Nicole Small – 2S Land and Cattle
Sometimes you don’t really know what you need until someone pushes you.
My friend, Tracy, had this dream to do a HarvestHER Retreat. I am going to me honest, last year I helped her with several ideas, but didn’t see that I needed to go. I don’t usually enjoy going to women’s meetings. I find the topics don’t usually relate to me all that well.
This past year was one of the toughest years I have ever endured personally. My boys lost one of their 4-H mentors on his way home from his first semester in college. Our family lost one of my favorite family members in a tragic event. One of my favorite 4-H family’s lost their dad who was a year younger than me. Yeah, it was a rough year. I wasn’t handling all of it very well and my husband kept asking if I had signed up for the HarvestHER Retreat.
I finally did and then I looked for every reason under the sun not to go. I didn’t know anyone other than Tracy.
I am not a custom harvester’s wife. I am a farmer and a rancher from Southeast Kansas…nowhere near where the big wheat fields of Kansas are located. I felt like I was crashing their party…until I walked through the door.
They were all so friendly, welcoming and never made me feel like I didn’t belong there. They are all amazing in so many ways. I really can’t explain how much I needed them. The support they have continued to give me since that weekend has been nothing short of what you would expect from life-long friends.
Photo credit Taylor Josoff Photography
These are not your typical farm women. I swear they are 50% Badass, 25% Multitasking Geniuses, 25% Gypsy and 100% Compassion. They have all had their share of heartbreak and many shared their stories with the group. Some of us they had known only online, a few they had met face-to-face “On the Harvest Trail” and then there were ones, like me, who don’t know how they do what they do. It didn’t matter, because now I feel like we know one another better than some of my long time friends. I can’t explain how amazing it is going to be this year while I know I have an entire tribe for a support group if and when I need it.
Photo credit Taylor Josoff Photography
The sponsors for the weekend went above and beyond helping Tracy with funding, goodies, even providing a speaker. But most of all, they gave her the support that they realize farming isn’t for the faint of heart and women are the heart that keeps agriculture beating.
Thank you to New Holland, MacDon, INSPRO, CLAAS, Thunder Creek Equipment, Custom Harvest Insurance, Calmer Corn Heads, Honey Bee, BWS Manufacturing, Warner Plastics and Liners, Braathen Harvesting and J&H Harvesting. Thank you for showing us that you understand we need a support system more than we think we do. Thank you for giving us a weekend to grow a bond that won’t easily be broken.
