The Weight of a Farm Legacy

I have spent countless nights since I decided to farm thinking about this one phrase, “It takes 2 generations to build a farm and one generation to lose it.” I’m not sure if the weight of those words resonate with you, but from the moment I heard them I felt my shoulders carry a burden.

In some ways it has created motivation for me and continued drive to keep moving forward, keep innovating, keep learning and striving to continue on. In another way it has created this fragile framework of a legacy that rests here with me deep in my soul. Some days I can bear that, some days it scares the heck out of me.

I’m the third generation here; on this land, with this soil, and while the equipment changes, the workers (while rarely) come and go; I feel the weight of “will it be me?” Will I be the one to have to shut the doors after generations have laid the ground work for success?

When Matt and I were first starting out we hit some difficult obstacles. My parents while no longer the owners of the farm reminded us many times, “We want you to succeed. We are here to support you and be behind you no matter what changes you make to make it work for your family. You guys can do this.” That unwavering support got us here today to year 2025 starting our 7th year as owners. And it is where I always want to start when Matt and I talk about what it will look like when our kids possibly chose this life. What is the first step? It’s helping them be successful in an ever more difficult world that is farming and it’s giving them the freedom to create their own version of this legacy knowing that we are there supporting them.

This creates a two fold scenario in my life as a third generation farmer. On the one hand it fuels me to stand up for our farm and our land, fuels my passion for being an advocate. And it also creates room for me to accept that there may come a day when we have to pivot so drastically that our legacy and our farm will look very different than it has for generations.

A good friend and a farmer that I respect very much Anne Krahmer-Steinkamp posted this on New Year’s Eve…

Goodbye 2024!!!

So happy to be saying goodbye to 2024!!! It been a year of heartbreaks, tears and anger. It’s also been a year to show me what the true important things are in life!

For those that don’t know we sold Berries Northwest. The last 5 years, we have been a punching bag to weather, bad marketing, inflation, politics and broken promises. Sad to say we have not been the only ones in this boat. I know a lot of farms hurting.

In all this I have learned an important thing! I thought we were losing our family legacy and felt like a failure. But I was wrong! The legacy is the heart and love to being doing what we do of getting to feed America!! It’s not the bush’s and land, that’s just stuff. And stuff will come and go. The true legacy I believe is the one my family has been doing for 6 generations, working hard to feed the world with the heart and passion of love!!

In all this we keep 23 acres of blueberries. I am excited for this next adventure and will keep fighting to do what we love even if just part time. We are off tonight to go enjoy our friends in celebrating the end of this year and ring in the new one!!!

We wish everyone a happy new year!!🎉

She’s not wrong. Her legacy is fragile but her legacy like many of ours in agriculture can be maliable. It can change and transform and that’s ok. We don’t have to hold the burden of doing the same things because our grandparents did. Even though the rest of the world outside of ag will assume that’s all you’re doing.

And all of this lifted a little bit of that burden that I feel is on my shoulders. It took courage for Anne to say what she said, I can appreciate the emotion of just typing out those words to share. Especially the “…that’s just stuff and stuff will come and go.” This spoke to me because she’s not talking about little things, she’s talking about generational tangible “stuff” that hits more deeply for many of us in generational family businesses.

I hope I can always have her courage; to work hard, to see when change is needed, and to be proud no matter what piece of our legacy moves forward. And do that alongside supporting the 4th generation of this farm and this story, however that may look and with whatever “stuff” comes along with it.