My friend, Bobbi Baumann, is a nurse from Nebraska who’s married to a farmer. And if there’s one thing I really like about her, it’s when she sends me hilarious Snapchats. Many of them involve her son Drake, who’s always taking on humor in the form of a whimsical mother/son duet.
She recently sent me this photo:
Ahh yes. The infamous cheeseball harvest. I wonder how his yields are coming this year?
It got me thinking about all the fun times kids have with their farm toys. Perhaps you have a little “carpet farmer” at home? Do your kids have their own farm toys, tractors, or farm equipment?
This is the beauty of farming, right? There’s something special about multiple generations on a farm, raising your kids to grow up just like Mom and Dad and praying that they’ll love it so much to want to take over as the next generation.
I didn’t have farm toys as a kid, or at least none that I can remember. I guess the closest I ever got was the occasional Breyer Horse or Fashion Star Fillies (if you’re a kid from the ’80s you might remember!). Nonetheless, involving your kids in small-scale mini agriculture scenes are always entertaining. And those vintage farm toys are still alive and well today as a collector’s item — from the little ones all the way up to some of the biggest toy combines. Just take a look at this giant cheeseball harvest too!?
I think I just got inspired for a Halloween candy dish, ha! Or maybe this is a better way to harvest candy?
And horses … they hold a special place in my heart, as they do with so many other kids. This little girl has quite the setup!
Helping kids learn about animal husbandry, life, death, and everything in between can be incredible life lessons. Just take a look at this fine young farmer tending his cattle! Maybe he’ll grow up to be a veterinarian someday?
What about the kid below who wants it all. This mishmash includes everything! Hey, it’s important to diversify, right?
Mom Jacki Price Christman says her boys use duct tape to create roads to different parts of the field. They’d do the entire house if they could, but Mom had to put her foot down!
Not all kids want to diversify their operations like this, though. Some just want to farm carpet. Maybe they’ll grow sod someday?
This little guy even goes to his sister’s room because her rug is a perfect fit for the combine!
“Mom, can I pleeeeeeease have these coasters?”
Mom Kelli Kreider was puzzled when her youngest wanted these coasters, but pleased when she figured out why. To this day, they’ve never been used as coasters!
What other stuff have your kids gotten into? Let’s hope the important things stay in one place. “Don’t scratch the new table, son.” Who doesn’t love a good table tractor?
No matter the age, there’s something special and heartwarming about a kid and their farm toys, even if you’re a grown-up kid! It’s important for children to be raised with an understanding of where their food comes from — they could just be the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
Michelle Miller, the Farm Babe, is a farmer, public speaker and writer who has worked for years with row crops, beef cattle, and sheep. She believes education is key in bridging the gap between farmers and consumers.
