KAITY TAYLOR

If you grew up on a farm, adaptation to university life can come with a lot of mixed feelings, but these feelings are normal and fellow farm kids are here to help.

As October begins and the 2015 harvest comes to a close in rural Saskatchewan, I find myself reflecting on farm life, how much I miss it and how different things are in the city.

As I walk through the University of Saskatchewan campus, I can’t help but feel a little bit out of place while all the city kids look so comfortable. Am I supposed to blend in and adhere to the majority? This was definitely not something my high school guidance counselor prepared me for.

Being away from the farm that you’ve known all your life leaves you feeling disoriented and, in some ways, lost. When you get home from a day of classes, there are no chores to do, no cows to check, no combine to drive — and there’s no quiet.

It’s a weird feeling, and while I am really excited to be going to a new school, meeting new people and having new experiences, there’s the constant fear in the back of my mind that in all this noise, I’m going to lose the farm part of myself.

I wasn’t sure if I was the only farm kid who felt this way, so I consulted two of my friends, Eve Ulmer and Shelby Evans. We each grew up on family farms near Kenaston, Sask. and are now in university. Sure enough, they both felt the same way that I did.

For Ulmer, there are many things she misses about the farm, along with the quiet.

“[Things like] the stars at night to which nothing compares and all the changing intricacies of the seasons, like bringing home the cows and helping with the harvest,” Ulmer said. 

In the city, the changing of seasons just means that it gets warmer or colder. On the farm, it means so much more. Ulmer — who is currently attending the University of British Columbia — elaborates that although Vancouver is a large city, there are still a few farm kids around.

She says you can tell the farm kids from the city kids when country music is played or when something smells like manure — the farm kids breathe it in and enjoy it.

Evans, a first-year agriculture student at the U of S, feels the same way, and misses working with the cattle, the smell of fresh air and more.

According to Evans, the biggest challenge in moving to the city was the population.

“You’re restricted and can’t do whatever you want like on the farm. You feel like you are always with people and never alone,” Evans said. 

Evans also notices that farm kids are usually the easy-going ones who look a little lost, while the city kids stay in packs and know their way around.

While the transition from farm to city life was difficult, learning that my friends felt the same made me feel a lot better. It also made me wonder whether all other farm kids feel this way.

So, from one farm kid to another, be proud of who you are and where you come from. Don’t forget your roots. Just because you’re living in the city doesn’t mean you have to become a “city kid.”

Wear your boots and listen to Johnny Cash and Brooks & Dunn with pride. Go home as often as you can, too. Chances are, your parents miss you — and could use a hand around the place. Those chores aren’t going to do themselves. 

Don’t be scared. The city is going to change you, but it doesn’t mean you have to change for the city. Be yourself, whoever you want to be and whoever you are.

Lastly, always remember that you aren’t alone. There are a lot of farm kids just like you walking around the campus, probably feeling the same way you do. You can probably pick us out. We’ll be the ones looking lost and breathing in the smell of manure with a smile.

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Image: Jeremy Britz/Graphics Editor