RURAL LIVING
Chester and Carol Beahm pose beside some of their beloved Jersey cows.
amount of work that the job requires. The older generations are paramount in setting them straight, leading by example. “If you’re going to start farming, farm because you’re passionate about the lifestyle, not because you’re trying to make quick money. This lifestyle isn’t easy. What about retirement? What about vacations? Are you ready to give up your interactive life to run a farm?” Carol and I talked about the plight of today’s Virginia farmers, who are, on average, 65 years old. In her eyes, the only reason they’re still doing it is because it’s all they’ve ever known: the passion, the lifestyle, the backbreaking work in the fields, and the immense joy of a bountiful harvest. “Younger people have the chance to really dive into farming. And if it doesn’t work out, they are growing up in a society where they have time to change their minds and follow a new dream.” For previous generations of farmers, this was, and still is, their lifestyle. They didn’t have any other way; they grew up in it. It was a way of life and there was security within it. But with today’s modern commercial tendencies, a saturated market, and decreasing milk prices, dairy farming isn’t what it use to be. And while farming becomes increasingly popular with younger generations and the face of farming slowly moves toward non-GMO and organic products, older generations of farmers serve as encourage42 PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |
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ment and a reminder as to the difficulty of the profession. “This lifestyle is great. I love the life that I have lived on the farm. It’s something everyone should experience. But you’ll find that if you farm because you love farming, not the financial aspect of it, you’ll enjoy it a lot more.” Between the daily house chores, making cheese, being active in her church community, and loving her family, Carol is the epitome of a modern day farmer, one who has seen it all, experienced much, and still presses forward every single day of her life. Her greatest hardship as a farmer isn’t always the work that goes into the farm, but the work that goes into her family. Being a wife and mother on a working farm were certainly enjoyable, but seldom easy. Keeping track of eleven children and hundreds of cows isn’t something most people can say they’ve mastered. But Carol, in her own way, has. Fields of Grace Farm isn’t new to me, and I am honored to feature them as the final installment in our “FarmHER” series. For the past decade, my own family and I have been personal friends with this dear farm family. We’ve watched their children, our friends, grow up and start families of their own, some opting to stick with the farming lifestyle, others choosing a different path. But when it matters most, all roads lead to home. And no matter how hard—or muddy—the road may get, pushing forward isn’t optional, it’s simply the farmlife way.