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Despite not liking the wet and cold, this time of the year is my favorite and with Thanksgiving just over, what better opportunity to share all that I am thankful for. Fall brings so many exciting things. 

Mother Nature, perhaps, offers us the most beautiful picturesque views and reminds us that change is inevitable – and can be absolutely beautiful. Even if it gets a bit ugly out there during these gray and dark days, we know that life will go on. Mother Nature is pretty good at showing us the good, bad and ugly, and no matter the bad she offers, she can guarantee that beauty will come again. Whether it’s a rainbow after the storm or a beautiful snow that coats the dark and desolate trees and landscape, soon the days will be filled with sunshine and bright vibrant colors. 

Harvest is in the works for crop farmers and while seeing the beautiful fields bare makes me a little sad, I celebrate when our farmers are able to wrap up the harvest and hopefully slow down a bit, even for a short period of time. Please include our farmers in your holiday prayers and blessings. The life of a farmer isn’t easy, and it’s not looking to improve in the near future.

Bow season started in late September, and for those who don’t know, my family loves hunting. I come from a long line of hunters and am very proud to be among many females in my family that take on the challenge of the woods. In the last 10 years, I have gained a whole new appreciation for bowhunting and prefer it over any type of hunting.  Next to farming, hunting was a family affair, and my husband and I are so excited to start the tradition with our oldest, our son Colter.  We’ve been teaching gun and weapon safety before he even started walking. We have spent hours teaching him the value of life and the importance of making good decisions so as not to create unnecessary suffering, a lesson I hope he always carries with him. He harvested his first deer, a doe, in 2020 and earlier this month, harvested his first buck. At age 6, my son learned the value of feeding his family – and let me tell you, it wasn’t the horns he was proud of. The smile on his face when we sat down to deer chops confirmed that his dad and I are raising him right. He was so proud to be the reason we had dinner on the table. Another lesson that farmers everywhere take pride in. Being in the woods and becoming one with Mother Nature can lift the weight of the world off your shoulders. It teaches you patience and determination, respect for all living things, the beauty of nature, and the value for all of the things that can’t be replaced once they are gone. Being in the woods is my safe place- a place I am so thankful exists in this crazy world we live in.

Thanksgiving is a time where we all slow down a little more to honor those things we are thankful for (something we should all do a little more regularly). I’m so thankful for my family and the way I was raised, for farming and the wonderful farmers I get to work with – and work for everyday. I’m thankful to live in a country that provides us those opportunities. I’m thankful for people who have different opinions and are open to productive conversations that challenge the way we think and what we know. 

Things may be a little ugly right now, some are treating others ugly right now, but like Mother Nature, there are beautiful moments out there that we need to hold on to.

Thank you for being a part of me sharing my love of family, farming, and life with you all!

OFBF Mission:  Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.