Prairie Mamas to the Rescue

Living in a rural area can be lonely at times. (Especially if you are like me and kinda like to stay home in sweats.) Moving to a small town from a large city can be even lonelier. Being a farmer and living a life and schedule many don't understand or are not familiar with adds an extra layer of difficulty too. It's hard to break through and find those that you connect with well! You know, those you can turn to when you are in the middle of your toughest times, have questions you don't need shared with the rest of the town, and people that you can enlighten with stories of the wild things you saw, did or watched your kids do.  Small towns can be tough. ( I will say that the are some pretty awesome people in my small town.) Sometimes those that we become closest to live the furthest away. 

I have to say, I have some of the best "Prairie Mama" friends from around ND that I could ever expect to find!  They are my rock, my encouragement, and source of humor, but ultimately they are always there reminding me of how amazing faith and God are!  

Faith is something I struggle with. How can the faithful be challenged so often? Why is it that the more I commit to a life with The Lord that I find more questions than answers? How many things can be thrown at me at once and am I really expected to rise above them and come out on top? I get that faith is a journey and that by attending church, listening and working at it it will get easier to hear and follow. But, in all selfishness, I would love for one request via prayer to be answered on my terms. Ok, I know that is part of the learning curve... But throw me a bone, please!  

So, when it comes to struggles and what feels like prayers are falling on deaf ears, I reach out to the "Prairie Mamas". They help fill the gap while waiting for direction from The Lord. It is this that I am utmost grateful. It is this that reinforces the true meaning of friendship. It is this that adds value to all other relationships I have. It's the "Prairie Mamas" that keep me going! 

Thanks Prairie Mamas! I owe you big! 

The Impact of Ag Scholarships

So, today I have been procrastinating A LOT and came across commentary and discussion on (http://www.rodeoattitude.com/facesofag/category/loos-tales/), that features a response to a question regarding, "whether or not a scholarship to a farm kid means they don’t return to the very rural community they grew up in".

My initial reaction was," No!” But, then I got to thinking. I guess it all depends on what the scholarship is for. I am a true believer that scholarships and grants are increasingly becoming a necessity for students to attending college. In fact, my husband and I even have a small scholarship set up at Dickinson State University in efforts to help students attend college. We set our scholarship up to require that the recipients be enrolled in an agricultural related course of study. We did not restrict it to a major, a minor, or a certificate program in a specified career because we believe that part of supporting agriculture is supporting the entire industry, not just production agriculture. We wanted to perhaps provide support to those who were active in agriculture in a non-traditional way. Anyway, I strongly feel that scholarships are a must in given the dynamics of our current economic situation and the increasing cost of tuition.

With that being said, I also believe that scholarships can guide people towards or away from various careers, living locations, and life choices. Ok, so what in the world do I mean? What I mean is that scholarships can be created with guidelines that support specific fields of study, living locations from which one was raised or is willing to reside in once graduated etc. This can draw people into specific fields and also support those already interested. The down side is that people may not be able to enter into a specific field if they do not receive financial support.

Do I think that scholarships deter individuals from returning to their rural communities....? I still say, "No", but, perhaps for different reasons. I feel that the PERSON decides whether they return, scholarships may open a door that wasn't before, but ultimately personal interest, job availability, and individual characteristics and circumstances decide whether a person returns "home".

So keep the scholarships out there, make personal connections with those we want to come "home", and help support the decisions that individuals make while leaving the "door" to the rural community open.

A Few Moments to Play?

After a long 6 weeks and no post (once again) I can say what could be planted is, insurance and other paperwork has met the deadline, some sleep has been caught up on and a deep breath has been taken. Yet, as so many of us know, you can never get ahead of mother nature. Infact, I was told just a few days ago, I have two days to go until spraying is caught up and then I will find myself 5 days behind. All I could do is think, I don't even know what to say.

Then I thought, if you don't go check the field for a day, you won't know that you are 5 days behind! So that is what we did! We took a much needed break, 2 infact and boy did it make EVERYTHING so much better.

Steven headed camping and four wheeling in the Badlands 2 weekends ago and then yesterday we headed to the lake without kids, but with family and friends for an afternoon. It's amazing how much more can get done when you set out, take a break and see the "world" instead of feeling like your world is getting smaller and smaller.

One great thing we have in ND is wide open space, and with is comes the ability to see things in the distance, a sense of natural freedom and feeling that all things are possible. So I have again been reminded, when the times get tough, the tough step outside (the house, the car, the tractor etc.) and breathe in possibility, patience and perservence! How awesome ND is and how lucky we are to live here!

Franklin Comes for a Visit

Gotta love the excitement when guests come! This week we have had Franklin ( yes, the Turtle from PBS) come and visit. The best part is that there is no food involved and the house doesn't have to be cleaned.


The 1st grade teacher in Underwood has a Franklin that goes home each week with her students. Franklin comes with a tote bag, a book and a journal. The kids get to write about what they have done with Franklin during the week and either draw or glue pictures onto the journal pages. I love it! Libby loves it too! It is so much fun to read about what Franklin has been doing throughout the year on his visits to the different homes. It is also fun to see how the kids have changed through pictures and writing! The only trouble with the entire process is when you get forget to take pictures and write so you play catch up at the week's end!

This week Franklin has had many adventures... reading, bedroom cleaning, playing outdoors, building a chicken coop, hanging out at the dinner table, visiting the guys at the shop while drinking coffee, snow removal duty, and has been on a snowmobile and bus ride. He has also experienced our ever so lovely winter storm-- farm style.

This is such a fun family project and one that I hope each first grader gets to experience!