Food Plots and Family – Building a Work Ethic in Kids

By Brad Herndon

            When I was in seventh and eighth grade I worked from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. seven days per week on a truck farming operation. The pay? A buck per day. It was killer work, and the pay was meager, yet the dollar per day was a lot of money to a kid who had nothing. I could complain and say I was underpaid, which I was, but instead I’ve looked on the backbreaking work as a positive in my life since it helped instill in me a great work ethic that has been instrumental in the successes I have been blessed with in life.

            On the flip side, when the farmer I worked for was in a bind for help, he would occasionally hire one of my friends who usually stayed as far away from work as he could. I can remember the farmer often saying these words: “I would like to see a race between John and molasses going uphill to see which one would win.”

            No, my friend John wasn’t a fireball when it came to picking corn, tomatoes, cantaloupes and other vegetables. And that carried through into his adult life. Oh, he was able to feed himself, but he never accumulated much and his enjoyment of life was limited by his attitude.

            Without doubt, most of us who are adults have spent time talking about and admiring hard workers. And we’ve also spent time discussing the shiftless, lazy people who only seem to want—no demand-- a handout from society, and contribute little to their own family, friends, and others around them.  

            Without doubt, each of us wants our children and grandchildren to have a good work ethic and to be successful and happy throughout their life. In addition, I’m sure each of us wants them to contribute to society in a positive way. Well, whether you are a family with young children, a family with a teenager or two draped around the living room furniture, a single parent, or even a grandparent, you will find some valuable information in the rest of this article that you can successfully apply to your children and grandchildren.

Work Ethics and the Country

            Yesterday I dropped by the country church my wife, Carol, and I attend. I had to pull in the south entrance because the north entrance was blocked by a high flat-bed truck. Standing at the back of the truck shoveling crushed rock into the church driveway was Darrell Peters.

            “Darrell,” I asked. “Where did you get your work ethic?”

Darrell leaned on his shovel momentarily before answering, “Oh, from the time I was little my dad had me feeding the hogs, shucking corn or something else around the farm. There was always something to do.”

            I might add here that Darrell is about 6-foot 2-inches tall, thin and strong, and straight as an arrow. He’s 72 years young and still farms about 700 acres with his brother, Empson, who is six years older than him. Darrell has been a hard worker all of his life and I might add he has enjoyed life to the fullest and is a fun guy to be around.

            But Darrell is not a space scientist, that’s for sure. Gary Moore, however, is a space scientist. In fact, he analyzes Space Station requirements with the research scientists whose experiments are performed on the orbiting laboratory in space.

            “Growing up in the country and working hard on the farm,” Moore relates. “I never dreamed of space travel or being part of the country’s space program.”

            Still, Moore will quickly tell you that he is proud of his rural roots and believes that boyhood chores of working with cows and working in the fields were vital to instilling a good work ethic in him. Today, Moore still has an enthusiasm for challenges as he plays a vital role in our space program.

            Along these same farm lines, I often give slide shows in various locations. At some locations in towns I’ll get pats on the back and people will tell me how much they enjoyed the show. Rarely, however, does anyway help me carry in my equipment and set it up.

            If I show up at a country location, though, to present a slide show for an FFA or 4-H group, I’ll have an entirely different experience. As soon as the young people see me, they have the projector, screen and extension cords in their hands and help me set it up. They help with teardown, too. I always enjoy being around these helpful, upbeat young people with good work ethics.

What These Illustrations Have In Common

            I’ve used these three examples because farming and food plots are tied closely together, and this situation presents you with the perfect opportunity to help your children develop into responsible citizens in our society. One important aspect of the farm community must be pointed out, however, because it is the key to developing excellent work ethics in children.

            That key ingredient is togetherness. For instance, I might have grown bitter at the farmer who worked me so hard except for the fact he was always right there with me, working just as hard as I was. He fed me well, and we cranked out homemade ice cream when we were shining tomatoes in the afternoon. After I went home, the farmer drove almost two hours to a wholesale farm market and often it was 2 a.m. when he arrived back home. Yet the next morning he was right beside us again, working as hard as ever.

            Likewise, those 4-H and FFA kids have had parents who stood beside them and taught them the proper way to do things. It could have been how to operate a sewing machine, groom a calf, or replace the generator on the old John Deere tractor. Regardless, the work was completed together, and the advice was given in a helpful, instructional way.

            Tell a kid to do chores, or else, without ever lifting a finger yourself and you will create a recipe for resentment. As an example, we have an eight-year-old granddaughter named Jessica. After we eat, she loves to help wash the dishes by hand. Almost always, when Jessica is washing the dishes “Grandmom Carol” is right beside her helping out. If we told Jessica to wash the dishes after supper every time, while we sat in the living room and laughed and played games, it would only be a short time before she rebelled. And rightly so, I might add.

Be a Good Example

            Marie Hartwell-Walker is a licensed psychologist who has helped many families. She has a husband and four children, by the way, so she has experienced what other families have. She has some sound advice relating to work ethics.

            “In my practice, I’ve noticed that conflict about chores comes up with almost every family; the only exceptions are most of the local farm families. On the farms, the kids work and work hard. Generally these kids feed animals, muck out stalls, help with the fields, and still do their homework and participate on sports teams.  Why is it that their in-town friends can’t find the time to or motivation to take out the garbage?” she said. “I think it comes down to this: On the smaller farms, work is clearly valued, it is done routinely by everyone, and the consequences for not doing it are obvious and clear.”

            Her remarks, my own life observations, and numerous interviews I have conducted all reveal the importance of work — at least initially — being done together with your child. If you work hard, your children see this and they too will work hard.

            This is why I see the value of giving your children the chance to participate in hunting and food plot work. Both are activities you can do together and both will present you with numerous opportunities of passing on a good work ethic to your offspring.

Food Plots and Family

            Reading is one of the most important aspects to success in life since it opens a whole new world to both children and adults and enables them to learn at a rapid rate. Reading can inspire and motivate young and old alike. As we all know, though, not all children are as interested in reading as they should be. Pitching them a couple of books on history and literature to read probably won’t bring forth any enthusiastic response. Conversely, a copy of Whitetail News or another good hunting magazine might immediately capture their attention.

            So while the snow is flying outside, use this time to read about various food plot products you could plant on the property you hunt. Let your children take an active role in this decision because it will encourage them to read. Winter is also a good time to take them to the local Natural Resources Conservation Service office. Someone there can explain to them how many types of soil there are and the importance of lime and fertilizer in plant growth.

            They will also have soil maps there, another form of reading they can get started on. Being proficient with both aerial and topographical maps leads to increased hunting success, and you will be surprised how quickly kids can grasp what is shown on the maps with proper instruction. You can even draw in where your food plots will be and the size of them. This, in turn, can lead to another form of learning.

Mastering Math

            Studies have proven that no subject produces better critical thinking skills than math. Yet math is despised by many young people. I think this is true because those teaching it, including parents, do not keep it simple enough. Even complex math can be broken down into simple parts, and this can lead to math being fun.

            What you teach, of course, will depend on the child’s age. Let’s assume, for instance, that you are going to plant a three-acre food plot and that each bag of seed you are buying will plant one acre. How many bags of seed should you buy? That’s simple.

            Kicking it up one step, let’s say you are laying out a one-acre food plot. One acre contains 43,560 square feet. What dimensions should the plot be? This is more difficult, of course, but when you are planting seed that can cost up to $35 to $80 to cover an acre, you want to be accurate. This is an enjoyable way to teach math because you can go out in nature and measure your food plot together.

            Along about now you may be wondering why I’m talking about teaching math and reading. I’m stressing this because overall, a work ethic is taught to a child, not learned on his or her own. Plainly and bluntly put, you as a parent — single or married — are the teacher. What you teach is, with a few exceptions, is what your children will become. By showing a good work ethic in all aspects of life, including reading and math, you will pass down to your child these same important work ethics. Do, however, be careful of how you teach.

            It’s a fact that excessive permissiveness to children usually results in a poor work ethic. Likewise, being unfairly critical of a child often results in low self-esteem which in turn leads to unhappiness both in youth and adulthood. This is why it is vitally important to be both firm and at the same time fair.

            Stand firm in making your children complete a project, regardless of how hard it is at first. We all know it’s easier to do a job ourselves rather than battle a child over it. In a similar vein, be sure to say “Thanks, or thanks for helping me” when the job is done — even if the job isn’t perfect. And when a job is done so poorly that it has to be addressed, be patient and kind in explaining to a child the proper way to do it.

Working the Dirt Together

            When the vibrancy of spring covers the land, it’s time to go outside and get into the physical aspect of the work ethic. And believe me, there is plenty of work to do together. If your child is big enough, having them load and unload bags of fertilizer will be a big help to you. And if you have some small plots where you spread the fertilizer by hand with a whirligig spreader, those young, strong legs will come in handy in spreading the fertilizer.

            And where ATVs are used to work and plant food plots, this is a perfect situation for older kids to enjoy working out of doors with their mom or dad. Riding an ATV is just flat out fun. This is an ideal opportunity for a parent to teach the importance of spraying, working the soil properly, and the correct seeding methods. Later on in the summer the amazing results of mowing a tall plot can be seen by both parent and child.   

            Those of you with smaller kids can let them help on a smaller scale. They could pour smaller bags of seed into the seeder, or perhaps they can help carry a small cooler of drinks or the lunch for the day.

Rewards Are Important

            In the farm community where I grew up and still live, most of the farmers are of German descent with an amazing work ethic. Not to be overlooked is their equally enthusiastic approach to having fun. I’ve always noticed that while they work hard, they also take time to reward their kids with lots of fun activities, from sports to hunting and fishing.

            We should do likewise, and what better way to do so than sitting in a deer blind or tree stand with your child waiting for the monster buck to show up that you worked together to grow? The same goes for exciting turkey hunts near your food plots. And don’t forget to share small game hunting with them. Kids just love to hunt small game such as dove, squirrels, rabbits and quail. A lot of shooting action is involved that they will really enjoy.

            And speaking of shooting, target practice with both archery gear and firearms can be enjoyed together throughout the year by all members of the family. This could be archery shoots, or trap or skeet shooting. Both boys and girls love the shooting sports.

            And don’t forget those family outings, such as family vacations, day trips to a ball game or other event, or even a picnic; all are rewarding activities that the entire family can enjoy.  

            In closing, remember this: Working together with your children can produce great food plots. And this work together may also produce some great trophies and memories. But keep in mind that the most important aspect of all of your hard work is that a loving, strong family bond will be created. This will be a  blessing not only to you and your generation, but to future generations as well.

            Passing on a great work ethic to your children is one of the most important gifts you can give them.