Print FriendlyNote: this was written a couple of weeks prior to posting - it's spring and so we've been hustling here on the farm.
Last week was a doozy of a week for us here at the farm. We experienced a series of unfortunate events – it felt a bit like a really bad comedy – a new problem at every turn. We blew a spark plug in our truck, LOST our truck and trailer, irrigation malfunctioned, well ran dry, woke up to bee hives flying around the yard – not the bees, the HIVES, and then I temporarily lost access to my email service.
It was a week.
But it left me in awe of the community we have. And reminded me just how interdependent each of us is on one another. I have long believed that it is impossible to do anything great truly on your own and this week showcased that in high definition.
When our truck broke down, it was 9pm on a Friday night and we were a good hour from home. No parts stores or mechanics within walking distance and most would soon be closed.
In an incredible stroke of fate, we were just over 2 miles from a farm whose owners we had met about a year ago. Desperation and wild hope gave me the courage to hit call on their phone number and Matt not only answered but was so incredibly gracious, coming to our late night rescue and after a failed attempt to attain parts, he and his wife sent us home in one of their vehicles so we could get some sleep and regroup in the morning.
When NP & I returned to the side street where we had left our truck and trailer the previous night, both were gone - as if they’d never been there. Our first several phone calls to law enforcement and tow companies were unsuccessful and it was looking like we would need to file a stolen vehicle report. While we were making one last scoop around the neighborhood just in case it might reappear, NP got a phone call from a patrol family member – he had tracked our truck and trailer to a tow service in Underwood.
Thank goodness!
We made it to the impound lot minutes before it closed for the weekend and the owner was kind enough to allow us to fix the truck on the lot. Unfortunately, despite the combined experience of NP & at least 2 knowledgeable friends, our repair attempts were unsuccessful and we had to call in even more help to tow the truck and trailer home. My dad was quick to agree to bring a trailer to haul the truck – even though we later learned he had to first unload a pile of concrete siding that had been on the trailer. In order to get both truck and trailer off the impound lot and home before dark, Gil, another fellow farmer, also drove the hour+ to our rescue to drive the trailer home.
Looking back on this series of events, what stands out to me most is the sheer number of people who were willing to help us. AND just how much worse our scenario would have been without each of these people.
I truly believe that no-one succeeds on their own.
This is just one example of how our community has rallied around us over the years. There are countless examples of shared resources, information, connections, kind words, etc that have ultimately played a part in our success.
In the United States we have phrases like “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” & “self-made businessman” but both of those ideas are downright absurd. Sure, most success stories require hard work and sacrifice but every success story also involves a whole lot of support, kindness, mutual cooperation and a little luck too.
I know that we can never truly repay those who have done so much for us over the years and so I hope instead that at the end of the day, we manage to pay forward the same kind of help and support that others have shown us. And most of all, I hope we never forget just how interconnected we are.
Your Farmers,
Emily & Nathan
Last week was a doozy of a week for us here at the farm. We experienced a series of unfortunate events – it felt a bit like a really bad comedy – a new problem at every turn. We blew a spark plug in our truck, LOST our truck and trailer, irrigation malfunctioned, well ran dry, woke up to bee hives flying around the yard – not the bees, the HIVES, and then I temporarily lost access to my email service.
It was a week.
But it left me in awe of the community we have. And reminded me just how interdependent each of us is on one another. I have long believed that it is impossible to do anything great truly on your own and this week showcased that in high definition.
When our truck broke down, it was 9pm on a Friday night and we were a good hour from home. No parts stores or mechanics within walking distance and most would soon be closed.
In an incredible stroke of fate, we were just over 2 miles from a farm whose owners we had met about a year ago. Desperation and wild hope gave me the courage to hit call on their phone number and Matt not only answered but was so incredibly gracious, coming to our late night rescue and after a failed attempt to attain parts, he and his wife sent us home in one of their vehicles so we could get some sleep and regroup in the morning.
When NP & I returned to the side street where we had left our truck and trailer the previous night, both were gone - as if they’d never been there. Our first several phone calls to law enforcement and tow companies were unsuccessful and it was looking like we would need to file a stolen vehicle report. While we were making one last scoop around the neighborhood just in case it might reappear, NP got a phone call from a patrol family member – he had tracked our truck and trailer to a tow service in Underwood.
Thank goodness!
We made it to the impound lot minutes before it closed for the weekend and the owner was kind enough to allow us to fix the truck on the lot. Unfortunately, despite the combined experience of NP & at least 2 knowledgeable friends, our repair attempts were unsuccessful and we had to call in even more help to tow the truck and trailer home. My dad was quick to agree to bring a trailer to haul the truck – even though we later learned he had to first unload a pile of concrete siding that had been on the trailer. In order to get both truck and trailer off the impound lot and home before dark, Gil, another fellow farmer, also drove the hour+ to our rescue to drive the trailer home.
Looking back on this series of events, what stands out to me most is the sheer number of people who were willing to help us. AND just how much worse our scenario would have been without each of these people.
I truly believe that no-one succeeds on their own.
This is just one example of how our community has rallied around us over the years. There are countless examples of shared resources, information, connections, kind words, etc that have ultimately played a part in our success.
In the United States we have phrases like “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” & “self-made businessman” but both of those ideas are downright absurd. Sure, most success stories require hard work and sacrifice but every success story also involves a whole lot of support, kindness, mutual cooperation and a little luck too.
I know that we can never truly repay those who have done so much for us over the years and so I hope instead that at the end of the day, we manage to pay forward the same kind of help and support that others have shown us. And most of all, I hope we never forget just how interconnected we are.
Your Farmers,
Emily & Nathan
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