Halfway between Indianapolis and St. Louis, a small-but-mighty seed processing facility pops out of the prairie in the town of Neoga, Illinois. Beck’s Hybrids has been exclusively processing seed at Neoga since 2009, when Beck’s alliance with Brown Seed Enterprises was formed. Beck’s invested in an equipment overhaul and soon was producing high-quality, Escalate™-treated soybeans and wheat for the western part of our marketing region. Jim Herr, Beck’s processing manager, oversees all processing facilities and had this to say of Neoga, “The team at Neoga has fit into the Beck’s culture so easily over the past few years that it seems like they’ve been a part of Beck’s forever.”

We pulled in the gravel driveway just as the sun was starting to get warm. I hopped out of the truck excitedly and took a moment to enjoy the gorgeous flower beds around me. In the fields beyond the flowers, unfamiliar crops waved in the gentle breeze. The sound of Chelsea’s introductions snapped me out of my Monday morning day dreams.

For as long as I can remember, I have been completely fascinated by stories. Growing up, I loved when Dad would read to us before bed. On long road trips, my younger brothers and I would beg to hear his “Ralph stories”, tales of an old farm dog who learned life lessons with his master, Farmer Jones.

Every day at 11:00 a.m. I anxiously wait for my email inbox to increase by one, for the ping of the email landing on home, and the notification to pop up on my screen. Because every day at 11:00 a.m. I receive my daily devotion.

When I began truly finding my faith many months ago (you can read about it here), I added a daily devotion to my routine. And I’ll admit. I don’t get just one. I receive four a day. It might be a bit much for some, but to me, I’m still figuring things out.

Learning is a constant part of life. It keeps our minds energized and our hearts full. With a teacher for my mom and a farmer for my dad, learning at our house was endless. And still to this day, I don’t leave their house without gaining a new piece of knowledge.

With National FFA Convention occurring last week, I couldn’t think of a better topic to discuss – education. Because to me, teaching and farming go hand in hand, especially if your day starts with the sound of a school bell.

After three days of rain across the Midwest, patience might be wearing thin, especially since we're in the peak of harvest. And, if you're having yields like my dad in central Indiana, it's one of the best harvests he's ever had, and might ever see in his lifetime. But big yields means a slower harvest. Longer lines at the grain terminal. More days in the field. And more time relying on patience. Something that isn't easy for my family.

I became closer to God today. Why? Because of one Indiana farmer who was unconditionally honest. When I started blogging about the Why I Farm movement, I made a promise to you - I would share how this journey has affected me. But what I didn’t realize is just how much my perspective on life would transform.

A few weeks ago, my aspiring farm dog Pearl and I sat on the deck at my parent’s farm. After a busy week, we both needed a night at the farm to unwind. As I situated myself on the deck, Pearl quickly found her spot of rest in the cool, green grass. Just as the sun started to fall, the wildlife awoke. We listened to the bull frogs tell a love story, watched fish leap out of the water, and occasionally caught ourselves dreaming.

I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind. Was she dreaming about the next dip in the pond? Catching tennis balls? Playing with the other farm dogs? Either way, on that Friday evening, watching the sun set and letting my mind dream was the best part of my day.

This past weekend, we celebrated our country’s freedom and the honorable people that help protect it. It was great to see so many community festivals and posts online honoring our freedoms and being thankful for what we have as a country. To me, celebrations (no matter what the occasion) should always contain three important things: the reason you’re celebrating, those you love around you, and great food.

Continue reading to hear more about my 4th of July weekend and the good food from this week's blog, Glendia's Cooked Salad Dressing!

Paint Your Wagon. It’s a movie that stars Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. Have you seen it? Part western, part musical, part comedy.  Lee Marvin plays a rugged, ornery, and greedy gold miner who “rescues” Clint Eastwood’s character from a wagon wreck. I’ll warn you, there’s lots of singing. But there's lots of humor. Did you know Clint can sing?