the off-farm farmers

Is there such a thing as an 'off-farm farmer'? Well, this is how we like to think about my (Jen) role at the farm. It's a bit of a stretch to think that I'm as well versed in agriculture as Jeff, or as lean and fit as many of our farming friends. But as the other half of the farming family, myself and the kids play a role in the farm.

What is that role? Generally, I work to help think through the planting and planning for the season. This year, we've done A LOT of planning for this season including determining the vision for our farm 2 to 5 years from now. And of course, I tend to do a lot of the sales and marketing for the farm (my full time job is as an Account Supervisor at Hanson Dodge Creative in Milwaukee).

Like most family farms, we do a lot of juggling. Jeff tends to do the creative cooking (he smoked nearly 1/4 freezer worth of pork a few weekends ago!) and teaches the kids the basics like how to ride their bikes. I preserve vegetables and fruit throughout the summer months, while taking the kids to swimming lessons. We all spend at least a part of our weekend doing something fun together, which many times includes walks at the farm to walk Sally Mae (our dog), play with the pigs and check Owen's growing "cukes."

The best part of our family farm is that we enjoy every piece of the farm together -- from the delicious salads we enjoy each evening in early summer; to the cool summer evenings when we sit in the field and eat cherry tomatoes at the end of a busy day; to the winters when we visit our spinach under the snow. Farming has taught us all to take time to enjoy the little things. And appreciate the whatever comes your way...even if it isn't what you expected!