Going Against the Grain

You wake up at 6 a.m. on a warm morning in early August, grab your lunch, and get the machines ready for the day. You jump in the combine, and the next eight to ten hours are going to be spent driving in a straight line for 400 yards, turning around, and repeating the process. This repetitive motion becomes my life during the summer, something that not many are accustomed to. Growing up on a 7th generation farm has many benefits, and in the last few years especially, it has provided me with an opportunity to learn countless lessons that will help me as I transition into adulthood. I have been working for Bingaman Farms for the last four years, and have dedicated a large portion of my life toward wheat production and what it brings to my family. Growing up on a farm has given me a multitude of opportunities to build character, a strong work ethic, and a sense of resilience.

During the summer, working long days in a tractor or out in the field gets tiresome,
especially when you check your phone and see what friends are up to. Working these days specifically, has aided me in prioritization and pushed me to be persistent in getting things done. Seeing other people out having fun during the summer while not being able to participate, has ironically done more to build my character than it has contributed to the farm production via towing around an implement or operating a combine.

Working on the farm has done a lot for me regarding my work ethic, especially in my stance that hard work on the farm converts to money for the family. Naturally, I don’t have as much free time, limiting time to be with friends. Working on a family farm makes my life more centered around family. This has strengthened my ability to build connections and constructed a strong relationship with my family. One of my family’s core values is having a tireless work ethic, and this is apparent through the success of our farm.

Farming is a way of life; a never-ending list of things to do before the day is over. As soon as you wake up the next morning, the list expands. This theme is not common in every household, and a family living on a farm makes a person accustomed to this irregular lifestyle. Working in a job like farming has pushed me to become resilient toward changing situations and taught me to be more adaptable to everyday situations.

Life on a farm should be more than waking up, grabbing your lunch, and jumping in the combine. For me, it is. When I got into high school and started dedicating my time and effort toward the family business and our wheat production, I began a long journey of lessons learned, morals acquired, and character traits obtained. As I move on to the next chapter of my story, the attributes engraved into my personality will apply to every aspect of life, whether it be higher learning, building a new circle to surround myself with, or navigating life away from what I have always known.

2024 Wheat Scholarship Essay: Jake Bingaman