Life on the farm through the eyes of a first-generation farm wife
Every month I receive a paycheck, each one the same as the month prior. It's guaranteed as long as I'm employed. But my farmer husband isn't as fortunate. There are no guaranteed paydays and there's no guessing what the pay will be when it arrives in his bank account. That's what makes farming risky but … Continue reading How Do Farmers Get Paid?
It's #SmallBusinessWeek and while we all stop to lift up the downtown shop or local manufacturing company, farms often are not part of the business landscape we celebrate because those outside of farming don't see what we do as a business. But for many communities and states - like Kansas - farming and agriculture is … Continue reading The Business of Farming
My husband has spent the better part of the last 10 days behind the wheel of his yellow 18-wheeler. We had cows at our farm this winter and now it’s time to send them east to enjoy a summer grazing in the Kansas Flint Hills. The state of Kansas has more cows than people – … Continue reading Using Our Resources
As a working mother of two boys who is married to a farmer with an 80-plus-hour-a-week job, I am instantly drawn to the articles or Ted Talks that promises to deliver the secrete to work-life balance. I'm always searching for it, wondering if I've made it and then, sadly, realizing I may never find it. … Continue reading Work-Life Balance, Farm Style
It's Valentine's Day so while it is not the only day to express my love for my Farmer, it's a good day to remind others why it's great to have a Farmer for a valentine. I'll admit, being married to a farmer is never easy, but there are so many great parts of being a … Continue reading 5 Reasons To Love a Farmer
As 2016 came to a close, I found myself at my computer several times, attempting to summarize and reflect on the year that was. It was quite a year for the Sawyer family - kicked off with the birth of our second son, Owen, on Jan. 5 and accentuated with tough times on the farm, … Continue reading 2017: Adventure Awaits
Most wheat harvests take about a week. It's a long, intense week that starts mid-morning and runs well past sundown for five to six days in a row, but it doesn't stop, take breaks or run on for weeks at a time. But #WheatHarvest16 has been a very different type of harvest. This year the combines … Continue reading #WheatHarvest16: What Is a Bushel?
During my morning run, as snowflakes hit my face, it dawned on me that 2012 was coming to a close - today! I used my run to not only enjoy the snowfall but also ponder the year that was. Derek and I have had a wonderful 2012, full of many accomplishments and success stories. We've … Continue reading Looking Ahead to 2013
What a difference a month makes. In early September, Central Kansas was still fighting the summer heat. Crops were struggling, grass was drying and ponds were losing what little water they had left. Now, not even half-way through October, farmers woke up Sunday morning to dead crops from a cold, hard freeze. Constantly changing weather … Continue reading The wrath of Mother Nature
Farming isn't a desk job. It requires hard work that starts when the sun comes up and ends long after the sun goes down. Over the past week, Derek and I have take a couple of opportunities to check on our crops, cattle and gauge the impact of the drought on our farm. It's not … Continue reading Out and About
