So, it’s official. As of October 29th, 2018, I have a signed lease with my father for the family farm in Iowa. (Sounds of wild cheering) After all of the effort, anguish and time, the final act was a nonevent. I flew to Iowa, talked through a few last minute questions with my dad, and at 1:30 in the afternoon signed the lease. My brother in law and I even went on to sign a purchase agreement for my dad’s 30 strong cattle herd at the same time. Now suddenly I am a farmer.
How does this feel? After 20 years dreaming about moving back to the farm, it is suddenly a little scary. I have pursued things in my life, but this, this is a whole different level of big. I will be the 5th generation of Hogeland on this land and I am feeling the weight of the years of history that comes with it. And to now change the farm, to do differently all the things that have been done in the last generation, seems a bit ambitious and more than a little crazy.
Don’t get me wrong, I am studying and learning at an exponential rate, creating all these new plans (which we will share with you all in the coming months and years). But as with anything, the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. Beth has been amazing through the whole process, but the level of responsibility here is huge and her expectations of me weigh heaviest of all.
All right, enough of this maundering, it is time to ‘get on the stick’ as my mom used to say.
Here we go, off into the great beyond! Wish me luck.