I am damn proud to say I come from a farm. I have lived on my family’s farm for my entire life, and I’ve been working on the farm since I was about 11-years-old. I realize that might sound a little jarring to anyone who doesn’t have familiarity with farming and farm families, but we start ’em young, and for good reason; my parents instilled the significance of hard work ethic into me from a young age, and I am incredibly grateful they did. I hope to do the same with my own children one day.
Over the years, I’ve learned some lessons in working on the farm, and I’ve collected some knowledge I think fellow farm gals would appreciate knowing. I thought I might offer my learnings in hopes of helping out anyone else who happens to be female and works in the agricultural realm.
- Earning respect as a woman is hard enough in itself, but earning respect from male farmers is even harder. While unfortunate and harsh, expect to encounter sexism, misogyny, condescension and mansplaining, but don’t let it get to you. Wait for your opportune moment and floor them.
- Having long hair on a farm isn’t necessarily ideal, but it is doable. I find wearing a ball cap with my hair in a braid is the best way to keep it out of my face. A bun is a great option, but not if you’re bouncing around on equipment. It will fall out in no time.
- If you’re working in a particularly dirty environment and can’t be bothered with constant hair washing, tuck your hair up into a toque, or wear it in a ponytail, with a cap, and shove a sock over your ponytail. Will you look sexy? Absolutely not. Does it work? Yes.
- Keep menstrual products in your truck because it is probable the men you’re working with won’t have any spares.
- Always have makeup wipes in your truck, too, to quickly wipe off any dirt in an attempt to avoid acne sprouting on your face.
- Depending on the type of work you’re doing, wear joggers as often as possible. They’re the shit.
From one farm girl to another, here’s hoping my tips help someone out.
ontheedgeofeverything 
