When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a farmer. I’d see those big tractors out in the green fields, the corn stalks lined up neatly, the big silo filled with grain, and the classic red barn. Oh, and the animals! Pigs, cows, horses, chickens – I wanted them all.

As I got older, I became aware of my talent with words and pursued a career as a professional writer. Looking back, it was probably for the best that I didn’t go into farming. I can’t grow plants. At all. Even when given perfectly healthy, full-grown houseplants, I unintentionally kill them.

However, I sure am thankful for those who do choose farming and all they do for us.

Mid-summer through fall is one of my favorite times of year, as the earth produces a variety of delicious foods that can be found in stands along our roadways. Whenever possible, we should support our own by buying and consuming locally-grown food.

Farming is not an easy career. The hours are long. The equipment is expensive. Plus, the resulting crop isn’t always dependent solely on hard work, but can be destroyed by the whim of the weather.

I know several farming families in the community. I say ”farming families,” because that’s what it is. It’s not a one-person job. It becomes a family business. It is a passion that is passed down from one generation to the next.

My friend Janet Shaffer and her husband, Denny, operate Maple Lawn Farm. Both of Denny’s parents came from farming families and all that Denny ever wanted to be was a farmer.

”It’s in the blood,” Janet says of her husband.

She herself simply enjoys eating foods she’s grown. ”I come into it from more of a tree-hugger, grow-your-own-food, hippie kind of perspective,” she says.

My own childhood was filled with snapping beans and planting corn. Our garden was huge, and all four of us kids had to help with it. My father, at 78, still plants that same huge garden. Visit him on Shannon Road in Girard if you’re looking for fresh garlic or garlic powder.

My sister and her husband, Christine and Mike Crosby, are the proud operators of Pheasant Run Farms. They lived the 9-to-5 lifestyle when they first got married. Christine was a teacher at Champion Middle School and Mike was one of the founders of Turning Technologies.

Mike wanted to get back to his roots, stating that ”farming has really been therapeutic and helpful in transitioning from the corporate person I became back to the person I was.”

Christine is a master gardener and has a picture-perfect garden with hand-painted plant markers, winding paths, and a wagon-wheel bench. While she doesn’t have pigs and cows (yet), she does have chickens. In fact, Christine is even known as the ”Chicken Lady,” because of her spoiled ”girls.”

She says, ”My daughter and I have them eating out of our hands, literally.” Christine jokes that while her chickens are spoiled, the eggs are always fresh.

Although their twins are still young, the two do often help out with the farm, and their son enjoyed spending a day in the fields with his father last spring.

The family has expanded their tillable farm from 40 to more than 150 acres and sells soybeans and feed corn as well as blue / green, brown and white eggs. Tasting a fresh egg, whether in an omelet or hard-boiled, is like tasting an egg for the first time.

Probably one of the best things about being a farming family is the canned goods. Both families can their garden goodies to enjoy throughout the year.

I still recall helping my father make spaghetti sauce when the tomato crop was in. The whole house smelled of simmering tomatoes, and everyone got involved in the process, especially the part where we got to savor homemade spaghetti sauce on Sunday afternoons.

Even if you are lucky enough to have your own garden that flourishes, be sure to stop at those hand-painted signs and support our local farmers. Taste fresh veggies. Make pies with fruit from our community. Show some love for the work that our farmers do. Don’t you want to know where your food comes from?

Harley is a Girard resident. Email her at editorial@tribtoday.com