by Heather Lang
Investing in growth and sustainability has always been at the heart of our family farm.
Earlier this week while attending a farm conference with people from around the nation, somehow, we got to discussing gifts. The one lady mentioned to one of the gentlemen, “Just make sure you never get her a gift that references work. My husband got me a vacuum once and that was the last time he ever did something like that.” Everyone gave a little chuckle, and some agreed, saying, “If you love her, get her something she’ll love, not something that requires her to work.”
I love me a deal. In fact, I’ve been hitting up garage sales and thrifting long before it was trendy. One summer I was giddy to find scoop shovels in very good condition for a heck of a bargain at a garage sale. I happily purchased all three and hurried home to gift them to each of the kids.
For Christmas one year, I bought each of the kids their very own chore fork, so there wouldn’t be any fighting over the ‘good fork’ while cleaning barn. Some might ask, “Who would ever gift such a thing?” I WOULD and I did, and I was proud!
You might be surprised about the kids’ reaction to both of these gifts. Believe it or not, they were excited and eager to try out their very own tools. We strive to have our children learn and understand the value of hard work, responsibility, and the importance of adaptability in agriculture. By giving them their own tools and tasks, we instilled a sense of ownership and pride in the farm's operations.
Our children are the fifth generation on the family farm. We’ve always wanted to make sure that they had the opportunity to farm on this land if they choose. But that is easier said than done. Land prices were drastically increasing and unless you were a “heavy hitter” you didn’t have a chance to acquire more land. My husband knew we needed to diversify the farm. Over the next few years, he started implementing specialty small grains into the rotation of crops and also brought pigs back as a way to give our oldest, who was about 4 or 5 at that time, daily chores to be responsible for. Introducing specialty small grains and reintroducing pigs into our farm's ecosystem were decisions made with the next generation in mind.
Bringing pigs back opened many opportunities for our family. By offering farm visits and taking live animals into classrooms to allow the kids to interact with the animals, I was able to kickstart and blossom my love for advocating for agriculture. Family farms often play an integral role in their communities. Ours is no different. Years later we had a steady loyal clientele base who purchased hogs from us on a regular basis, which sparked the idea of opening the farm store. It was important to get fresh, healthy, affordable, locally raised meat available in our community.
My husband put a lot of thought into making sure my first-anniversary present would bring a smile to my face and it would be something I would never forget: A combine! Yes, you read that right. How many women can say that? That’s a HUGE investment. “If you love her, get her something she’ll love not something that requires her to work,” doesn’t apply to me. When you love your work it’s easy to combine the two and still be very pleased.
I was raised to take pride in everything I do. Job titles didn’t matter, the size of your house or number of material things had no significance. How you conducted yourself and treated people was everything. Family worked together, played together, cheered each other on and grew together.
That combine was a huge investment not only financially, but more importantly, it symbolized an investment in our family's legacy and the land we are privileged to steward. As we continue to evolve, our focus remains on sustainable practices that honor the past while preparing for the future. This journey is about more than just farming, it's about creating a lasting impact that future generations can be proud of.
Follow us on Instagram @ndpiggytales if you want to learn more about our journey through life.
Heather is the former NDFB District 7 Promotion and Education Committee member and is also a former American Farm Bureau Federation P&E member. She currently serves as the president of Burleigh County Farm Bureau. Heather and her husband, Lucas, raise animals and crops on a 5th generation farm near Bismarck.