Leaving on a jet plane - I wish!!

I'm feeling a little down today. Not because life isn't good - my life is great! It's just that I could be on a plane later today, headed to La Farge, Wisconsin.........but, sadly, I'm not. There is a very good reason for our absence in La Farge. Our daughter, Emilee, is receiving her State FFA Degree this week, so we will be in Twin Falls supporting her. We are so proud of her accomplishment and wouldn't miss being there to make sure that we get the credit we deserve - for producing such talent. All kidding aside, we are looking forward to watching her in Ag Sales and Parliamentary Procedure competitons and especially, to see her get her State Degree. She's worked hard and it's now paying off. This definitely is a great time for us all!!

So why am I so down? Well, five years ago, we signed to produce milk for Organic Valley- a farmer owned co-op out of La Farge. David was instrumental in getting a pool of milk here, in Cache Valley, and has been the Idaho/Utah Dairy Executive Committee representative since that time. Friday and Saturday is their annual meeting. Business is discussed and decisions are made. As a committee representative, David and I are flown out for those meetings. We have attended the last five meetings and have made some dear friends.

We truly enjoy our connection with the co-op and the people who are a part of it. In so many ways, this decision we made to "go organic" has been one of the biggest blessings in our lives on so many levels. It truly is something we celebrate on a daily basis - through the way we farm, new attitudes towards the stewardship of our land and animals, and the way we view the world and those around us. We live in a small town where most everyone has similar backgrounds, religious views, and standards. I am not complaining, but it leaves room for judgment and fear of differences. This has been eliminated for us. We have had the opportunity, through Organic Valley, to be exposed to and befriend people from very diverse backgrounds. We have friends from one end of country to the other, from one end of the political spectrum to the other, and with a wide variety of religious beliefs. It has made us realize that we have so much more in common than we do in difference. The commonality that we share is our love for family, our earth, our farms and animals, and the way we produce our milk. It might sound silly, but it is our life that we celebrate when we are surrounded by people that hold dear the same things we do. We always leave with a renewed focus on what is truly important to us and an excitement to continue on. That's what I will be missing this weekend.

* Life on the Farm - Meet Bomba

*Re-use, Re-purpose, Re-cycle - more uses for old crates