It’s breed convention time, and that means farms in these convention-hosting states will welcome tourists as they come from all over for a break from the rigors of the farm, to look at great cattle, or just to swap stories over a bowl of ice cream.

Same farm, different state? Not so fast. Every farm has its similarities: a barn, a milking setup, and cows. But when you slide open the barn doors and look in the crevices of the operation, you will see the ingenious result of a man who said to himself: “Well, I’ve got to make this work, I don’t have the money to buy a new one, so let’s modify this and see what happens.”

Every farmer does it. It’s out of necessity that you end up modifying something, and in some cases, you make it even better.

Ingenuity if one thing, but it takes fortitude to not only invent the modification, but to have the courage to run with his idea. And I hold a lot of admiration for that kind of perseverance.

Many of us face obstacles only to be paralyzed by the enormity or complexity of the solution. I am one of those people. I would rather bury my head in the sand at the first sign of a problem than stand up and take it on.

But dairymen are not like that. No matter the problem, they find the solution. They may consult a manual or they may consult their ingenuity. It might take two hours to fix it or an entire day. If they don’t have the tools for the job, they call a friend who does.

Maybe it’s because they enjoy problem-solving. Maybe they enjoy a good challenge. Or maybe it’s the simple necessity of the situation – knowing there is no one coming behind them to get it done, and they are the last resort.

I’ve said it before: it takes a special kind of tenacity, determination, and ingenuity to be a dairy farmer. They are willing to face a giant, evaluate the risks, and with a simple sling and a stone, take it down.

In their mind, they are just doing their job. In my mind, they are giant-slayers. Period.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.