Later I got a text from that same farmer: “Have you heard of Practical Farmers?”I got online and did some digging. They had a conference coming up in January 2021, which I signed up for. Due to COVID-19, it was held virtually that year. I sat through the conference and was blown away. One session showed us how we could change our plan to better graze with the goat herd using electric netting. Another talked about how to raise a flock of sheep similar to the one we had just started. Our family, including our then 9- and 11-year-old sons, watched the PFI film, “Livestock on the Land,” together.
Support Through Upheaval
Two months later, our world changed. It was March 13. We'd made it through the cold stretches and were ready to start on our first spring projects. It was a nice Saturday, which we spent doing different projects: moving the goats from the pen we had used to keep their kids warm during extreme cold back to the main barn area; cleaning manure out; rearranging the barn to get more machinery under cover before it rained all week. It was another fulfilling farm workday. Sadly, it was the last workday I had with Dad – he died that night. Suddenly, we were on our own. Between caring for animals, family that descended upon us and planning the funeral, I had no time to process, grieve or care for myself. I now had 28 more goats in my charge, in addition to our own sheep, our son's chickens and Dad's 12 bottle baby goats that were living in our garage. We entered survival mode. I started identifying what on the to-do list we didn't know how to do. It was a long list, from maintaining the Allis-Chalmers tractor to baling and storing hay – the chores Dad always did. For the rest of that year, we'd talk about the tasks coming up and identify what we didn't know. Then we'd research, discuss and make a plan – as well as a Plan B and Plan C in many cases.I can't emphasize enough how much I used PFI content to help with our research.From farminars and book suggestions to videos from past conferences, I took it all in as fast as I could. We made tons of decisions, some of them impossible. We sold the goats to simplify the operation because we had fewer workers and bought our own tractor because we couldn't maintain the old one. (But we kept the Allis-Chalmers my grandpa bought.) As winter crept up, I saw a Practical Farmers workshop called Establish Farming. I signed up, sat through some classes with former PFI staff member Greg Padget, did some homework and listened to other PFI farmers like Dayna Burtness of Nettle Valley Farm talk about how to plan the next couple of years. In the short time we spent together, I learned a lot. During one class where we discussed our obstacles, I said we felt like we were failing at a lot of stuff and making crap up as we go. Greg looked at me with a smile and said, “It sounds like you're farming.”
A Community Behind Us
We were farming. We had made it through the first season without Dad. Some stuff had gone really well, some had been horrible. But we made it.
Wherever you are in your farming journey, I encourage you to tap into this resource and join Practical Farmers of Iowa.I did the math the other night. We are nearing the day where we have been on the farm longer without Dad than we had with him. My immediate reaction was a return of all the grief that will never truly go away. After a little more reflection, though, I realized we're still here. We're still farming and we're not alone. Rebekah Ahrens Twisted Oaks Farm Milan, Illinois
Please become a member of Practical Farmers of Iowa and find the support you need to succeed. Membership starts at just $25! Check out our member benefits page to learn more about member levels and perks. Join today
