Father’s Day is this Sunday
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
As Father’s Day approaches, Farms.com reached out to men in the American ag community to learn the best parts about being a farm dad or growing up with one.
Brent Renner and his wife Nikki raise their three children, Caleb (18), Braden (16) and Madison (13) on their Klemme, Iowa cash crop and hog farm.
Being a farm dad allows him to spend time with his kids in a unique environment, Renner said.
“I have the time and opportunity to be with my children in a setting that facilitates learning and discussion while being outside in nature,” he told Farms.com. “Those are things that I value, and I want my kids to value.”
Thinking back to when his kids were younger, Renner remembers them visiting at lunch or supper.
Seeing their faces meant a brief escape from any issues of the day, he said.
“When my wife brought them, it always provided a nice break from the work I was doing or any difficulties I had,” he said. “It’s amazing what a kid’s smile can do.”
Renner continues to farm with – and learn from – his dad, Tom.
“You don’t have a 50-year farm veteran by your side without learning something and it doesn’t always have to be farm related,” he said. “I’m extremely thankful that he’s still able to come out to the farm almost every day and (that I can) bounce things off of him.”
Keith Kimball and his wife, Betsy, raise their two children, Owen and Lucy, on the family’s dairy farm in Groveland, N.Y.
The best part about being a farm dad is seeing the enthusiasm his kids show when working with him, he said.
“I love being able to have them ride around with me and help me with whatever job I’m doing,” he told Farms.com. “When they were babies, they would ride with me in their car seats with earphones on while I’d dump silage.”
Watching his kids help with farm work reminds Kimball of when he would spend time with his dad doing the same kinds of things, he said.
Farms.com wishes all farm dads a Happy Father’s Day!