Confessions of a Farmer

As a farmer's daughter, city girl, and now farmer's wife I have a few things to get off my chest and I hope I'm not the only one feeling this way. A few recent stories and experiences have gotten me thinking about farming and our need to "educate" the public on why we do things the way we do as farmers. I now have a three month old daughter and she hasn't been to the barn yet. We're pig farmers and as many of you may know the pig barn is quite dusty and full of ammonia smell. I grew up on a dairy farm and I'm sure I was out in the barn very early on in my life. But now as a mother I feel wary about bringing our 3-month old to the pig barn because of the conditions.  We take good care of our barn but I'm sure she would blow black out of her nose for days after that! Is it wrong that our barn is no place for a baby and yet baby piglets have to grow up there and sows have to live there, but I'm not willing to take our child in there? A similar story about a chicken farm. Their young child loves to visit the baby chicks but Dad has to monitor how often and when s/he goes in because they loose more birds the next day because of her visit.  It was unclear if it was due to stress or bacteria, but that is beside the point. Is what we are doing right if our children can't participate or that such a simple and important act of working with our children (a aspect of farming we pride ourselves on) can cause so much distress and destruction. Is it that perhaps we as farmers are not trying to "educate" the public but "justify" what we do? Why are we trying to justify it? because it is easier for us, it's industry standard, we can't make money any other way, etc? Am I the only one that feels this way? Please help a farmer's wife out!