“The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” Proverbs 20:29

I love visiting with older people. They have so much knowledge and wisdom to share, and I believe a lot of this wisdom has been lost over the years. I am so blessed to be able to visit with older people that come out to the farm to pick up orders, pick up animals, get a farm tour, or ones that we meet when we are out about. We have had a lot of older people out to the farm and their faces glow as they reminisce about the past and share their stories.

Cory’s dad Larry is one that visits the farm often and gives us wisdom and knowledge. Just last Saturday my husband was working on our tractor wheel. He was trying to get a new bearing back in place and had spent most of the day on this daunting project. When Cory’s dad showed up and heard what was going on, I could see that the wheels were turning in his head. I had watched my husband struggle all day as I was working in the garden or in and out of the house, and I thought he should quit and hire someone to do it for us. My husband was starting to feel the same way.

Larry however got an idea and they set out to try it a few minutes later. After about 30 minutes at his brother’s shop, and some fabricated equipment, the job was done. Larry couldn’t jump up on the fabricated table to press the bearing in place like my husband, but he was there to share his experience and that made all the difference. I couldn’t help but think of this Bible verse when my husband returned with great excitement that his project was almost done. While we don’t farm like Cory’s parents, there is still a lot of wisdom to be gained from them. This week Larry will be coming over to tell us if our sows are pregnant. We have really struggled with farrowing pigs, because as Larry says simply, “They are too fat.”

I’m also constantly asking my step-dad about farming and processing, and while we don’t always share the same techniques of raising animals, I always take away something good away from him. I try not be too focused on one side of a subject and try to keep an open mind as I listen or read from other people, because while I may not agree with everything they teach, I can always gain some wisdom or knowledge from them. Do you have someone in your life that has given you wisdom? We love hearing from you!