When Life Upends the Chore Chart: A Hard-Won Lesson in Farm Preparedness
As farmers, we’re taught to be resilient and resourceful. But you can't plan for everything, especially the shocking health scare that blindsides your entire life.
For us, the world stopped in late March with John's lung cancer diagnosis. Our immediate focus shifted from fields to hospitals, and our farm was suddenly running on fumes. Today, John is cancer-free, and we are overflowing with gratitude. We are glad he listened to his primary care doc and got a scan, based on his history of smoking. But this harrowing journey taught us one, how precious every minute of life is and two it taught us a life-changing lesson about farm sustainability that every small operation needs to hear.
John and Olga Elder. Chief Herd-her and Chief Herd-her.
The Wake-Up Call
We were thrown into chaos because we had fallen into a classic, dangerous trap: letting traditional roles define the chore chart. John was the primary doer for everything involving equipment and heavy lifting, including most of the daily feeding and those back-breaking 50-pound hay bales.
Suddenly, I was faced with a crushing workload and a brain trying to retrieve forgotten knowledge. Much of what he did, I had genuinely forgotten how to do, and some I wasn't physically ready for. We had built a system entirely dependent on his presence.
My poor body needs my dear
hubs/farm partner to return to work!
**No, sheep don’t bite but when you put your finger in their mouth to apply meds, they naturally bite down! Our Advice: Erase the Dividing Line
I'm here to share—or perhaps warn—you that your operation is only as strong as its weakest link. And that link is defined by a lack of cross-training.
Our strongest advice is this: Eliminate the concept of "his" and "her" farm jobs. Make it a point to share responsibilities and deliberately cross-task. Schedule time to teach each other how to run the equipment (including the vacuum 😉), how to troubleshoot the plumbing, and how to manage the feeding rotation…and, keep throwing those hay bales so your condition remains ready!
It's an inconvenient truth that we hate to admit we ignored, but sharing the load equally—even the stuff you hate—is the best insurance you can buy for your farm's future.
What's one farm task you've realized only one partner knows how to do? Let us know in the comments!