I gifted my mother-in-law an improved toaster, my favorite silicone kitchen spatula and a laundry hamper that she needed. Meanwhile, her daughter gave her a weekend of dining and entertainment in Chicago. Thankfully, my mother-in-law has a great sense of humor. She laughed and basked in her enjoyment of the two extremes, as she honestly loved both for their place in her life.
You often give what you would like to receive. And we farm folk gravitate toward practical gifts that make life’s chores easier or bring satisfying improvements, like the cattle ear tags I bought Dad for Christmas. He complained about poor-quality tags that faded or fell out. I was delighted to find and give him nonfading, long-lasting and easy-to-read cattle tags with the personalized bonus of our family name on them.
See more: Farmers Share a Steadfast Commitment to the Land Through Generations
About 75% of my closest relatives farm for a living. Most of the remaining grew up on one. So, the trees of Christmases past have been surrounded by wrapped air compressor tools, shop storage accessories, commercial-grade string trimmers, battery-powered anything and gift cards to Farm & Fleet. Sure, we exchange some typical gifts, like new electronics and Amazon gift cards. In fact, Grandma’s gift criteria intentionally included a “just-for-fun” gift for each of her sons, daughters and grandkids in addition to the “make-your-life-easier” items.
I remember when all the farmers received their first sets of reversible ratcheting wrenches, a genius invention for tightening nuts and bolts. With excitement, they opened two same-shaped packages: one standard and one metric.
Over the years, gifts have improved the efficiency of farm repairs and maintenance via air tools, deep-well sockets and a new set of pilot-point drill bits in a rugged case. In sarcastic wonder, my husband once unwrapped an extension ladder rung by rung.
A new plat book pleases every landowner in the family so they can dig deeper into how their property is divided. Flashlights and hand-warmer packets give weight to stockings. And a pair of well-fitting work gloves wrapped with a can of whole, salted cashews provides a fail-safe gift idea for most any adult.
During her first Christmas with us, my sister-in-law, with no previous farm background, asked me: “Is there anything you want?” Her interpretation was that I needed what I had just received, including the nonstick skillet and kitchen sink. Truth is, it was a bit of both.
See more: Table Talk: Farm Owners Gather Together for Holidays, Too
About the Author: Joanie Stiers farms with her family in west-central Illinois where they grow corn, soybeans and hay and raise beef cattle, backyard chickens and farm kids.
