Monday, February 19, 2024
My first job, at the age of 14, was on Robert's dairy farm in 1976. When I started that summer, I had no idea what I was in for. It was a rough start because I soon learned that farming is hard work - really hard work. Especially for a 'city boy'. But for this 14 year old 'city' boy, it became one of the most tremendous learning experiences of my life. I learned about growing plants, about raising animals and about dealing with people. Robert had so much to give, and when he gave, there was no ego in any of it. Most of all, Robert was kind and patient. Never cross and never an angry word. He loved his family: his wife, his three children and his parents. Today I work in agriculture and I offer programs to every farmer in Canada. Yet so many of the lessons I learned about this industry, I can trace back to that summer of 1976 and the things that Robert taught me. Barely a week goes by that I don't think about that summer and the kindness and steady hand of Robert Wood.
