Creating a home

It’s hard to slow down, take a step back and trust God’s timing. Sometimes life feels like a race against time, but everything always has a way of working out.

Dylan and I have been on the hunt for a house for over a year now and I was starting to wonder if we would ever find “the one.” With living in a small town and wanting to be close to the farm, our search radius is very small. When we found a house that we knew we could turn into a home, two weeks before our wedding, we jumped in full force. Over the past month, it has felt like I have two jobs: first, farming, and second, fixing up and updating our home.

My routine at the farm hasn’t changed, but all our free time is spent trying to turn our aspirations into a reality. What started as an outdated, yellow-walled, older house is slowly turning into a place we are excited to come home to. We have poured many hours into this house painting, ripping up and replacing flooring, and repairing outdated systems.

We are excited to be on this journey together and are going to be so rewarded when we come home to a house we created. Every choice that we make shapes the future of this home and ultimately our future. With every small step towards completion, the house transforms, reflecting all the effort, thought and time that have been invested. This tiny piece of my life is a direct reflection of all the goals, dreams and aspirations that we all have. Dreams don’t work unless we do, and the best accomplishments are the ones that we work the hardest for.

Over the course of my lifetime, when I take a step back, I am proud of all that my family has accomplished, but I know that we have so much further to go. Just like my parents, I will not stop dreaming and working hard to turn my dreams into a reality. We all had to start somewhere to get where we are now. Although my grandparents never owned the farm, they worked hard to provide my dad the opportunity to dairy. While my dad was growing up, they graced him with a belief in trusting God, a strong work ethic and great responsibility, and showed him how to have respect for everyone who has done a good job before him. My dad taught me that, whether good or bad, you will always learn by asking questions, staying curious and having an open mind. You will never know everything and some of the greatest resources are the ones we are surrounded by.

My parents started renting their farm when they were my age. Shortly after, they bought the first land they would own: the farm. Without taking the first steps, they wouldn’t have been able to buy the eight other pieces of land that all fit into the farm (meaning we can now easily haul manure and crop). Dad described it as exciting and scary. He said that if you aren’t a little scared, something is wrong. Being scared is a sign of responsibility and undertaking. Now, even though it’s built of cows, buildings and land, I feel like my parents have built a fortress around us.

What started as an 18-stanchion, turn-in, turn-out barn and 70 cows housed outside turned into a walk-through step-up parlor and 150 cows. What was an 80-acre corn field turned into a new facility housing our dry cows, pre-fresh cows and 400 milking cows with a double-12 rapid exit parlor.

Whether you milk five cows or 5,000, there’s a commitment every single day. Always remember to respect every farmer no matter how big or small. If there is anything my parents have taught me, it’s to never give up, never stop dreaming and to stay humble. Always remember to be proud of where you came from and thankful for what is around you.

Abby Fairbanks is the third-generation on her family’s farm. She works full-time with her parents, Doug and Jody, where they milk 400 cows  near Anamosa, Iowa.