Some background:

Many of you have asked a very reasonable question in the past month: what prompted our move to SD? Here is a bit of an answer.

When Matt and I met, we had opposite views on a few things, as many couples do. He was a lover of all things city, and I have always felt most at home in the country. In this, we are products of our childhoods. However, he's always enjoyed spending time in the outdoors, and he definitely agreed that raising children in a rural setting appealed to him.

When we moved and bought our first home, we tried to find a spot that was near family (really near, as it turned out!), and a place that was a compromise of environments: rural feel with urban advantages. We love our home, our town, and the friends and family we've shared our life with in the past years, so this venture isn't at all an escape from that--and it's important to note that we are still very much in the decision phase, and will be for likely another year or more. Rather, we are test-driving farm life for a few different reasons.

1. We love the solitude of the country. It's true that the area in which my family farms has a LOT of solitude (Pizza delivery? Two hours away. Sorry.), enough to make it unappealing to many, but there is a freedom and peace that comes with this remote environment. It's, of course, my childhood home, but even if it weren't, my spirit is drawn to the quietness of this life and place, something Matt echoes.

2. We respect family farmers. This is hard work, folks--physically, mentally, and emotionally. Matt came in after his first day and said, "Whew. I'm totally beat. And I didn't even do any true farm work yet!" It's not all planting and harvesting in a comfy machine; the real work of a farm is often done behind a desk, under machinery, inside a bin, and on foot. A few days ago, the guys worked inside a bin shoveling barley (itch, itch!). Today, Matt's pulling two miles of old fencing out. Those of you who have done this know that he'll be sore tonight in places he didn't think a person could get sore! Family farmers have always been important threads of this nation's cloth, and we would feel pretty honored to be a part of that tradition.

3. We think our children would flourish in the country. Even if we stayed put in MN, we have always talked about finding a rural home. We are big proponents of letting children spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors, and after a short week of watching this in action, we see fruition: When I asked Grace if she'd like me to take her bike out for her, she shook her head, grabbed an apple, and ran out the back door, calling, "Sorry, Mama! I'm WAY too busy right now!" This is good stuff.

4. We want to learn more about this family tradition and occupation. I grew up on this farm, from birth until I left for college, but it would be an overstatement to say that I really understand farming. I can identify all major pieces of equipment, all crops and animals in this area of the country, and even most native plants, grasses, and weeds. I've done my share of farm chores (though the fact that we didn't have a large variety of farm animals growing up made this less of an undertaking than it could have been--my parents, farm kids themselves, were quick to remind me of this when I started complaining!). However, I don't have the slightest idea what it takes to make a farm truly successful--something my dad, his dad, and his grandfather certainly understood. Matt grew up having little contact with farming, so he feels like he has a major learning curve here, but the truth is that we both are getting an education. And farming changes, so the things I once knew may not necessarily be applicable anymore.

5. We feel like this is a good life, worth pursuing. Our children would be able to be near us, working side-by-side with us for a large portion of their childhoods. They would have direct contact with the food they eat, with animals, and with the outdoors--all things we value. They would be surrounded (as always!) by several generations of family who love them and want to help them grow into responsible, respectful, caring individuals. In addition, Matt and I could be partners in this career, and I could have the flexibility to be home with our family.

It's worth noting that this isn't a case of occupational ADD. Matt has really enjoyed his time working as a nurse, and he feels that it could be a fulfilling career. Because of this, he will continue with his BSN this fall, taking courses online; he intends to finish this degree, regardless of our decision. This fall, he doesn't have many clinicals, so this made his schedule this semester more flexible than others. Matt did take a three-month leave of absence from his position at the hospital to make this all work, but we've been grateful that the administration there has been supportive of our venture. As I write this, I'm also working on preparing my courses for the fall term, where I'll have a full load again teaching college English courses online. In short, my career hasn't even had a hiccup through this move. How great is that? In our world, online education has made a huge difference! Finally, our kiddos aren't in school yet (we're one tiny year away!), so that also made this move logical at this time. Soon, we may not have quite as much flexibility.

So, that's the in-a-nutshell story of why we are trying our hands at farming at this time. One week in, we're still glad we're here...and Mom and Dad haven't kicked our circus out. That's a good sign!