The farm mom, the most underrated person. When you search "farm mom" on google, the first thing to come up is "they are the backbones of successful farms." Amen to that. What you don't see or realize is that my mom is most definitely the backbone of Shamrock Acres. She is the farmer. Never really to be seen on camera.
While people often hear my dad or my name associated with the Dexters or a smattering of other things that have to do with agriculture in our community, it's truly my mom that is the unsung hero. Frankly if she knew I was writing about her today she probably would make me take it down. Humble and always taking care of what needs to be done. Whether that's delivering bad news that our oldest cow, Shamrock Kate, passed away at the age of nearly 20, welcoming new lambs, calves, or kids into the world, making appointments, ordering feed, whatever it is she just does it.
I am not able to be at the farm every day. I live 10 or so minutes away but the meat business takes my attention about half of the week. I try an be there when I can. Yesterday, I got a text from Mom, "Can you come finish chores?" Totally not how I was anticipating my day starting. What most people do not know is that my mom has allergies that never quit. She's allergic to pretty much everything we have... dust, hay, dander. Basically the barn. However it doesn't stop her normally but there are days that she has what we so affectionately call her "whacky attacks" and her allergies put her on the couch for the day. Not super fun for anyone. So Felicity and I went and did the chores while mom rested on the couch. You don't realize the how much she does until you're thrown into the deep end.
My mom is definitely the backbone, some might say workhorse, behind everything we do. She's not one to wait around for someone to help her accomplish a task (other than putting round bales out or running the bobcat). Our chores aren't exactly easy. Lots of 5 gallon buckets of corn are hauled around, feed is mixed by hand, hay thrown, gates climbed, water hose dragged, and hopefully not getting run over by a flock of sheep. She's even been known to babysit an animal to make sure they get their fair share of feed. Stick in hand, she keeps the others away.
Raising 4 kids, running the farm, juggling kids extracurricular activities (which there were many!), babysitting for any of her 8 grandkids, 4H activities, the list goes on and on. What else can we tell you about her... She's the oldest of 9 children born to Anthony and Jackie Koroleski and raised on a dairy farm in Kinde, MI (that's in the thumb area of the state). She helped in the barn with what was allowed, you know barn work was men's work so she took what she could get. Otherwise it was doing housework and taking care of her younger siblings. She met my dad, Pat, at Ferris State College, now Ferris State University, they soon married. They will be married for 44 years this June.
She's basically superwoman. I hope that I can live up to the high bar she has set. Thanks Mom for all that you do for me and the farm.
So let's hear it for my farm mom, Linda!
~Until Next Time
PS. Ground beef is in stock!