Monday Motivation: Why I Farm Roadtrip Week 14

I'm starting week 14 of this crazy, Why I Farm Roadtrip adventure, and I'm still overflowing with inspiration. There are so many great stories to be told, there hasn't even been a split second I've thought, "Why the heck am I out here? Why am I doing this?" I feel so blessed. I know there are a lot of people that can't say that about their jobs. Here are a few stories that have been especially touching to me this week.

Illinois farmer: Kent Blunier

“Three or four years ago, we had a tornado come through here. It threw the roof of a shed on top of another one. Between my place and Dad’s, we had 12 trees that went down, and two of them went right across my driveway. So, the next morning we got up, started cutting wood, and moving things. By noon, we had 15 people here. I never made a phone call. Dad never made a phone call. They just showed up.” - Kent Blunier of Forrest, IL

Massachusetts farmers: Laura, Lisa, and Angela

Laura, Lisa, and Angela are co-farmers at Sweetwater Farm and sell many of their products at the Petersham, Massachusetts Farmers' Market each week.

“Lisa and I were roommates in college. We were both looking for summer jobs. I was looking for jobs in theater and she was looking for jobs at a goat farm. We kept reading job descriptions to each other and I was like, ‘Wow, that just sounds so much cooler. I love the idea of living on a farm in Vermont and milking goats.’ After I did my summer internship at a theater, I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore. I was really interested in my food and where it came from, so I started gardening with the school garden and switched my major to environmental studies. I went abroad and studied sustainability and really decided I wanted to be a farmer.” - Laura (left)

“I think it’s really exciting to grow your own food. I never get tired of it. Being self-sufficient is really satisfying. We’re growing flint corn and we can grind our own corn meal. Being able to make your own corn bread from your own corn meal is super awesome. It’s definitely a big part of why we do this crazy thing - farming.” - Lisa (center)

“Having living things that are your responsibility, the animals and the plants, is kind of like having a billion children. I know all these things are depending on me. Not to mention, the people that will be eating our food. Not doing your job is not an option. It’s not really a choice anymore to lounge around in bed on a Sunday morning when you know that the goat needs to be milked, the chickens need to go outside, it’s 90 degrees already and things are wilting. My biggest motivation is knowing it’s on me to make sure all these things are successful.” - Angela (right)

Massachusetts farmer: Karen and her daughter Victoria

“I came from New Zealand, but my husband is American. I moved to this state 20 years ago. I’ve always grown vegetables. I started with a small garden, grew lots of stuff, and gave it to a lot of friends. They said, ‘Wow! This is great! You should sell it.’ So I started at markets and got bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Even when my daughter was little, we still had to keep doing it, so she just got carted along. It means I can stay home and be my own boss and grow good food for myself and my family. We preserve a lot that we eat off season. The surplus I share with other people.” - Karen of Kiwi Meadow Farm

Click on the photos to read each farmer's original post. I hope their stories inspire you to help your neighbors, try something new, and find what you love this week. Also, in celebration of last week's National Farmers Market Week (I met several of these farmers at the farmers market) meet a farmer in your neighborhood by visiting a market near you. Happy Monday! Thanks for reading!