"Family. The word means a lot of different things to different people. My family is my husband and our children, my parents, and my big sister and her family. I have amazing aunts and cousins who make my stomach ache from laughter. I have uncles who have guided me and friends who have saved me. I had no idea when I took the position as the Northern Plains Manager that my family would grow quite the way it did.
This is the second year I’ve coordinated the New Agrarian Program (NAP) in Montana, the second year I’ve stood on the sidelines and cheered on the next generation of ranchers. I’ve listened and encouraged, even given advice here and there. I've heard about the hardest days and the most rewarding ones, too. I’ve heard people address challenging times both in ranching and in life in general. I’ve been there when they needed someone to cry to or someone to celebrate with. In similar situations, we might never talk again after the eight-month apprentice is over. But thankfully, it’s not like that in NAP. I’ve run into a handful of 2023 Northern Plains apprentices this summer, and each time, we greet each other with laughter, maybe a squeal (mainly from me), and a great big good-to-see-you hug! I hope they all know the time we’ve spent getting to know each other makes them my family now, too."
Read more from this month's New Agrarian Newsletter by Hayden Vandeberg, one of our Northern Plains managers: https://lnkd.in/g_mNwzyY