Farming

2022 Memories:

1. Torin is a big three year old who loves to help out with changing water and keeping his Dad company on the tractor. 

2. Viv is becoming quite the farm girl. She takes over Kieren’s water changing duties while he is away at basketball camp, a 3 on 3 basketball tournament and on a fishing trip with Dad. 

3. Teague learns how to set a siphon tube on his own and is Kieren and Viv’s little helper. 

4. Kieren is his Dad’s biggest helper as he spends most of the day on the farm. That includes running errands for the farm and working on equipment. 

5. Mom helps out, most days, changing water. Sometimes she even subs for Farmer Dad when needed. 

6. Dad is constantly on the go with keeping up with tractor work, field work phone calls, changing water, spraying fields and equipment work. 

2018 Memories:

1. Viv is quite the daddy's little helper. Viv changes water with her dad most mornings on the farm.
2. Seamus is busy with harvesting. Early mornings and long nights of working on the farm. 
3. Seamus is transitioning into part-time farming and full-time teaching. 
4. Driving in my mommy, mini van on dirt, gravel, hilly roads. So worth getting the van dirty to meet up with our farming dad on the combine and drop off snacks.  

Seamus is currently in the process of transitioning into full-time farming to full-time teaching and part-time farming for the upcoming year. He is working extra hard this year because he will have less time to focus on farming. So, we are seeing very little of him, lately. However, on the positive side of things we are excited for this new family change. Kids are looking forward to having their dad as a teacher in their school building and I am looking forward to being able to teach with this amazing man. It will all be well worth it.

2017 Memories:

1. Our first year growing sweet corn and selling it.

2. My son (Kieren) works hard picking sweet corn while his sister (Viv) complains that she is tired. 

3. Harvesting our own fields with our combine.

4. Seamus smashes his finger while working on farm equipment.

5. My baby boy's (Teague) first year on the farm.

My husband (Seamus) taught middle school English and AVID for 4 years and is now working as a full-time farmer. In 2015, he made the decision to transition into taking over his father's small farm. We are the 3rd generation to continue the McPartland farm. His grandfather moved to the Washington area to farm with a partner friend. Throughout the past years, the McPartland farm has changed with selling and buying new land and growing different crops. Seamus currently grows beans, potatoes, field and sweet corn. 

Our farm/hunting dog, Nelli,
loves to eat sweet corn.

I feel privileged that my children get the opportunity to live and work on the farm. It will continue to teach them great work ethic and responsibility as they get older and are expected to do more each year. As a family, we often during the summer (my teaching time off) help out by changing water and running errands. Most days we enjoy each other's company but it can be tough some days with 3 little ones under the age of 5. This just makes farming eventful. The kids love getting dirty, playing in the ditch catching tadpoles and getting a snack at the local food market. When harvest time comes, the kids are so excited to be dads co-pilot on the combine. Sometimes, we all drive along with dad in the combine or have a dinner date in the combine on long working days.