We finally made it into 2021! A fresh new year is underway. And if you’re anything like me, you are ready to tackle healthy eating with renewed vigor after all that rich, sugary holiday food.

As adults, we prefer to feel and look as if we’ve got it all figured out, especially in the eyes of our peers. It pains us to appear vulnerable, inexperienced or at a disadvantage when in pursuit of success.

When was the last time you or your spouse left the farm? Running into town for parts, drugs or groceries doesn’t count. When was the last time you physically removed yourself from the place and went somewhere with a purpose other than what I just mentioned?

We all love to answer the question, “What are your favorite dairy products?” Your eyes glaze over and your mind instantly shifts to heaping bowls of ice cream, the cheese board at your cousin’s wedding last year or the doctored-up bowl of yogurt you annihilated for breakfast this morning.

For me to effectively tell this story, we need to go back in time. The year is 2002, and my husband, Nate, is in his third year of college pursuing a degree in political science with goals of becoming a lawyer.

While raising young children in a farm environment is one of the most rewarding things about being a farm family, it also presents some challenges when it comes to staying productive while keeping the little ones safe when they’re in tow. Hopefully, I can share some of the tricks I use when I have Evelyn (3.5 years old) and Edith (16 months old) along for some outside fun and work.

I remember the call like it was yesterday. I was on a business trip to Pennsylvania and took a quick jingle from my husband as I waited for my lunch to arrive. “I’ve got some bad news,” he started. “Roofus is down; she was in heat, got rode wrong, and we think she’s split.”