How this farmer shows gratitude amidst a season of losses

For the majority of my life, I’ve looked at gratitude through the generosity of the rear-view mirror. I look back thankful for the resources I’ve enjoyed, as well as the lack thereof in my younger years. I look back appreciative of the opportunities I’ve had and knowledge I’ve gained. And I reflect gratefully on the bullets I’ve dodged, almost certainly by luck.

But as the world changes faster than I can fully grasp, and for reasons I don’t fully understand, I’m less reflective in my gratitude. Instead, it’s about presence. And it’s about anticipating all the thankfulness I have to look forward to.

Looking back at 2020

This time last year, I looked forward to 2020 being over and everything going “back to normal.” I should have known that’s not how life works; 2021 has proven to be one of the toughest. Too many loved ones have passed on, and too many health scares with other loved ones have shaved a few years off my own life. 

“Grateful for the moment” never rang truer than during this year. Working on a perpetual liquid edge seems normal these days. Lots of questions hang in the air: Are people showing up [to work]? Are the parts we need coming in? Are they the right parts? Are our customers going to make it through these tough and uncertain times? Why am I paying three times more for everything overnight?

Looking Forward

My gratitude right now is for the opportunity to wake up healthy(ish), to have the chance to tackle these questions. Others haven’t been so fortunate, and I miss them dearly.

In the meantime, we’ve launched a product that’s been in the works for nearly a decade: BoomVeg vegetable powders. They are good for the field, good for the farmer, good for the customer, and good for the planet. And I know that business is only going to grow.

It’s tempting to say that a farmer’s life comes with good and bad, but this isn’t just about farmers, is it? This is just life in general. We all ride the roller coaster. Some of us get a loopier track than others, but we all go up and down.

This Thanksgiving, I’m staying right where I am: in the moment. I’m going to wrestle with my kids and sip wine as I cook. I’m going to take a walk with my wife, and I’m going to eat well. Then I’m going to put my head on the pillow and fall asleep in gratitude that tomorrow brings a new harvest.

May you be open to the present, too, this Thanksgiving. Hold your loved ones close, and eat your veggies.