family – New To The Farm

The demise of the grocery store: removing another link between consumer and farmer

June 25, 2017

Jeff Bezos and his multi-billion-dollar company, Amazon, made news again this week when he announced the purchase of Whole Foods, an upscale grocery store chain that specializes in organic, natural selections. Amazon has spent nearly two decades perfecting the mail-order business, allowing people, like myself, to bypass local retailers, traffic and the check-out line by … More The demise of the grocery store: removing another link between consumer and farmer

2017: Adventure Awaits

January 2, 2017

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, … More 2017: Adventure Awaits

Taking a Note From the Trump Campaign

July 8, 2016

Author’s Note: I must preface this article by emphasizing that this is in no way an endorsement of Donald Trump in his bid for the presidency. It is, however, a study of his ability to attract and ignite new voters. In July 2015, Trump declared his candidacy for president of the United States while at the same … More Taking a Note From the Trump Campaign

#WheatHarvest16: What Is a Bushel?

June 27, 2016

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 … More #WheatHarvest16: What Is a Bushel?

#WheatHarvest16, Day 3 & 4

June 18, 2016

The rain that forced us out of the fields Wednesday kept us from cutting wheat Thursday. However, after a day of 100 degree temps, the combine was rolling again by lunch on Friday. During harvest dad time is hard to come by. He’s up and out the door by 8 a.m. and doesn’t return home … More #WheatHarvest16, Day 3 & 4

#WheatHarvest16 Day 1

June 15, 2016

Greetings from the wheat fields of Central Kansas! We officially got rolling on #WheatHarvest16 yesterday. The weather was perfect, the wheat was ripe and the machinery was working. When all is said and done, we will cut about 1,000 acres of wheat this year. That’s a large wheat crop for our farm so this harvest will … More #WheatHarvest16 Day 1

Generations of Good Genes

June 7, 2016

When Derek and I were newly married, I accompanied him to the sale barn. He was selling some cow-calf pairs and then a lone calf that has lost its mother. I hated to see the calf sold so I made a deal with Derek that if it didn’t bring more than $200, I was going … More Generations of Good Genes

New To The Farm

A mom, her boys, too many cows and lots of farming