This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
Agriculture is not merely about the symphony of sowing and reaping—it's about the perseverance that stems from the very pulse of the earth. Young farm couples face many trials, lack of funds, lack of capital, trails that test their faith.
Bankers and family told us to quit. They told us we shouldn't be doing cattle anymore. They told us to stick to what works, what everyone else is doing. But inside, something told us that wasn't what we should be doing.
We were running out of options though. We were faced with losing everything we had worked for. But still wanting to keep that dream alive. That desire to be in agriculture. To farm. But we didn't know what to do.
God brought us to a point of total and complete reliance and surrender to Him. We had to take our hopes, our dreams, our farm. Everything we had built and worked for and literally lay it on His alter.
Not in a way that said, “please bless this because I want to use this for you.” But in a way that said “You can take this; you can have it all. If this isn't what we're supposed to be doing.” Trusting that He would still provide. That he would give us what we needed and point us in the right direction.
We both worked on mindset. We started looking for the positives and the miracles of God's provision. We asked every day to be guided by clear open doors or very clearly, shut doors.
We prepared for our final year of farming. We started selling equipment, anything extra and selling the cows down. We preparing to stop feeding cattle.
Then something amazing happened. Cattle started showing up. People started calling, started asking if we had room to background calves. We went from virtually empty pins, to almost a full feed lot in a matter of months. We weren't even looking. We weren't trying to fill them, it just happened. God was giving us clear. Open doors to walk through.
So, we did.
And God provided for us that way for a time. Now we continue to walk through the doors He opens and wait patiently as doors close.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Loss: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
In the heart of the countryside, where the horizon stretches as far as the eye can see, marked by the undulating fields and the steadfast barns, there lies a story that is all too common yet seldom shared aloud. It’s a story of resilience, of love, and of the unyielding spirit of the farming community, particularly the indomitable farm wives who stand as the unsung heroines amidst the storm.
Today, I want to share a narrative that reflects the experiences of many farm families, a narrative of facing the daunting challenge of potential farm loss, financial strife, and the uncertain future that looms over like dark clouds before the rain. It is a story not of despair, but of hope and the unbreakable bond that holds families together when the fields do not yield what they hoped for.
Living in Limbo
Recent times have been unkind to us. With the cows needing feed, our line of credit maxed out, and no foreseeable income on the horizon, we found ourselves in a tight space, a reality familiar to too many of us. Add to it the shock of a significant loss - a set of calves stolen, with the owners withholding their yardage and feed payment, leaving us in a more precarious position than before.
Supply issues and financial constraints have made it impossible to balance the rations properly. The cows need to go off the corn stalks, but how? The tasks pile up, each day melding into the next with little progress, each sunset a reminder of the relentless passage of time and the tasks left undone.
In moments like these, it’s easy to feel isolated, adrift in a sea of uncertainty, with the threatening storm of financial ruin on the horizon. My husband’s meetings with the banker rarely bring hope. We are living in limbo, caught between the urgent need to act and the crippling lack of resources to do so.
A Testament to Resilience
But here, in the silence of the early dawn, watching the world come to life, I am reminded of the resilience that runs through our veins. Yes, the threat of losing the farm looms large, a specter that haunts our waking moments and our trouble dreams. Yet, within this trial, there lies a profound truth - we are more than our circumstances.
To my fellow farm wives, the partners in toil, and the keepers of hope, I write to you. This ordeal, though harrowing, does not define us. Together, we have weathered storms before, and it is together that we shall traverse this challenging period.
Finding Hope in Adversity
Hope is our most valuable asset. It’s the light that guides us through the darkest nights. It’s found in the small acts of kindness from our neighbors, the unwavering support of our personal community, and the silent prayers whispered in the dead of night. Hope resides in the belief that better days lie ahead, even when the present is clouded by uncertainty.
It’s crucial, now more than ever, to lean on each other, to share our stories and our struggles, offering a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen. In these moments of vulnerability, we find strength. Our collective resilience becomes a beacon of hope, not just for our families, but for the entire farming community.
The Journey Ahead
The path before us is fraught with challenges, but it is not insurmountable. There will be days when the weight of the world seems too much to bear, when the fear of the unknown threatens to engulf us. On these days, remember that you are not alone. Together, as a community, we possess a wellspring of inner strength, enough to overcome any adversity.
This is not the end of our story; it's merely a chapter marked by trials, but one that leads to greater growth and understanding. The experience of facing the potential loss of the farm teaches us about what truly matters - our health, our family, and our friends.
To My Fellow Farm Wives
You are the heartbeats of the countryside, the unseen force that keeps the wheels turning even when the engine sputters. Your strength, grace, and resilience are the glue that holds everything together. Remember, behind every dark cloud is a silver lining, and after every storm comes calm.
In the face of uncertainty, hold tight to hope, for it is the bridge between despair and recovery. Though the road may be rough, know that you do not walk it alone. We stand together, bound by our shared experiences, our shared struggles, and our unyielding hope for better days ahead.
Stay strong, dear friends. For the land may be tough, but together, we are tougher. And in the end, it is not the storm that defines us, but how we choose to face it.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Loss: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
As the sun sets on the sprawling fields, the sight of crops swaying gently to the rhythm of a cool evening breeze brings a sigh of relief. Harvest season is nigh, the fruits of our labor ready to be reaped. A simple tally of random numbers dances in our heads, stirring hope anew. With every kernel and blade heaved, we inch closer to the finish line, closer to solvency. We echo the silent prayer whispered under the breath of many, "Let it be, let it be so."
The struggle to sustain a farm and the relentless financial stress it brings is all too familiar to many farm wives. The bills pile up as the debt grows, a suffocating weight that has left us gasping for air. It's been a long, turbulent ride, one that has tested our resilience and endurance.
However, last year, we've embarked on a journey of simplification and refining, both in our personal lives and our businesses. The past years have taught us invaluable lessons about sustainability and the importance of a manageable pace. The farm, like life, is not a sprint; it's a carefully navigated journey that requires patience, foresight, and adaptation.
We've realized that we cannot maintain the breakneck pace we'd set for ourselves continuously. It's a race that eventually left us spent, devoid of the very energy needed to nurture our farms and families. We found the courage to simplify. In simplifying, we discovered that less often leads to more - more time, more energy, more freedom.
Simplifying, however, doesn't mean giving up or doing less; it implies making smart, calculated decisions. It's about optimizing our resources, our time, our energy, and our investments. It's about understanding what works for us and discarding what doesn't.
Just as we weed out our fields, we must root out the distractions and impediments in our lives. It's about refining our practices, embracing efficient farming techniques, and making full use of available technologies and resources. All this, in pursuit of an elusive, yet very achievable dream: financial freedom.
As we enter this planting season, let us remember that we are not alone. Together, we can cross that finish line, chipping away at the towering mountain of debt, bit by bit. Let this be the year we break free from the shackles of financial strain and breathe in the air of stability. Let this be the year of simplifying and refining.
Let it be. Let it be so.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Loss: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
When we said yes, to taking on the family farm, with all its debt, we knew that it was going to be a hard road. That we had a mountain to climb. What I did not realize at the time was just how long and hard that road was going to be. I was prepared for a couple of hard years. A Sprint. Buckle down, grind, and get ahead.
But what it's actually been, is a marathon. A hard marathon. One that's uphill, through storms, and the weather beating down on you.
I was listening to something from Trent Shelton and it caught my attention. We all go through storms. How do we choose to see that storm determines what we do with it and how it affects our life.
Are you seeing this farm storm as something that's beating you down? Are you seeing it as something that is building you up, strengthening you and preparing you for something greater?
See, I've spent the past four, almost 5 years. Was my head to the grindstone trying to pinch things out. Personal and business finances alike. Minimizing all the costs I can, just to try and make ends meet and books balance.
It's left me stressed. It left me burned out. I don't enjoy this life right now. The life we chose to build. So that our kids can have the farm life we dream of.
During the nights I would go to bed wishing we had just walked away in 2020. Sold everything, picked up our cows and left. Did we? No. We chose to stay because the roots of our family run deep, 100 years deep and we chose to fight for it. We chose to stay. To dig down into those roots and rebuild. To build it better, so they can start off on a good foundation. Not with a crumbling foundation and mountain of debt that we got.
It was and is hard. We made it through the first year. It was hard. The second year was harder. We physically made it through. But the books didn't balance, it was red. Not black, not break even, it was red. At the end of the year.
By God's grace, the bank gave us one more year to try again. That year was 2023. We ran the year with maxed out credit lines, and bills piled high. At the end of the year, two of our landlords pulled their ground. The bank called the notes and now we’re liquidating.
Looking back, what we should have done back in 2020, is happening now. We should have let the family farm fall then and then picked up the pieces, if any, that were left. We gave everyone 3 more years on the family farm. Was it worth it? I honestly don’t know. We paid for it with our health.
The only thing to do now is to move forward. Pick up the pieces. Simplify and continue to pay off the debt that is left.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Loss: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you.
There comes a time, when you are so far in debt, and the collectors start calling. That you don't even enjoy going places. You don't enjoy going to town anymore. Because the people you see, especially in the small town, are the ones you owe money to, sometimes quite a bit of money.
You're thankful that they're patient with you while the crops come in. Trusting that you will pay them eventually. But it still hurts. To look at them and try and pretend that everything is fine. When you know that there's a mountain of debt. And you're not sure you can climb it.
Making the phone calls, answering the calls. Saying yes, we'll get you paid. While at the same time knowing you will. But you're not sure when or how. That's what taking on a mountain of debt is like.
The hiding. The never leaving the farm, because you do honestly enjoy your home, but going to town to face everyone is just to much.
You hate fake people and the small town gossip. If you go to town, you deal with that. Ignore the questioning doubtful eyes you feel watching you. The small talk that never goes anywhere. You avoid the grocery store during the busy time, simply so you don’t have to see the others in the community.
You're OK to everybody. Who doesn't know the mess you’re in? They surely speculate and talk, but no one know the full extent. You smile and say “OK” when someone asks how you’re doing. At the same time, you're screaming inside that “I'm falling apart. I don't know if I can handle the pressure. And I don't know when it's going to get better.”
Slowly you heal. Heal your body. Heal your mind. The mountain is still there. You still answer the calls and politely explain that yes, we’ll get you paid eventually. You still cringe every time a bank letter comes. You still don’t like going to town. But you feel better. You don’t feel like you’re drowning.
When you’re going through farm loss, it feels like you are alone. That you are dying a slow painful death as your life dream slips away.
But you’re not.
I’ve been there. I am there. Four long years there.
I’ve been through the hope of, “it’ll be tough but we can turn it around.”
I’ve been through disaster after disaster taking the crops.
I’ve been through the painful meetings.
I’ve been through the painful endings. Selling the equipment and livestock.
You are not alone. I’m here and so are many more women. Come join us in the Thriving Through Farm Loss: Wife’s Support Network. Heal and move forward. The link for our group is linked below.
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Loss: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance!
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own.
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life.
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community
Join the FREE Community
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
For more on wellness tips click here:
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
