New Beginnings

By Mary Lauver

It's April in Iowa The smell of soil is in the air and my husband, a farmer, is about as excited and anxious as a child starting school. It's planting season, the time when it all begins. We plant a tiny seed and pray that it will produce a bountiful harvest despite whatever weather or challenges come our way. As farmers we all know that tingly feeling we get in our gut when it's “ go time.” These feelings of excitement, anxiety and hope are just a part of farming. They are a part of what defines us.

Farmers are trying their best not just for their own family, but for each of the families they feed Farming is more than a career; it is a passion and a way of life Each of us, who farm, have a deep-rooted desire to be a part of feeding the world. Farmers are truly stewards of the land. The land and its ability to produce food for generations to come is a farmer's legacy. My dad always said that we don't farm for ourselves, but for our grandchildren and our great grandchildren. He wasn’t just talking about passing down the farmland but was sharing the importance of taking care of the land so generations to come may have safe food to eat, safe water to drink, clean air to breathe and soil that can produce bountiful harvests

As a mom of two little girls, a farm wife and an attorney, I never know what I may face in a day, but one thing I don’t worry about is the safety of the food I buy at the grocery store. This is not just because we farm. I may know the ins and outs of corn and soybean production, but I don’t know the first thing about growing peanuts. The reason I don’t worry is because I have immense trust in my fellow farmers because they are the experts at growing the crops or livestock that they produce I hope the same can be true between a trusted farmer and the suburban mom in West Des Moines or Iowa City. The only way to do that is to build those trusted relationships with each other by asking questions, researching the facts and supporting each other.

As a mom sometimes, I catch myself jumping to conclusions before listening or observing I hear silence in the next room and assume that my toddler is causing trouble, but she may just be reading a book. If we jump to conclusions before working to build that trusted relationship, we are missing out on not only a relationship about our food, but even more so a trusted source. As a mom driving the tractor with my daughters riding in the buddy seat, I have a lot in common with the mom driving her children in her minivan to the park. No matter how different we are, we are all consumers. As moms, no matter where we live or our career path, we are all trying to ensure that our families have safe and healthy food to eat