Young: The things I learned from my farmer dad

For most of my life, I assumed everyone’s dad worked as hard as mine. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized what I witnessed growing up wasn’t something everyone experienced.

We had a diversified farm like most others did back in those days. There was the cow-calf herd and farrow-to-finish hogs.

We raised corn, soybeans, wheat, hay and milo on river bottoms, creek bottoms and hill fields. There was always something that needed attention — and somehow my dad always seemed to be there to take care of it.

He’s retired from farming now, but he’ll always be a farmer. To this day, he remains the hardest-working person I’ve ever known.

Farming wasn’t just his occupation. It was his way of life. Long before daylight and long after dark, he was doing whatever needed to be done.

Not because anyone was watching. Not because he wanted recognition. Simply because that was who he was.

Dad let us know how much he loved us, not only with words, but through sacrifices he made and the steady presence that let us know we could always count on him.

And he loved the Lord. Not with a need to draw attention to himself or prove anything to anyone. He simply lived his faith.

It showed up in the way he treated people, the way he kept his word, the way he served others and the way he carried himself through both good times and difficult seasons. Some of the most powerful lessons he taught were never spoken.

My dad is fearless. He handled difficult situations, tough conversations, economic downturns, floods and droughts with grace.

Yet despite his strength he was never looking for a fight. He has always believed in treating people fairly, helping when he can and standing up for what is right when it matters.

He taught us that being part of a community means contributing to it. Over the years, he volunteered countless hours and supported organizations, neighbors and local causes without expecting anything in return.

He believed that if you have the ability to help, you help. It’s really that simple.

While he may no longer be planting crops or caring for livestock every day, the lessons he taught continue to grow.

Hard work. Integrity. Humility. Service. Commitment to family. Faith.

Those values shaped my life far more than I realized at the time.

My dad spent a most of his life producing food, caring for livestock and stewarding the land. But his greatest accomplishment isn’t measured in bushels, pounds or acres.

It’s measured in the family he loves, the community he helped build and the example he continues to set every day.

I’m fortunate that I have never had to look far to find my definition of a good human being. I’ve had it all along.

He’s my daddy.