Monday Motivation: Why I Farm Roadtrip Week 27

How is it November already? I'm half way through this roadtrip and 2016 is starting to wind down. As I head into week 27 of my Why I Farm Roadtrip experience, these farmers' stories are top of mind as my motivation. I hope you find them as inspiring as I have this week.

Rhode Island farmers: Loren & Gina Thurn

“I farm for the sunrise in the morning. I farm for that connection with life. I farm for the ability to be with my family. And the knowledge that I’m producing a healthy product that I have no qualms about eating or feeding my kids. That I get to be my own boss and do things I love with both plants and animals. Having already done other things, you couldn’t pay me to go back to them. It’s just part of your soul.” - Gina Thurn of Our Kids Farm in Exeter, Rhode Island

New York farmer: Mike Bulich

“When I was a junior in college, I came back from Christmas break and my dad was talking to me about how he was planning on shutting down the farm when he turned 62, which was only a year after I graduated college. I had quite a few job offers with some big firms in the business world. I have degree in business, minored in finance. I went there, in terms of internships, and just didn’t see myself doing it. So I talked to dad. When I graduated, my brother Mark and I went back at it, and rebuilt the whole place. I just like being able to do different things. On this type of farm, yes, we’ve got to get in there sometimes to harvest mushrooms, but then I’m in a big truck picking up manure, fixing a baler, or welding another piece of equipment. I’m doing the electrical, I’m doing refrigeration. I just like doing all these different things." - Mike Bulich of Bulich Mushroom Co. in Catskill, New York

New Jersey farmer: Matt Steinberg

"It’s the story you’ve heard a hundred times. I got tired of the corporate run around. As an engineer, I had kind of maxed out engineering and was just like, where do I go from here? My background is in computer science so this was a change of pace in life. I’ve only been doing this for a few years now. I have no connection to farming what so ever. I mean, I’m sure if I go far enough up the line, but not in my last two or three generations that I know of. It just kind of came, I decided I wanted to be out on the land. I decided I wanted a different life." - Matt Steinberg of Stone Mountain Farms in Lafayette, New Jersey

Click on each photo to read the farmers' full Why I Farm blog post. I hope these stories challenge you to try something new, learn different skills, and find a way to be connected to life. Happy Monday! Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday: Iowa State Homecoming Fall 2016

Last week was Homecoming at Iowa State University. For the first time in five years, I wasn't on campus for all the festivities. I left town for the next loop of the Why I Farm Roadtrip right before all the fun began. I was disappointed to miss my friends and the football game, but on my way out of town I was able to visit campus just after the banners got set up. It was a gorgeous fall evening, so of course I brought my camera along.

The creativity of these banners impresses me every year. It's so fun to see so many different spins on the same theme. Maybe next year I'll make it back to Ames for Homecoming weekend. It would be great to catch up with my friends and classmates now that we're scattered around the country. Thanks for reading!