A Summer on a Farm

How do you get to where you want to go?

One step at a time.

In unprecedented times, where the future feels even harder to predict and goals feel further than ever, which step do you take?

The next one that you can.

A pandemic sweeps a nation, moving plans get suspended, a husband starts working from home, and all of a sudden, we had two months where we just had to be somewhere, but the where was up in the air. Why not a farm?

We buy beef from a farm in western Minnesota. Two summers ago, on the way back from a camping trip in South Dakota, we decided to stop by and pick up a beef order and see the farm. We learned about the farmhouse where they house interns, the farm store that has started to reconnect their community, and their desire for the next generation to be a part of the change in agriculture. We shared our dream to be that next generation of farmers.

About two months ago, on a whim, we took a shot in the dark and asked, “Any chance you’d be looking for/available to host a small young family for two months in June and July in exchange for some farm work?”

The answer was essentially, “Let’s find out!”

Over the past weeks, emails and phone calls were exchanged. We stayed on the farm for a weekend to see if it was even possible. We asked questions, shared concerns, and, much more importantly, shared our hopes and visions. We all decided to take a collective risk and see how we could be of service to one another.

After days of packing, cleaning, sorting, organizing, [while still working, taking care of a sick baby, going to the emergency vet and dealing with a dizzy dog, while also emotionally and socially navigating the pandemic, government shutdown, police brutality, riots, and martial law] and with the amazing support of our friends and family, we finally made it to the farm.

We’ll be here all summer, sharing what we are learning, thinking, and doing.

Stay tuned!