Careercast.com published this week a rating of 200 occupations, based on
“mounds of data.” Five factors were considered: Environment,  Income, Outlook,
Stress, and Physical Demands .      
      
Drum roll please: Farmer: 179. Dairy farmer: 199. (Lumberjack snagged the bottom.) 
            
Interesting how incongruent this is to the FB and blogs of farms I follow. I guess it all comes
down to who you are and what brings you happiness. Farming is hard work and long hours,
and I appreciate those who take the time to share their stories. Here’s a week of farm news
from the east to the west, all posted in good humor:        

Hope, age 8, pets the new piglets at her family’s Sugar Mountain Farm in Vermont. 

At Henry’s Farm Stand, the 44-40 John Deere is ready for planting corn in New York.

NY's  Northview Diary reports the grass is stalled, freezing, or drying up, but the birds have
returned. 
       
From the Tractor Seat,  the "purple" cotton seed is in the ground and they are hoping for a
 good Alabama rain. 
      
Minnesota’s Zweber Farms YouTubed their cows romping in spring pasture (see video).   
      
The Griggs of North Dakota are preparing barley seed during the cold snap and hoping for warmer nights.  
       
Morning Bray fertilized and irrigated pasture in New Mexico.      
  
And the Dairy Goddess in California has been busy promoting their farm’s new
non-homogenized Chocolate Milk at the Fresno Food Expo. 
           
As for farming in Arizona, we ate our first tomato of the season last
night. Life is best when you create, and give thanks.