Monday Motivation: Why I Farm Roadtrip Week 42

It's week 42 of the Why I  Farm Roadtrip! There's still a lot to accomplish between now and the end of May, so I'm going to keep this week's Monday Motivation blog short and sweet. Check out these three Midwest farmers' stories to get your week started with plenty of inspiration.

South Dakota farmer: Chris Breen

"I grew up one of six kids here. We’d help feed cows in the morning and wash out bull racks and drove trucks, helped combine, do the whole thing. You work your way up through everything, it's just like any other business. We've always been pretty self-sufficient and you don't take things for granted. We work a lot here, but we still enjoy the time we're working. I bring the kids a long to have fun here and let them see everything. Kinze, I'll have her out there when we're working cattle, she'll come out and help chase them in or she'll run a broom and learn to pick up things and listen. We get to have a little fun there and they also learn their boundaries." -Chris Breen of Breen Farms in Seneca, South Dakota

Illinois farmer: John Kennay

"Having the grandkids with me, it's a gift to them that they can actually experience and be in the machinery versus just seeing it on TV or alongside the road. My grandkids are used to it, but it's a treasure to me to let them experience it and drive. They don't need to drive straight, I don't care. I've spent a lot of time with grandkids in the cab. One in particular, we spent hundreds of hours together. He would not want to get out. Even at nine months old, he was with me nine hours. You change the diapers, clean the peanut butter off the windows, and then they fall asleep. I love having the kids out there, because that's what I did. I slept in the combine. I slept in the tractor. Now, to have them do it is awesome." -John Kennay, grain farmer of Ashton, Illinois

North Dakota farmer: Laura Rutherford

“I love this picture of my grandparents. Grandpa served in the Army during World War II, and was close to my age when this picture was taken. He came back and started farming with very little, but by the time he and Grandma passed away, they had built up the farm. It's amazing to think about where they started, what they accomplished and how they passed it on to their family. I look at the land, and I just think about the cost and the years of labor; the blood, the sweat, the tears, the time, and the personal investment. I think about what it took and how much it cost to be able to pass it on. My motivation is to be able to do the same thing for my kids that Grandpa did for his family. I want to be able to pass it on to them. I think that's what keeps all farmers going through the good years, the bad years, and the really bad years. The ups and downs of the markets, the politics, and the weather. I want to honor the memory of my grandpa. When my time as a farmer is over, I want to be able to say I followed in his footsteps, that I was a good steward too. That I worked hard, that I knew what it cost, and I that knew what it meant.” -Laura Rutherford, sugarbeet farmer near Grafton, North Dakota

Even though I'm only 23, this week's stories have me thinking about the legacy I'm building, and will some day leave for my future children. It makes me thankful for the generations before me that took the time to include me in their work. That they taught me lessons of responsibility and commitment, and paid the price of sweat and sleepless nights so I can be where I am today. Someday I want to say I built on that for the next generation. Guess I better get to work! Happy Monday! Thanks for reading!

Monday Motivation: Why I Farm Roadtrip Week 40

Wow, week 40! I can't believe I'm this far into the Why I Farm Roadtrip. Many days, I feel like I'm still learning how to live on the road and explain my experiences. As I cross the country from Georgia to California this week, these farmers are inspiring me to keep going. I hope their stories touch you as well.

North Dakota farmer: Scott Huso

"One day the phone rang and it was Fred, my distant cousin. I'll never forget, he said, 'Scott, Jane and I are thinking about exiting farming.' I said, 'Excuse me?' I couldn't really understand. He said, 'Jane and I are thinking about exiting farming and you're my first phone call.' I just about dropped the phone. I'm sure at some point in your life you’ve had situations when you're humbled beyond belief. That's what this was. He said, 'We're home right now, so if you want to come over and visit, come over as soon as you can.' I got over there and Jane said, ‘You have been our plan.’ Even thinking about it now, it's just mind blowing because that's the farm I grew up on. This year, I rented that land, the same land I learned how to do things on. I was working there when I was 12, 13, 14 years old." -Scott Huso, grain farmer of Aneta, North Dakota 

North Dakota farmer: Dana Dagman 

"I farm because it provides for our family, and it provides a future. It’s a bigger picture type of deal. You’re growing something that is either nourishing a person, an animal, or going into fuel. It’s one of those things where you can sit back at the end of the day and very much see what you’ve accomplished. I would have never expected to find myself here. I never would have expected to enjoy it the way I do, but I’m really glad we took the risk of coming back and doing it." -Dana Dagman of The Green Acres Report and Dagman Farms in Enderlin, North Dakota

North Dakota farmer: Tom Rohrich

"My heart has always been in farming. I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years. When I was seven years old, I plowed with a three bottom and tractor. Now, you’ve got a 36 ft. drill and autosteer. The technology we’ve got today, if it wasn’t for Mark and Allan, I don’t think I could do it. The technology is really good, but it’s Mark and Allan, you know. Mark is in agronomy and kind of takes the role in that. Allan is into John Deere. He’s also real handy. He can about fix anything. I’m really proud of them." -Tom Rohrich on raising corn, sunflowers, soybeans and wheat with his sons Mark and Allan near Ashley, North Dakota

Whether the the big picture is clear, or you're still working to figure it out, I hope these farmers challenge you to keep it in mind. I'm sure this fast paced week on the road will come with it's fair share of frustrations and unexpected events. This morning, I'm challenging my self to take them in stride and remember the larger goal. Even when it's not the plan I've set out for myself, I'm determined to keep a positive attitude about the changes. I hope you'll do the same. Happy Monday! Thanks for reading!