestants. For future reference, I grew up in a house with four women and have two roommates who are also female, which means I know almost a third of the women in Iowa. Apparently, we are a dying breed here in the Midwest. The Iowa Data Center might disagree though. According to them, women make up over 50 percent of Iowa’s population. The ignorance displayed by many of the contestants was disheartening.
Regardless, I’m not writing this to pile on more disapproval, but to welcome you. Iowa sits dead center in the middle of America. We have a long, rich agricultural history and your future husband is part of a long list of others who have dedicated their lives to the land. Eventually, this list will include you and your children, because as someone whose entire life revolves around agriculture, I can tell you that once you get drawn in, you will never leave. However, many of us will never be as lucky as Chris and make it back to the farm after we earn our college degrees.
Right now, the most important question within our industry is: who will take over and be the next generation of producers? As of 2012, over 62 percent of U.S. farmers were 55 years old or older. This means that over half of our farmers are reaching or have reached retirement age. Many will never retire, farming well into their golden years, either because they refuse to stop, or because there is no one to take over cultivating their life’s work. Quite frankly, it is hard for many young farmers to get started. Less than 22 percent can turn a profit in their first year because of the financial demand for equipment, land and supplies. Many will look at a farmer’s financial documents and see the large amounts of money flowing into the operation, and assume that farmers make hundreds of thousands of dollars. Few will keep looking and realize that the money is already spent before the farmer even cashes the check.
The USDA has taken steps to help offset the cost for young farmers, allotting over 18 million dollars for continued extension and education for young people looking to begin a career in production agriculture. Many cite land prices as the most daunting obstacle, especially in a country where more corn than ever is being demanded for food and for fuel. Here in Iowa, we see anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 dollars per acre. That means that a farm with about 100 acres of good farmland with decent corn yields, can be sold for upwards of a million dollars. To put that into perspective, the average Iowa farm has about 331 acres.
Quite frankly, we need the next generation of farmers like Chris Soules, which means we also need you. I know that a town like Arlington with about 500 residents looks like a ghost town compared to places like Chicago and Los Angeles, but that does not mean that you would be any less important.
On both sides of my family, I am the 5th generation that plans to dedicate my life to agriculture. However, there are many in my family whose background is not as deeply rooted in Iowa farmland. Both of my grandmothers were city girls. One had a full scholarship to business school when she graduated high school, both were students in the top of their class and both ended up married to Iowa farmboys. They never planned to be farmwives, but eventually they became farmers working alongside their husbands and raising their children. We have to be willing to accept those who may not have the same background, but aspire to accomplish the same goal. Honestly, we need to welcome you, rather than judge you.
I write this knowing that even though you did not grow up in Arlington, there is a good chance that you will fall in love with Iowa and her people. There is a good chance that you will also end up putting in more than 40 hours a week helping your husband run a productive farm. There is a good chance that you will be asked to do things you never imagined, like sticking your arm up a cow’s rear end or power washing a pig pen. You will experience the ups and downs of farm life. You will cry on the bad days, smile on the good days and hopefully you will feel blessed everyday that you get to be a part of something much bigger than yourself.
You and I are not so different. There was a point in my life that I did not have the knowledge and experience I do now at 22 years old, but I learned just like you will. The only difference is that I learned at a younger age. I will admit, in the beginning I did not understand how a bunch of “city girls” would adapt to small town living, but I am living proof that it can be done. Welcome home.
