by Brenda Gorseth
Remember when you were younger and thought, “I can’t wait to grow up!”? Suddenly you wake up in your 50s and realize that was a moronic statement and you just want to go back to the simpler days of eating Sugar Smacks and watching Saturday morning cartoons in your jammies until the Super Friends Hour was over. Admit it; you just saw yourself in that scenario.
Being on a farm is tough work; juggle that with being a self-employed mom, on more committees than a person should be on, and yes, OVER 50, and some days, a few of the balls (or flaming torches if you’re audacious) tumble to the ground. When a person with money disparages farming, the first reaction is anger, but I would rather he COME to one of our farms and spend the day with us. There is nothing easy about it, and yet, day in and out, we get up, put our big girl panties on and greet the day with the hopes of feeding the world and making it a better place for all.
Our farm is not like many; we don’t ‘farm’ any actual acres, but instead custom graze 50+ head of cattle from June-November. Our job is to get the heifers fat and sassy so when the bull comes in July, they breed and produce healthy calves.
We built a commercial kitchen where the produce from the garden is turned in to ‘Pride of Dakota’ products and do custom baking/catering. As a farmer, it’s economically necessary to diversify or one will not succeed, but with diversification comes the Clash of the Titans. No two days look the same -- bookwork for the business, computer work for the committees, baking cookies for the bank, slicing meat for a catering, and oh yes, having the granddaughter come over for play time. Take a guess which one of those is the most important to me? You’re right, it’s the meat slicing.
No, it’s her:
Thankfully she lives close so she is able to come over and learn from Gigi how to bake with love. Yesterday she and her parents made two types of donuts and at 2 1/2 years old, she is good at sifting and knows what the basic ingredients look like. She also has the timer down to an art form. While she takes a bath she’ll turn on the timer for the oven (bathtub knobs) for her cookies she’s baking in the tub.
Recently I attended the NDFB Farm and Ranch Conference as a committee member and had another clash: I had 300 cupcakes to create for a wedding by Fargo that weekend. What is a farm gal to do? Bake them all Thursday, make all the frostings and pack it all up to go with me to the hotel.
I spent Friday afternoon after the meeting frosting them; there was a meeting adjacent to the set-up and I’m certain they heard my hand mixer whipping the frosting. The extras (rule #1-ALWAYS pack extras to allow for practice) were eaten by NDFB staff/ committee members and that is another reason why we juggle. We love to share our bounty, be it grain from the fields, milk from the dairy, produce from the garden, or the many baked goods made. With that comes the promise we are feeding you our best; don’t get me started on non-GMO or this blog will become a novel complete with Fabio on the cover, munching on a non-GMO fruit.
When I bake, I use North Dakota ingredients first and no added preservatives. This means my product will be fresh when you eat it the first three days, but after that, it better be in the fridge or freezer. I understand large commercial bakeries can’t do this or the shelves will be sparse, but it’s one of the perks of being small scale and a benefit to you knowing your food IS fresh and maybe, just maybe, a bit better for you because ‘if it’s made with love, there’s no fat or calories.’
That is my mantra. Have a great Friday!
Gorseth is the District 5 representative on the NDFB Promotion and Education Committee.