BY LINDA McGURK
Indiana Correspondent

WAYNETOWN, Ind. — For Margaret Sennett, 34, being a farm wife is all about working behind the scenes, taking care of the kids, checking on newborn calves and making sure the cows and the guys in the field are properly fed.

“Whenever they need something, I try to be there and help. I guess you can call me a go-fer,” she joked.

In between chores, Sennett also takes care of the bookkeeping, a considerable task for a farm that raises beans, corn, hay and wheat, as well as 300 head of cattle.

Although she grew up on a dairy farm in Ohio, Sennett never envisioned herself a farm wife, aiming instead for a career in finance.

But while studying at Western Kentucky University, she met her husband, Lance, and slowly adapted to the thought of living on a farm again.

After the couple had their first child seven years ago, Sennett quit her job as a loan officer at a bank to help her husband and his parents, Clark and Nancy Sennett, run the family farm south of Waynetown. Now she wouldn’t trade her lifestyle for anything in the world.

“We’re pretty fortunate,” she said. “Not everybody can have this, and that makes me humble and grateful.

“Yes, times can be hard, and it can be stressful when the weather doesn’t cooperate, but we all stick together and help one another.”

And just like Sennett once helped feed and take care of her father’s calves and dairy cows, her two daughters – Ellie, 7, and Emily, 5 – are as much a part of the farm operation as the rest of the family, riding tractors and showing cows at local fairs in the summer.

Last year, Margaret and Lance bought a Case IH MX 245 tractor and a 2388 combine, adding to their existing fleet of Case equipment, which helps the farm run smoothly. They’ve also expanded their farm by adding a feedlot and increasing their cattle count.

“It’s a competitive market, but I think we’re able to stay pretty stable because of how we run this operation,” Sennett said. “We work together to come up with innovative ideas, and we stay consistent. That’s about all you can do.”

Aside from farming, Sennett is involved with several community groups. She is treasurer for the United Methodist Church in Waynetown, is involved with the PTA at her kids’ school, volunteers at a local hospital twice a week and helps Lance with duties related to the Indiana Limousin Assoc.