Well after an extremely wet and rainy Spring, it appears we are going to endure a very hot and dry summer. I hope it doesn't stay like this for long as the temperatures this week have been killer on our family farm. This week we have seen temperatures in the 90s everyday with a heat index well over 100. The worst part of the high temperatures is we have seen very little precipitation so once again it is starting to be a critical time for our corn as we need rain. It really is as simple as that, but the good and the bad of that is we aren't in charge of that department so truthfully all we can do is worrying about what we can control and say a couple extra prayers each day and night. So with that being said, I'm very excited to introduce you to a special lady with this special Saturday edition of Farmer Fridays.
Picture this:
It is really your first time ever driving past the state of Illinois. Destination: Colman, South Dakota. Iowa shows its beauty on the first leg of the trip and on the second leg, the amount of traffic that I-80 can actually hold. Minnesota brings the excitement of finally getting closer to South Dakota, only to bring a completely blown flat tire two hours from state line. Finally, after 17 hours of driving through the night, filled with frustration, you miss your exit ramp. Only to find out in South Dakota it can be miles away from the next one. Finally, you reach your destination- an exit ramp where you meet someone for the first time face to face, even though you have been talking to them several times a day for the last few months. Twenty minutes later picture meeting that special someone’s entire family and closest friends.
Did I paint you a pretty crazy picture?!? That is where my story truly begins on how I went from being a simple Indiana girl to marrying a South Dakota farmer and his family farm.
Currently my husband and I farm in a partnership with his two brothers, their wives, our seven nieces and nephews, and also my in laws. To add that up quickly for you that is 8 farmers, and 7 future farmers. It always warms my heart that whenever we go to wedding dances, or other community events, it goes without spoken agreement that whoever arrives first finds the biggest table in the room so we can all be together. You can imagine how hard it is to sometimes find that table! My husband and his brothers are all third generation farmers, and their wives all first generation farmer’s wives.
We farm just over 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans, and alfalfa hay. We feed approximately 2,000 head of beef cattle a year and have a small calving operation of just over 100 cow/calf pairs. Most of our cattle we sell to a producer you may be familiar with selling chicken, which is Tyson. With that acreage and cattle we support three growing families.
Mainly my role within our farm is the same as both of my sister in laws, we all three share the task of maintaining our farm accounts, calving records, running various pieces of farming equipment, and cooking, which means a weekly rotation of cooking the noon meal, or “dinner”, if you are from South Dakota. We are also known for having to drop everything we are doing on a moment’s notice to give rides to various fields, jump in a tractor, or whip up 10 sandwiches to bring to the field “as soon as we get a chance”. Although translate that into our husbands' terms and that means, right now. Our family is not unique in the fact that we work together each day, many farming families do, and like many farming families we face our hardships, but with those hardships come times of joy, laughter, and complete wholeness.
Being a part of a farming family is stressful, but so is being a part of farming, or even being a part of any family. However, being a part of my farming family is also fun, full of laughter, and true bonding time. When I go up to the farm and see my niece sitting on the floor while her dad works on a tractor I can’t help but smile, or I see my nephews pushing corn into a pile with their little toy tractors. I relish in the fact that all I have to do is drive a mile up the road to see the family that I love so much. We have our crabby days don’t get we wrong, we do have 8 people who work together every day, but at the end of the day we all are there for each other and support one another, just like any other family, the difference being sometimes our family time is just spent doing bookwork, harvesting corn, or working cattle. I couldn’t think of a better environment to raise my future children in.
People ask me often about what I love so much about the agricultural industry and in the past couple of years my answer has changed. What I love most about being involved in the agricultural industry is my family and families like mine. We aren’t the only farming family in the nation, or South Dakota. But we work hard at being farmers because it is our livelihood and we take pride in providing for our nation’s food supply, and our nation’s future farmers.
People ask me often about what I love so much about the agricultural industry and in the past couple of years my answer has changed. What I love most about being involved in the agricultural industry is my family and families like mine. We aren’t the only farming family in the nation, or South Dakota. But we work hard at being farmers because it is our livelihood and we take pride in providing for our nation’s food supply, and our nation’s future farmers.
Wow..What a beautiful story, family, and life! Thank you for opening up for the readers to get some insight on yet another hard working family whom keeps this country fed and running!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see Morgan joining the ranks of RFOA! And so glad that I got to meet her in person many months ago. She's a wonderful person!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the warm welcome!
ReplyDeleteGreat and fun story. Can't wait to read more from Morgan's blog. Welcome to RFOA!
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie!
ReplyDelete