OXFORD, Ohio — Dairying is hard work, no doubt. Yet Tom Study Jr. valued the opportunity. He has fond memories of growing up on the family dairy farm.

“I am so proud of my mom and dad, our farm and my upbringing – I wouldn’t have wanted to be brought up any other way,” he said.

Kids growing up on a farm, have a good life, hands on experiences, responsibility early on for chores and such, being with family, he said. They have a sense of pride when they accomplish something, learn values and sometimes hard lessons about real life (and death) of the animals and crops and people that work so hard to keep a farm going, Study said.

“I always loved being outside, and doing chores,” he said. “City kids like to go to the movies, things like that, farm kids like to do the chores ... being outside, working with the livestock, being with nature, being your own boss.”

“One of my fondest memories is getting up early, going out while it was still dark and cold, to do my morning chores, before school,” he said; “coming back in when it was finished and having a big farm breakfast that my grandmother cooked – fresh eggs, pork, bacon, biscuits, gravy and butter; sitting with my family, eating and laughing, discussing the things that had to get done that day.”

A dairy farm has to work seven days a week, 365 days a year, rain, snow, cold or heat. The cows have to be milked, Study said. He always liked being on the farm with his dad and his grandfather.

“I can remember being eight or nine years old and getting up to do the morning milking at 4 a.m.,” Study said. “I’d lay in a sleeping bag in the corner with my dog while dad milked ... I didn’t have to get up or be there, but I wouldn’t have wanted to be anyplace else.”

Tom Jr. said he feels that his son, Tom III has that inner need too, that it’s a family thing. “I’m glad that Thomas has the opportunity to work on a farm with my dad, and learn the things I learned through the years as a kid.”

Tom Jr. still enjoys going to the farm, repairing the equipment and working with the animals. He’s glad that both of his children (Tom III and Caroline) had the opportunity to be in 4-H and experience country life.

“I have much respect for my father,” he said. “It wasn’t easy to work all the part-time and full-time jobs to keep money coming in and the farm going, but I’m so glad he did. I love to see my son, working with my dad, learning a good life and appreciating it.

“I hope Thomas does grow up to be a farmer,” Tom said. “He’s the happiest person I know, he knows what he wants out of life. I’m lucky my dad can show it to him.”

This farm news was published in the June 21, 2006 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.