Monday Motivation: Why I Farm Roadtrip Week 23

They say time flies when you're having fun. I've never believed it more. It doesn't seem possible that today is the start of week 23 on the road. Every week brings new opportunities, experiences and friends into my life. It all keeps me inspired and hungry for more stories. Here are a few stories that are top of my mind today.

New Hampshire farmers: Chuck & Diane Souther

“Chuck and I started farming in high school. We fell in love with the lifestyle of farming, worked for other farmers, and then in the late 70s were able to purchase this piece of land. We liked the fact that we could work together, experience the seasons, and be outside. We graduated school in ’74, got married in ’76, and bought the farm in ’78. So it was boom, boom, boom. It wasn’t a farm, it was just raw land. There were no buildings, no driveways, no nothing. Everything here we created and have slowly grown through the years. Now, we do farmers markets, a pick-your-own, and have a farm stand.” - Diane and Chuck Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord, New Hampshire

West Virginia farmer: Morgan Higginbotham

“My grandpa is now 86. He started farming with his father when he was 13. In 1947, when he was 17, he bought his first farm and started this business. My dad grew up there and I have grown up there, so I am carrying on the family tradition. Some of my fondest memories are going and selling wholesale produce with my grandpa. We used to load up the truck and go to grocery stores all around in this area. I’m a people person so I enjoy getting to see my customers. I love to see my regulars. It’s awesome for me. The thing that gets me out of bed is seeing the joy my grandpa gets. He is a great inspiration.” – Morgan Higginbotham of John Crihfield Farms & Greenhouses in Harmony, West Virginia

Massachusetts farmers: Phillip & Elissa Miller

“Farming has been great for me because it makes me move. You can’t have animals and sit and do nothing. I have chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. If you see me on a really bad day, you’ll see that I don’t walk well, and I’m not even 50. I need to keep going. Yeah, some days I want to throw in the towel, but I think about what it’s going to be like if I don’t have something to keep me going. No kids at home. Nobody in the area. No matter how hot or how cold it is, I have to go out and see the animals. I do it for my health, literally. I have to be able to move. I will sit and do nothing if I don’t have the animals to go see. So that’s why I farm.” – Elissa Miller of Walnut Kitchen Homestead in Orange, Massachusetts

Click on each photo to read the farmers' full stories. I hope they inspire you to create your dreams, honor family traditions, and persevere through challenges. Have a great week! Thanks for reading!