In this first of three parts, young “Generation Organic” farmer Ceara muses on the farming life and educating others about organic food and farming - all from a big black and green bus.
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a three-part series written by young organic farmers traveling the Midwest on Organic Valley’s Generation Organic™ “Who’s Your Farmer?” Bus Tour. Generation Organic is a program by Organic Valley which provides leadership and mentorship opportunities to young farmers ages 18 to 35.
I’m writing today from the Generation Organic bus. It’s a three and a half hour drive to Platteville, Wis., from Milwaukee. Everyone is dosing off to the steady noise of the bus, but I’m up. Driving through southern Wisconsin, with its rolling hills and beautiful fall colors, reminds me of home.
Our farm, located in Stockton, Illinois, is 151 years old and has been in our family for six generations. My parents, my brothers and I farm the original 400 acres purchased back in 1861. With additional rented land, we farm a total of 645 certified organic acres.
Like many generations before me, I grew up on the farm. Morning and night, I was responsible for watering and helping feed the baby calves. Today I still work side-by-side with my family, milking our 81 cows and growing corn, beans, oats and alfalfa. It’s hard work, but organic farming is a part of who I am. I love being out in the country and around the animals every day. I love stealing walks with our dogs in the pastures or taking my horse, July, out for a ride just before dusk.
Last year, I joined the Generation Organic “Who’s Your Farmer?” Tour to get more involved with the Organic Valley cooperative and to meet other young organic farmers who, like me, understand and are committed to organic and sustainable farming. The tour creates a venue for us to share and hear each other’s stories and learn about the challenges each of us faces on our farms. Where my family is dealing with severe drought, my peers from the west coast are subject to shifting high and low tides. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day grind to reflect on organic farming from beyond the limits of my pasture.
The most rewarding part of the tour, though, is seeing first-hand the interest and excitement from students looking to make farming a career. At UW-Madison last week, we had the opportunity to share our experiences with a class of young prospective farmers. Following class, we went out with some of the students and their professor for dinner and spent more time sharing our farm stories—triumphs and hardships alike. It is these kinds of moments that make all the hard days baling hay and milking cows worth it!
And there have been a lot of hard days this year. Our farm, and much of the Midwest, has seen one of the worst droughts in my lifetime. It wiped out three of our four summer hay crops. We’re fortunate, though, because our self-sustaining, diversified farm will carry us through to next summer. It’s a good – albeit difficult – reminder of how powerful the organic model truly is.
It’s been hard, too, being away from my work. On bus rides like these, I’m running through a mental list of chores, wondering if everything has been done for the day. But at every stop, I’m reminded how important this tour is. Because with every prospective farmer we inspire and every consumer who learns just a little more about where their food comes from and how it is produced, we’re forging the path for the next generation of organic farmers and eaters. As we like to say: “Who’s your farmer? Own your food, drive your future!”
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