Before the sun rises, farmers up are prepping for the busy day ahead. All day long, they tend to their land, crops, equipment and much more, often long after the sun goes down. There is a lot of work that goes into growing our food – and a lot of unique experiences that come with it. Have you ever wondered what farmers love about being a farmer? We connected with three Texas farmers to learn just that.
Kresta Family Farms, Texas Coastal Bend
Every Aspect
For many farmers, farming is more than a job, it’s a lifestyle – and that rings true for Keith Kresta, a farmer from the Texas Coastal Bend.
“What do I enjoy about being a farmer? All of it. It’s a family farming operation. There’s ups and downs to any career, but when you wake up every day loving what you do, it’s every aspect of it,” he said.
Kresta said it has been amazing to watch his family grow up on the farm. He likes seeing his patience pay off during growing season with an abundant harvest. He also said he enjoys the interactions he has with the people he works alongside.
After growing up on a farm and seeing the necessity for food, clothes and other essentials in the world, he said he knew he wanted to play a part in meeting the need.
“The work that we do as farmers, to me, is very important. We are all trying everything we can to help feed and clothe the world to the best of our ability with the resources that have been given to us,” Kresta said.
James Family Farms, Texas Panhandle
Wide-Open Spaces
Terra James is a farmer from the Texas Panhandle and said what she loves about farming is the wide-open spaces and thinks it is important for everyone to experience them.
“I love the wide-open spaces,” James said. “It’s fun to me to go out to the farm and smell the water coming out of the pivot, feel the mud between my toes, see the crops grow from nothing underneath the soil as it’s planted until it’s a little sproutling and then see the fruit of the labor once it’s harvested.”
She said she feels it is important for everyone to understand the multitude of ways agriculture impacts the world.
“Watching my husband and our family farm, I feel so passionate about agriculture. There is not one thing that our farmers do that are not going to protect the longevity of our natural resources. Not only do they have pride in what they do and work hard to produce something that’s going to benefit people all over the world, but also the land and the resources that go into that for everlasting generations to come,” James said.
Kimbrell Family Farms, North-Central Texas
A Family Affair
Having grown up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Lindsay Kimbrell said she did not know much about what farmers did until she married one 16 years ago. Now, she said her favorite thing about being a farmer is raising her children on their family farm in North-Central Texas where they get to learn important life values as well as what it takes to grow our food.
“I think that’s extremely important and unique for being a farm wife. I enjoy having the kids out here. Our son is very involved. My daughter, she’s a very good voice for agriculture in her school – she understands where her food comes from and what it takes to produce the food for our economy,” Kimbrell said.
She said she has a unique perspective since she did not grow up farming. The one thing she said she wanted fellow consumers to know is that her family takes pride in growing food and does it to the best of their abilities.
“We know that we’re providing safe and affordable food for all Americans and all our moms and our children – just like us. We eat everything that we grow,” Kimbrell said.
A Rewarding Career
While the demands of being a farmer can pose challenges, all three farmers agree that farming is a rewarding career. From providing the world with food and fiber to raising a family with the values that a life centered around agriculture provides and everything in between, farming is fulfilling.
“Farming is a great life, and I couldn’t ask for a better life,” Kresta said.