Our Life on a Farm

Up until a few years ago, Lorenzo, Francesca, and Sofia Cardarelli lived in a modern house in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina. Like many teens, they spent a lot of time in their rooms, scrolling social media or playing games on their phones. But then their parents announced the family was moving to a farm in the country. Now the Cardarellis wake up before dawn to take care of their horses, pigs, cows, and chickens. After school, they come home and do it all again. The family sells the meat, eggs, wool, and vegetables the farm produces. A lot of their own food also comes from their farm. Here, the siblings share what it’s like living on a working farm, and why they don’t miss their old lives at all.

The Cardarellis’ dad travels for his job, and their mom takes care of the family and the farm. Everyone has different jobs. Their mom’s jobs include driving the tractor, building and fixing fences, breeding the animals, and planting crops. The siblings feed all the animals and keep them healthy. They each have favorites: Lorenzo tends the cows, Francesca loves the pigs, and Sofia cares for the chickens. 

LORENZO: The guy we got the cows from said once they get used to your voice, they’ll like you. I talked to them all the time at first. Eventually they started following me around. Now I don’t even have to call them.

SOFIA: Going out in the mornings and seeing the chickens makes me happy. It’s the little things about the animals that remind me how much I love them.

FRANCESCA: Taking care of the animals is second nature now. If we’re watching TV and realize it’s time for the animals to eat, we’ll hit pause and go feed them. We think of the animals almost as if they’re people we live with, and we want to do our best to make sure they’re happy. 

On weekdays, Lorenzo and Francesca wake up at 5 a.m. to do about an hour of chores. They wear old clothes because the work can be messy, then change for school. Morning chores include feeding the animals and giving them fresh water, as well as checking them for signs of sickness or injury, like eye infections or a hurt foot. Sofia gets up an hour later and takes care of anything else left to do. 

LORENZO: We feed the animals before we feed ourselves. Once you have your responsibilities done on the farm, it’s a lot of weight off your chest. 

SOFIA: After school, we do our chores again. It can feel like a lot, but you just put down your backpack, change into boots, and get to work. 

FRANCESCA: Our schedules change with the seasons. In the summer we can be out with the animals until 8:30. We’re usually in bed by 10:30. But that feels healthier than staying up late anyway.

Each season on the farm brings its own events and responsibilities for the family. 

FRANCESCA: Farm animals have their babies in spring and summer. Summer is the busiest time of year. Fall is about getting ready for winter. We need to have hay for the animals, because there’s no grass for them to eat during the winter. We also spread compost on the ground to get it ready for the spring, when we plant the seeds for our vegetables. 

The Cardarellis have all bonded deeply with the animals and appreciate feeling in touch with nature. 

FRANCESCA: Being out here is very relaxing. You can go in the backyard and cuddle a cow or sit in a field with a fluffy dog on your lap. You don’t worry about how muddy you get or if you’re sitting in chicken poop—and that does happen! 

LORENZO: Being around the animals has made me a better judge of people. For example, reading the body language of an animal is really important. If a cow has its head down and is making snorting noises, you can tell it’s angry. Cows weigh around 1,000 pounds, so you definitely don’t want one mad at you! The animals have taught me to pay attention to someone’s expression, voice, or body movements to figure out how they feel about something. 

As much as the siblings love their animals, they know the creatures are not pets. The animals they raise on the farm are eventually sold as food. It can be tough when it’s time to say goodbye. 

FRANCESCA: When we learned how to slaughter chickens, I cried. I try to remember that this is how we’re getting our food. We work really hard to give the animals a good life. 

LORENZO: Raising animals to eventually eat them might seem hard, but it makes you really appreciate food when you know where it’s coming from. One of the best things on our farm is the eggs from our chickens. They’re so much more flavorful than eggs from the grocery store. I used to hate eggs, but now I eat them almost every morning. 

All the siblings say they’ve grown a lot since moving to the farm, and they’re all happy now that they are leading a more rural life. 

LORENZO: After living here, I wouldn’t move back to the suburbs for a million dollars. In the future, I’d love to have my own farm one day. 

SOFIA: The farm has changed us in the best ways. We’re no longer just thinking about ourselves—we’re accountable for the animals. We also get to spend more time with each other because we aren’t just in our own rooms. It’s nice.