Yesterday Ben hooked on to the rotovator with the tractor and tilled the garden to prepare it for planting. I can remember when Ben was younger and would ask me when he would be old enough to do that job and now, all of a sudden, he is able to do it all himself. He probably started just driving the riding lawn tractor when he was 5 or 6 years old, and by the time he was 9 or 10 he was driving the farm tractors by himself. I think children who grow up on a farm are given responsibilities at a younger age than most children. If done in the right way, this is a wonderful gift for them that will serve them well the rest of their lives. Ben has had some close calls and has had a trip to the emergency room at the hospital, but he is a very mature, responsible 15-year-old that has been my right-hand man the last two months.

--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont