One of the many things I learned as an apprentice is that change is constant in farming.  While planning is important, things may not always go as planned and sometimes the only constant is change.  There are weather systems, pest issues, machinery repairs, fading daylight hours, varying soil conditions, and that’s just a regular day on a farm.  It’s part of farming to plan for change, and then adjust as needed when the situation arises, but always keep moving forward.

Like many farmers, I have a job off of the farm and balancing the two became a challenge this past year.  Running our farm, and now a construction company, I soon took on more responsibility than originally planned; and while managing the company has been beneficial for business, it has pushed my full time plans for the farm back a little.

I will admit, I felt discouraged and defeated at times.  Spending more days in the office or on a job site meant being away from the farm.

But, there were those glorious days in which I was able to put my hands in the earth.  Every day on the farm is a breath of fresh air as I come up to the surface.”

Despite the change in schedule, I still had a great season with many firsts, learning opportunities, and continued growth at our farm.  After all, every step forward is still a step forward as I live my farmDREAM!

A few of my farming firsts and successes this season…

• Growing tomatillos, lavender, and rainbow carrots
• Attended the Illinois State Grange session and brought home ribbons for our produce!
• Made grape juice with Grandma Bossler’s recipe, Yummy!
• Found and purchased two very needed tractor implements
• Moved the chicken coop
• Cooked with rhubarb, who knew? I LOVE RHUBARB!

And yes, I started planning for the upcoming season after one week of being off for winter break.