Lessons Learned

Yesterday after work I headed straight to the field. I always love helping on the farm and combining is one of my favorite things to do. Yesterday my two older brothers, Jason and Justin, and I were in charge of running the combines. As we went around and around I got to thinking about how awesome it is to be out in the field with my brothers; even better was the fact that my mom, dad and sister in-law Amanda were also busy helping to keep everything on track. I feel truly blessed to have grown up in a family who loves to be together and who are passionate about agriculture.

Growing up on a family farm I understood from an early age the importance of what we do. I also learned that every job is important, whether that means making the guys supper, cleaning the house, or running a combine; each job is vital to the success of our operation.

When I was younger the lessons I learned were different that those I'm learning today. When I was younger I learned: the floor of a combine is an excellent napping place, the guys love when you make cookies, and if you go with dad for the day he just might take you to the cafe for breakfast. Now I'm learning: the floors of the combine are a lot smaller than they used to be, the guys still love it when you make cookies, and the rewards for hard work are well worth it.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: I have learned so much by being a part of my family's farm. The more time I spend in the field the more I learn and the more I love what we do. Life is about learning lessons. Sometimes we learn from the mistakes we make and sometimes we learn from the mistakes others have made. But the most important thing is that we learn something. I'm sure that when I head to the field after work today I will learn another lesson...and that's just fine with me. I could spend the rest of my life in the field, and I'm sure there'd still be lessons to learn!