Monday Motivation: Why I Farm Roadtrip Week 36

It's a new year, but my motivation is the same. The farmers I'm meeting on the Why I Farm Roadtrip continue to inspire me each and every day. I can't wait to see where this journey takes me in 2017!

I'm kicking off the year by revisiting these three farmers' stories. As always, you can click on their photo or the caption to read their whole Why I Farm blog.

Iowa farmer: Bryan Kuntz

“You can’t get up every day without thanking God for giving you the opportunity to come out here in the field, whether it’s harvest season, planting season, growing season, or winter planning. You only get so much time on this earth. If you can spend that time with your family and your friends, the people that are close to you, every single day, there’s nothing better. Even when commodity prices are terrible, there’s still nothing better than sitting here combining beans and unloading on the go with my dad catching me. There’s nothing better to me than doing what we’re doing today.” -Bryan Kuntz, corn and soybean farmer in Wapello, Iowa

Wisconsin farmer: Kat Becker

"I didn’t grow up on a farm but I farm now because I feel like I can’t imagine what it would be like to not go through the seasons. It’s beautiful, challenging and probably the best place ever to have kids. My kids have an awesome place to run around. I grew up in a big city and so I think there are some really important, amazing, and valuable things about that, but I think my children have a level of personal responsibility and freedom that most children don’t have. They can bike wherever they want, they know every vegetable variety, they understand where meat comes from, and they’ve seen us cut up animals. So I feel like they have this incredibly deep connection to food, but also to the seasons and the earth. Those are the things that I value the most." -Kat Becker of Stoney Acres farm near Athens, Wisconsin

Wisconsin farmers: Amber & Scott Shultz

"We’re a 5th generation family farm. We’ve been here since 1918. We’re in a generational change now and kids are coming back and working, trying to improve and better the farm. It’s a good way to make a living. It’s a good life. That’s why I farm, I enjoy it. To be honest with you, I get up every morning at 4 or 5 o’clock. The sights you see in the morning are the best part of the day. The geese out here, eagles, swans, and deer. The solitude, the fog, the sunrises, it makes the world go ‘round." -Scott Schultz, cranberry farmer in Warrens, Wisconsin, pictured with his daughter, Amber Schultz

This year I haven't made New Year's Resolutions or added anything crazy to my bucket list. Instead, I'm going to continue the challenge that I started last year. Each week, I try to live out the advice and perspective these farmers share with me. This week's post challenges me to be thankful no matter what, be mindful of my connection to my food and the earth, and enjoy the sights and sounds of my surroundings. I hope you'll join me. Happy Monday! Thanks for reading!