Happy Father's Day. A Thank You.

Today is the perfect day to acknowledge two father’s in my life and thank them for all they do.  My father, and my husband.

Without these two men I would not be the person I am, nor would I be doing what I am doing.

Growing up on a small family farm, I worked alongside my father.  We planted gardens, cared for cattle, sheep, chickens, geese, rabbits and horses.  We cleaned out barns, baled hay, fixed fences,  and delivered babies.  There were days when I’m sure I was less than appreciative of the tasks he gave me – like changing a pickup tire in the pouring rain, or stacking hay in 90 + degree heat and 110% humidity.  And looking back I realize that I survived those days, the ones where I would have given my right arm to be reading a book under a tree rather than doing chores, and that the shared time with my dad is something I would never trade.  A teacher by profession, every moment was ripe for a lesson, he gave my sisters and I a very strong background in biology and the science of the natural world just in the time we spent with him outdoors.  And he does the same for his grandchildren.

My father has worked countless hours in our new hoop house this year.  I would be hard pressed to get everything accomplished without my dad’s help.

My husband is simply amazing.  He works harder than any person I have ever known in my life.  He built our house, our barns, our fences, our market, and our high tunnels. And even though he has his own work and projects he takes time to help me clear fields, fix fences, move livestock, and more.

He spends hours slowly walking with our children in the woods and fields teaching them to find mushrooms, track deer, identify plants, hunt for arrowheads, to hunt, to fish, and most of all he has taught them how to have fun and appreciate the land.

woo-hoo first day of the fair!

I’m so thankful for these fathers and the countless other fathers who have been a part of our family’s life.

Happy Father's Day. A Thank You.