020- Shoveling shit builds character? Say what?

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Intro from Sarah: I asked my dad, Walt Giacomini, to write a guest blog post about this topic. I remember hearing this phrase a lot when I was growing up. It may sound old-fashioned, but I think it's more relevant than ever. I don't generally write a lot about the agriculture/ ranching part of my life (which I need to change), but there's many lessons to be learned growing up in the ag industry.

The quote "Shoveling shit builds character" can definitely apply to the concept of developing a strong work ethic when it comes to doing hard things. When we push through challenging tasks and difficult situations, we develop resilience and perseverance, which are essential qualities for success in any field. Just like shoveling manure may not be the most pleasant task, there are many aspects of work that are tough, tedious, or uncomfortable, but by putting in the effort and pushing through the discomfort, we can develop the character and skills needed to achieve our goals.

You learn many things when you grow up on a ranch. Not the least significant of these is that shit happens, metaphorically and literally. Sometimes the actual event need not be dealt with. Manure generated by a cow grazing on rangeland is distributed on, and absorbed by that land; thereby fertilizing more grass to be grazed; an efficient, relatively closed system.

For most ranchers, it takes more than cattle to make a ranch. Horses and dogs are essential for moving and caring for the cows. We tend to keep those critters confined and close at hand. When we need them, we need them now. The excrement from confined horses and dogs tends to be concentrated. If allowed to accumulate, it creates odors, health issues for the animals, and household friction when tracked into the house. A different system needs to be designed to deal with this accumulating fecal matter.

Fortunately, the nature of a family ranching operation provides a solution. The term family ranch implies that children are involved. Their labor is needed and they need to learn. As they grow, children are shaped by their experiences. They need to learn how the world works, (messes occur) how to deal with that world, (messes need to be cleaned up) and how to make the world a better place (a clean world is a better world).

Every member of a ranch family understands that ranching is a lot of work and that everyone needs to pitch in. The entry level position for ranch kids is often that of shit shoveler; those dog pens and horse stalls must be kept clean. The lessons learned and the satisfaction gained from a job well done is of immense value, and aids in the character development of the child.

Last, and not least, as future productive workers, one needs to build a resume. Given the scenario outlined above, line one on that list of qualifications can be: "I am eminently qualified to shovel horseshit." I have hired enough people to understand that I would be predisposed to hire such an applicant.

Final thoughts from Sarah: When I was growing up and living on a working cattle ranch, I was not really a big fan of cleaning horse stalls, working cattle, or any other ranch-related work. I didn't appreciate the education and lifestyle I was experiencing. I have a little different view, now, as I look back. I'd love to hear what you think about this, especially from my non-ag friends and family members. What other industries have similar lessons that can be learned? If you have shoveled shit or something similarly stinky, did you learn something? My guess is the answer is yes. You took something not-so-fun and turned it into something to make you a better person. BE proud of yourself!

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