Ranch (and Life) Seasons- 11/11/2020

I was on my way back from delivering milk in Norway today, and I drove past this house. You know the kind- the yard was neat as a pin, their gardens were prepped for winter, plow truck at the ready, snow fence installed straight as an arrow with the posts perfectly in a row at equal distances. Neat. as. a. pin.

I got home and looked around our farm, our half-completed milk house, excavating yet to be done, commercial sink sitting outside waiting for install, vehicles sitting outside because the garage has yet to be organized for winter, water trough yet to be installed, fences that need repair- and that is only a partial list of things that need to be done before winter. And I smiled to myself.

As recently as last year, these things drove me absolutely up the wall! (And they still do sometimes, but not nearly as much)

Some people have jobs that they leave. They go to work for 8 am (or so), work 8 hours (or so), go home and are done for the day. I used to. I did for 25 years in fact- from the age of 16 when I got my driver’s license and first job at the local café, until I was almost 41, I worked ‘off-farm.’ It worked for us, I carried the insurance and always had work that was M-F, no holidays or weekends.

At least we thought it worked for us.

In 2015, I changed careers because I was looking for something ‘more.’ I took a position with a technology company in their Inside Sales department. I loved it! We were nation-wide, we worked big deals, and we were able to work from home. I choose to believe I was good at it, and I did enjoy the work, but it took every ounce of me to perform at the level I wanted to be at, and I still wanted more. It was too much, and after a few years I reached my breaking point. I had nothing left for my family at the end of the day, and all those loose ends on the farm? I couldn’t stand looking around, it was all so overwhelming. Andy would never have time to get to it all, and I couldn’t help because I was totally spent too, working 10 hrs a day, along with my home responsibilities. Plus, I always envied (and sometimes even resented) Andy, as he was getting to live his passion while I toiled away in a 9-5 job.

I promise I’m getting to the point.

We had to make a choice- our farm, or my career. We couldn’t keep up this pace. I guess you know what we chose, and we haven’t looked back.

Now our days are ordered by the weather and what farm or gardening season we’re in. I homeschool Brianna and Nathan. I milk cows, tend to our gardens, make sure the house stays reasonably clean, help with outside projects and maintenance, and see that chores are done by our older kids while Andy is working for the big farm. We bring Andy’s lunch to the field- that’s our ‘recess.’ I’m still trying to find my ‘groove,’ but I’m a ton closer than I was!

It’s late fall, so we are up to our necks in combining. We just finished up soybeans and are starting into the corn. Poor Andy! He’s been really burning the candle at both ends. Our new cow, Koko, is still kind of ‘wild’ to put it nicely, so he’s helping me milk morning and night in addition to all of the other things he’s responsible for between our ranch and the big farm. The difference is, now when he gets home, it’s mostly under control!

As I write this, its raining, so Andy will get a break from the combining. He has to feed the animals, haul some cattle for the big farm, and then he’s coming home to take advantage of his ‘free’ time to work on my milk parlor. It’s not really the best time of year to start a big project like that, but we urgently need the facility to more efficiently run our herdshare business. The kids and I will homeschool this afternoon then its off to guitar lessons for them. Thank God for leftovers!

If you had asked me even just two years ago, what I’d be doing today I would never have said milking cows and homeschooling my children, farming alongside Andy day in and day out. If you told me that, I would have laughed in your face and told you, you were crazy!

Sometimes you don’t even know what your heart needs or wants- just that it’s not happy where you are. I’ve learned from experience to just keep doing the next right thing and you will be lead to where you should be. Because I’m Catholic, I believe that God has a plan for our lives and he continuously leads us down a path to be closer to Him. This is my path, and my heart is finally at peace. Things might not always be picture perfect around here, but we are content to be working at it as a team, along with our children.

God Bless This Mess!