Farm For Fun: A Fun Field Trip

In a small town in northern Utah lies a family farm, that has ultimately withstood the struggles time. It began when a newly married couple made the move from the Salt Lake Valley north to Fielding Utah. They decided to keep the farming tradition alive that the husband had grown up in. In 1960, a young farmer and his wife bought their first six acres, that would eventually triple in size throughout the next 10 years. This farm was the place that they taught their children the true meaning of work, sacrifice, as well as what it truly meant to struggle, as well as reap rewards.

At first the farm was only grain, but as the amount of land that they owned grew, the more they could branch out. A love that the Miller family had was horses, and to keep their horses fed without buying hay was to grow it themselves, and they continue to do it today.

The coolest thing about Karen Millers farm, is the purpose and reasoning behind it. She always just wanted to be as self-reliant as possible. The cows, chickens, pigs, horses, all take a tremendous amount of work as well as money to ensure that they are properly fed. To make this happen they grow their own food for their animals, as well as selling the extra animals that they have for meat, and using that money to cover other farm expenses or improvements.

When I asked Karen what she liked most about her farm, she didn’t have an answer for me. She preceded to tell me she couldn’t pick just one thing, she loved it all. She really is an inspirational lady as she now runs the family farm on her own with the help of her sons when she can’t possibly do it herself.

As I walked around the farm I could only imagine the amount of work that went into this farm over the course of several years. It had literally been built from nothing. I was in complete amazement. It was beautiful. Green pastures everywhere, horses and cows in the fields eating, and a chicken coup.  The peacefulness of the country air was an incredible thing as well.

Karen also shared with me her love for gardening. She has a specific place on her acreage where she can plant the fruits and vegetables of her choice for herself. She spends many hours outside either in her garden or on her farm. She gives away a lot of the food that she grows in her garden now because it is just her at home, but in her earlier years it was a huge help and lifesaver while raising kids.

The kind of farm that Karen has, is the kind of farm that I one day would like to have. She farms because she loves it, because it’s fun for her, not because she has too. I feel like a lot of people in this area that is around hers probably farms for the same exact reason, because they want to be reliant on themselves, as well as enjoy being outside and working with animals and agriculture.

Visiting her farm inspired me not to give up on my dreams. That although right now my husband and I may live in a tiny apartment while attending school, that one day this dream of mine can be made a reality a little bit at a time. I truly am grateful for the opportunity that I had to go out and see exactly what makes her happy, as well as something that has brought her family closer together. I have only been able to hear about the adventures from one of her sons that is my boss, so seeing it and learning about it first-hand really opened my eyes.

Although her farm does not bring in millions of dollars a year, it does its job and its purpose. I believe especially after learning more and being around a farmer like Karen that we need more people willing to work for what they have and these types of farms. Her farm is not huge, nor does it bring in a ton of money, but it is perfect for what she needs to live. This is huge for me, and is exactly what I would like in my own farm someday.

Karen’s memories of a Sunday night drives around the hay field on a four-wheeler with her husband, as well as moving sprinklers are some of the precious moments she will treasure for life. Although it has not been easy she would never trade any of it. It was a pleasure to be able to go on my “Farm Field Trip” to her farm and see the many accomplishments as well as hard work that it takes in order to be successful at farming.

Citation:
Miller, Karen. Telephone Interview. 29 Apr. 2017