Well, Here I Am…
You can call me Pa Mac. I’m the one in the overalls.
But I’m not the first Pa Mac.
I grew up in southwest Arkansas, on the same 40 acres that my Daddy’s daddy, the original “Pa Mac”, farmed and lived on from about the 1930s till he passed from this world in 1972. My parents, though not commercial farmers, had both grown up in subsistence farm settings. They continued to live the lifestyle of the southern traditional farm, and passed on to my brother, sister, and me a knowledge of country ways that had been taught them, as well as good work ethics and biblical teaching.
Like most young ‘uns, I was a lot older before I realized “the enjoyment of hard work” was not the oxymoron I sized it up to be. My parents had no hesitation when it came time to stick a hoe in my hand and point out which row of beans were “mine” for the next hour.
Looking back, I now know that you can love things without liking them, and even without realizing you’re loving them. Then at some point, the day comes when you find out…you like them. I can’t tell you when exactly that happened for me, but that’s where I find myself today all the same: I like “loving” farming.
But I guess it just wasn’t enough to practice my farm skills on my own. I wanted to pass along my passion for old-fashioned farm living. I began writing some articles for Tennessee Gardener magazine and became aware that I did not dislike writing as much as I had in school. At some point in there, it occurred to me that I could combine the “high” technological side of my production interests (I had studied music and video production within a recording technology degree, being employed in that field) with the “low” technological side of old-time farming. The result would come to be Farm Hand’s Companion.
Along with keeping the FHC Show and website going and tending to the farm and garden for a lot of our family’s food needs, I also run my own production company, working from home as an independent audio producer.
At the point of this writing, my parents still maintain a garden every year. Since moving my family back to Arkansas and living only about an hour away from them, my precious wife and I are blessed by God to be able to plant, hoe, and pick right beside my parents, as often as we’re able. This time, however, there’s the overwhelming joy of having my own kids right there amongst us, contemplating for themselves the oxymoron of “enjoying hard work”.
I am also compelled to confess that I’m a servant of my Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, and trust solely in His finished work of atonement on the cross for my sin. I can’t and won’t ignore the impact that this has on my view of life, along with everything I do. Since these things are inseparably woven into the fabric of who I am, biblical truths and principles are the foundation on which FHC exists.
To get the full story that sheds a bit of light on why I do some of the things I do with the website, the show, and all, I invite you to go to the “About FHC” page or watch episode one of The Farm Hand’s Companion Show. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy readin’ or watchin’ ‘em, and it will have saved me, even more, typing here. Happy farming, and may God grant you to be “working with your hands the thing which is good”.
Sincerely yours,
Pa Mac