Most farmers, by nature, are a solitary lot. Perhaps it is not just nature, but necessity, that primes that character of the farmer to become fiercely independent. The farming life can be a lonely life as we grapple with the vagaries of weather, land, plants and animals. Through necessity, farmers have been pushed to work on their own, especially in recent years, as farms have become more spread out, fewer in number, and a smaller population fragment of society. For many farmers, the closest farming neighbour can be many miles away. That said, probably no one knows better than the farmer that “no man is an island” and “many hands make light work.” In both giving and receiving roles, the farmer is a stalwart and active member of the community,…
