Five Years of Freelance

It's hard to believe, but on February 11, 2020, I turned in my first official freelance assignment, making today my fifth anniversary of writing. At the time, I was trying to pay off my student loans. Dave Ramsey advised I should look for other income streams. As a former Ohio's Country Journal  intern, I contacted Matt Reese to see if he would need a freelancer in my market. Much to my delight, he did, and even gave me a story assignment right down the road from my house. 

I have been privileged to write about various agricultural topics in the last five years. Sharing farm families' stories is not something I take lightly. Perhaps I romanticize it a bit, but I feel the words I write will mean something to someone for years to come. Maybe the story is clipped out and taped to the fridge. Perhaps it gets passed down in the cherished family photo album to the next generation. There's always been a line in the Miranda Lambert song, Keeper of the Flame, that has stuck out to me: "I'm the keeper of the flame, the teller of the stories. The keeper of the flame, for the ones that came before me." I like to think I'm honoring not just the current farmers, but the past generations that helped get the farm to where it is today.

In honor of five years, I wanted to highlight five stories that have really stood out to me!

5. Stearns Homestead offers agricultural opportunities to urban youth

   
   

   

   Cooper Kiser walks a steer at Stearns Homestead. Photo from their mom, Sabrina.

   
   

In Parma, OH, Stearns Homestead is a historical site home to many livestock species. A 4-H club collectively cares for the animals and then exhibits them at the Cuyahoga County Fair. I spoke with brothers Soda and Cooper Kiser about their experience keeping 4-H projects at the Stearns Homestead. Both brothers love agriculture and 4-H despite living in a very urban area. It was great to hear about their passion for livestock and their desire to continue to learn about agriculture. Read it here.

4. East Palestine: What's next for area farmers?

While definitely not the happiest story I've ever written, it was one of the most interesting. Farmers were getting frustrated with the uncertainty surrounding the East Palestine train derailment. ODA and many other agricultural entities gathered for a round table discussion in Salem, OH. Media were invited, and I was fortunate to attend. It was really the first "hot button" issue I had covered, and it felt crucial to report what was being done. Read it here.

3. The Successful Switch to Organic

Photo from Scott Myers. The Weed Zapper in action.

I really enjoyed my visit to Woodlyn Acres Farm in Dalton, OH. Scott Myers and his family switched their conventional farm to organic after many dairy customers needed organic hay. This was the first organic farm I had been to of this scale. I saw some equipment I had never seen before, including the weed zapper. Scott was super hospitable, and I enjoyed learning about the different practices he had put in place on his farm, including adding sunflowers to the crop rotation, which many passersby enjoy. Thanks, Scott, for hosting me that day! Read it here.

Sunflowers! Photo from Scott Myers.

2. No days off: Stover puts in work to prepare for football and the farm

   

   
   

Coming in at number two on my personal list is the story I wrote about Cade Stover in 2021, which was the number one web story of the year. I somehow managed to find Cade's OSU email and, luckily, reached him - I bet that would not work today! It was great talking to him about his aspirations of being in the NFL and a farmer. Cade, if you see this, let me know if you want to do a follow-up interview to see where you're now! :) We are rooting for you! Read it here.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE FOR NUMBER 1.....

1. Deaf Farmer Finds Ways to Overcome

   
   

The Fry family of Bellville, OH

Coming in at number one for me is the story I wrote about Matt and Jessica Fry from Bellville, OH. They are a farm family with a unique quality: they are deaf. No joke, I think about this story and their family at least once a month. I felt SO inspired by their ability to do what they love, adapt, and thrive! I was able to use an interpreter service to interview them via phone. Thankfully, my friend Katlyn is a speech pathologist and speaks American Sign Language. I bribed her with ice cream to spend the day with me at the Fry farm to grab photos. The photos are some of my favorite I have ever taken. I have also learned a few basic ASL signs since I met them. Maybe someday I will see the Frys again and be able to sign them "thank you" for allowing me to tell their story. Read it here.

I would like to thank Ohio's Country Journal for the opportunity to write for them - a big thank you to Matt Reese for his trust in me and teaching me along the way.

I have a few honorable mention stories too that didn't quite make the top five, but remain memorable for me:

• A feature on Bob Boliantz for the Angus Journal

• A story on some up and coming Kansas based agribusinesses for the Kansas Agriculture magazine

• A story on farming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for Michigan Agriculture magazine.

Thank YOU for reading this far. Thank you for reading my writing. Thank you for sharing the stories I write. It's been a great five years telling stories on behalf of agriculture, and I look forward to many more years ahead!