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--_â€"â€"-â€"â€"-â€"â€"_A ._- Our sense of community is heightened by life's milestone BY DIANE O'SHEA The writer is a farm operator near Grantnn in Middlesex County “special lady passed away re- cently. Sitting in the chapel at the funeral service, I pondered. Why docs one have to die to be honoured? Here was a woman, who with her husband of fortyâ€"some years had farmed through some of the pros- perous and not-so-prosperous times. She was a mother too and a devot- ed grandmother. She was nota wom- an who moved mountains but she was a stable, reliable, pillar of the ni~ ral farm community. The turnout, likemost rural funerals, was signif- icant. It was right to be there. It was importantto honour this lady. It was "tâ€"m-‘~ A place where the soap has to be washed , before you can wash your hands. it's raining, A place where you can find opened mail , everywhere except where you thought you , put it 7 especially produce cheques. A place where mud-caked boots are "walked across the floor" on 2 newspapers to get to the telephone. A farm house is where, during spring, the cardboard by the A farm house is: by WENDY FIELDER l A place where boots are lined up outside the door when it‘s sunny, and lined up inside on [ the basement steps to be tripped over when A place where a salesman, the crop inspector, and the vet can find a meal if they just happen to arrive at LL45. A place where yesterday's paper, the hog jou r- rial. a report an artificial insemination, and Coon-ray Gum: can be found in the same rack. You can never 1 find today's paper. Someone used it to walk across the floor to l the telephone. l more important to support the fam- ily at this time. The minister spoke warmly of the community who had responded to this lady's illness, sustaining her and family members. She thanked the community for their gestures of love and friendship through the last few months and especially for gathering on this funeral day. As with most country funerals, this was a com» munity event. As I. too, listened. I was moved by the emotional feeling generated by the crowd. Here were warm, caring people. It is this traditional sense of community, this deep commitment to fellow men and women that we in our nlral farm communities must uphold. Such a value cannot be mea- sured. It cannot be awarded dollars and cents. The sense of communi» ty is priceless. A good friend and neighbour has often suggested that we as farmers pay a price to farm. It is true, Hours are long Work is hard. Holidays and leisure time little. Returns never seem to be enough to meet the fi- nancial demands. Famters tend lobe snubbed. The business of farming in all its complexities is wearyu-ig. On the flip side however, the sense of community shines brightly. In timcs of death, sickness, disaster. the rural community rallies and responds in an out pouring of support. Such a re- sponse strengthens those in crisis. We don’t appreciate our neighbours near enough. Why does it take a tragedy to bring such a response? It seems to me that we spend a lot of time criticizing our neighbours in- stead of praising. Last year we were awed by a neigh- bour’s handwritten message in a Christmas card. The message thanked us for growing the assortr merit of fresh vegetables that we do for those in the community who do not garden but liked having a handy place where they could purchase fresh, quality produce. Instead of the usual niml cornmtuuty back-stab- bing banter, we were being compli- mented A up from! How' gratifying! l4 - ONTARIO FARMER, Western Edition - Wednesday, September 8. 1993 Soto my neighbours and yours too 7 some welledeserved heaps of praise so that when we are not longer part of the community you will know just how much you really are appreciated. To all those, who despite the end- less hours of farm work. manage to grow and maintain immaculate flow- er beds, gardens, shrubberies and laws I am in awe and do appreciâ€" ate your efl'orts. You make my trips up and down the country roads a pleasure To those neighbours who find ways and means of keeping up farrn buildâ€" ings and fences, particularly those with an appreciation for the masâ€" sive, grand old barn structures, thank you. Regardless of the economic conditions of the times, your deep sense of pride and responsibility is admired. In addition, the farm signs that dot many a farming operation indicate to me those same values. So many in our world do not possess such values or perhaps don ‘t have the opportunity to do so. The photo above was taken by janet Root, New Lowell, Ont., and the one on the right by Maxine White at Sundridge, Ont. Both were entries in our photo contest A farm house is where you can almost always smell the aroma ‘ of baking The lO-kilngram bag of flour is a way of life. couple of days. seem to start there. A farm house is often a place of laughter. To all those leaders of rural youth, thank you for your commitment to today's young people. Your efforts contribute to a wholesome society, saving taxpayers vast amounts of money. To all those who do the hole things like washing the local community centre‘s tea towels, or cleaning up after the fair or whatever is over; your willing volunteer service con- tributes much to the life of the comâ€" munity. To my neighbours who operate ‘neighbourhood watch’. Your alert eyes keep our farms and our com- munity in care. There are countless other reasons to comment our neighbours and to appreciate the farm communities in which we live. Sometimes we need a gentle reminder. A trip to any of our major cities,jungles of apart» ments and concrete, often reaffirms such appreciation. However, for me it was that funeral of that special lady. That’s what it took. A farm house is the last place on the farm to get repaired. The animals can't go without water, but people can manage for a A farm house is where accounts are spread out on the kitchen table in the evenings. A farm house is the embodiment of togetherness, for all things a back door is changed as often as the wet socks. A farm house is where the mending pile is as high as the laundry Pile- A farm house is calmness and chaos all rolled into one. A farm house is where laundry day is a 12410“! seige- A farm house is never “at? the beaten track". It more often than A farm house is where the lights turn out late and turn on early. not is in the middle of the beaten track. A farm house is where the major decisions are made around the A farm house “ever has ‘0 “Eat back ‘0 the bflSiCS': It never left. kitchen table. The farm house is the brains, the muscle, and the pulse of the farm. It is also its heart. A farm house is the place where everyone is a weather fore- ) caster. The farm house is the place which really earns the title of A farm house is a place of calories and for some, the fight for "Home"! slimness is constant. fl Wendy Fielder, who grew up on a farm, writes childrens books A farm house is where the “lady of the house" does everything and teaches in rural Manitoba. h. i from driving 3154an combine to pulling out slivers. COUNTRY GUIDE March 1992 45