Where I Come From

....is corn bread and chicken!

Sure it's a good ol' country song, but have you ever stopped to actually think about it? Hmmm, where I come from....

I am Irish, Norwegian, Dutch, Welsh, English, Austrian, and French Canadian. This all explains my ability to become lobster red within minutes of being outside, but it also has another word- my heritage. My heritage is not simply defined by these nationalities, though.

Holidays defined by my heritage are great! We have AMAZING food, namely lefse. Yum :) However, we make sure to add in some more of the old traditional favorites as well, with my dad's side of the family being huge fans of saurkraut.

However, there is one more piece. My heritage is defined by the people involved with it. Those people have three main things that they have passed on to me in great quantities.

Love of agriculture. No matter what, I know that my heart belongs in the barn, pasture, and field. Growing up around ag has given me an incredible sense of gratitude and passion for dairy farming. Agriculture is one more way that my family bonds- we all do chores together. According to my dad, "The family that works together, stays together." Based off of that and our recent past with work, I think we will be staying together forever.

Hard work. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like getting up before the sun rises to do chores and staying up long past dusk to get work done. The desire to work hard has extended far beyond the farm; it goes into school, sports, and whatever else I get my hands into. Having the satisfaction of a good day's work is a feeling that is irreplacable.

Faith. In my family, our faith has always and will continue to play the most important role. Learning to love one another, being patient, and appreciating God's creation are lessons that most farm kids can tell you are learned at a young age. Every time a calf comes into the world or a hail storm destroys the crops, we have to take a moment and thank our Creator for the blessings He has given us.

Agriculture + hard work + faith = my heritage.

How has your heritage formed you? What will you give to the next generation?

Just a few thoughts from a farmer's daughter.

Erin