Classification/Division Featured Professional Essay
Title: Farming Women… In Their Own Words.
Source: Farmers Weekly. 11/9/2012, Vol. 158 Issue 19, p68-68. 1/2p.
Document Type: Interview
FARMING WOMEN… In Their Own Words
MAXINE ROBERTSON
About 23 years ago I met my husband — who farms about 250ha of arable land in Norfolk with his brother – on a blind date. They grow sugar beet and barley and also do contracting for local farmers. And 18 years ago, following the birth of our daughter, I gave up a lucrative career as a lawyer to become a stay-at-home mum. As our daughter grew up, I obtained a degree in education and took up various part-time posts in the education sector. Currently, I work part-time for a charity and also approve foster carers for Norfolk County Council. I love animals, gardening and books.
Describe a typical day
Every day is so very different. However, each one starts at about 6am when I take our dogs out and feed our cats, ducks and hens. A typical day ends at 10pm when I put them all to bed.
What has been your biggest achievement?
Remaining married to the same man for 22 years. Seriously, my biggest achievement was gaining my degree while trying to juggle motherhood, working and running a home.
If you had one piece of advice for a rural woman, what would it be?
Try to develop interests outside the home, as rural life can be isolating. Seek out like-minded people and spend lots of time with them.
If you could change one thing to make life better for rural families, what would it be?
Bring more leisure and educational opportunities to rural areas.
What personality traits/skills do women in the countryside most need?
Definitely a sense of humour, but apart from that, flexibility and versatility.
How do you think the life of a young woman on a farm has changed compared with 50 years ago?
Years ago women were probably less likely to take on work away from the farm. However, I’m not sure there is a stereotypical farmer’s wife these days.
Is the countryside a sexist place?
When it suits the men. They complain that you live in jeans and never wear a skirt, yet they are happy enough for you to put on your overalls and help with heavy lifting.
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
I hope my husband continues to enjoy farming and that we will all enjoy good health. My own ambitions are to own either a donkey, an alpaca or a Herdwick sheep and also, perhaps, to pursue a master’s degree.
If you hadn’t chosen the course in life you have, what would you have done?
When I married my husband, a male friend told me he couldn’t see me as a farmer’s wife, presumably because I had no experience of farming, worked in an office and was a “girly girl”. I wonder what he would say now if he could see me shovelling muck out of the duck house! I don’t regret a thing, even though farmers can be demanding and the farming way of life can be unpredictable. I love our life and consider myself very lucky to live in the countryside.
“How I Use My Time” Essay
Due:
Directions: On _______________________________, we read “Farming Women In Their Own Words.” This article features the triumphs and challenges of Maxine Robertson, a lawyer-turned-female farmer. Robertson concludes that a farmer must possess superior skills in time management.
Each day, we, like Robertson, must determine how to use our time. In an essay of five paragraphs, double spaced, computerized, using 12-point font, identify and discuss three of the activities which take up most of your time.GuidelinesThe website “Charts from the American Time Use Survey,” published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and accessed September 11, 2015, identifies the following uses of time on an average work day for employed persons ages 25 to 54 with children:
Activity Hours
Workingand work-related activities 8.7
Sleeping 7.7
Leisure and sports 2.5
Other 1.7
Caring for others 1.3
Eating and drinking 1.0
Household activities 1.1
Total 24.0
Feel free to choose from these categories or to create your own.Paragraph #1.
A minimum of two sentences are required.
If I can join the two sentences into one, then you have only written one sentence, not two.
The last sentence of the first paragraph must include a thesis sentence containing three keywords, written with parallel sentence structure.
Paragraph #2.
Answer the question “What is the first way in which I use my time? What is the nature of this activity? In other words, explain or describe what the activity entails. If, for instance, you choose sleeping, help the reader understand what the word “sleeping” means. What are two reasons that you spend time on this activity? “
The paragraph must contain a minimum of 8 sentences. Paragraph #3.
Answer the question “What is the second way in which I use my time? What is the nature of this activity? In other words, explain or describe what the activity entails. If, for instance, you choose sleeping, help the reader understand what the word “sleeping” means. What are two reasons that you spend time on this activity? “
The paragraph must contain a minimum of 8 sentences.
Paragraph #4.
Answer the question “What is the third way in which I use my time? What is the nature of this activity? In other words, explain or describe what the activity entails. If, for instance, you choose sleeping, help the reader understand what the word “sleeping” means. What are two reasons that you spend time on this activity? “
The paragraph must contain a minimum of 8 sentences.
Paragraph #5.
A minimum of two sentences are required.
The first sentence must repeat the thesis statement.
The thesis statement must contain three keywords.
Reminders
Remember not to use the words “get” and “you” anywhere in your essay. The first use of the word “get” is free. Each additional use costs 2 points per use. Each use of the word “you” or the implied “you” costs 3 points per use. Hopefully, this reminder will prevent you from losing points needlessly.
Essays which are single spaced will not be read. Remember to skip every other line as instructed.
Observe proper formatting of heading and page numbers.
NameDr. S. E. PhillipsEnglish 1301.471September __, 2015
Last Name 2 Last Name 3 Last Name 4
Don’t forget to number each sentence of your essay using continuous numbering.
Rewrite PolicyEssays submitted by the due date are eligible for rewrite. Essays submitted after the due date are not eligible for rewrite. For rewrite eligibility, the essay must score below “78%.” The highest possible score for a rewritten essay is a “90%,” not a full “100%.”
Late Policy
Essays submitted after 1:00 pm _____________________________________are late.
There is no penalty for submitting an essay late as long as you meet the rewrite/late submission deadline discussed below, but a late essay is not eligible for rewrite.
Rewrite/Late Submission Deadline
The deadline for rewrites and late submissions is ____________________________________.
Essay #4
I am scheduled to give the directions for Essay #4, the documentation essay, on _____________.
Due to the nature of Essay #4, you will receive a five-point deduction on Essay #4 if Essay #1 is not submitted by the Rewrite/Late Submission deadline of _______________________________________________________________.
Peer Review Essay #1 will be distributed for peer review. I will explain the peer review process on ____________________________________________________________________.Since the essay will be peer reviewed, you receive 25 points for meeting the essay deadline. You receive 25 points for no other reason than completing the essay on time.
