It was a college girl in her boyfriend's cap that welcomed you to GriggsDakota four years ago today. Although she had lived on the farm full time since she was 10 years old, I did not think of her as a farm hand. She was, however, looking for something to fulfill her college internship requirement. Roger Reierson, President of AdFarm Agricultural Marketing, suggested that we should write a farm blog. We offered FarmHand Kirsti the opportunity to be our family farm blogger for the Summer. You can visit the first post by clicking the link:
The title of the blog was a big decision. We wanted it big enough to tell the farming story in the area. We wanted the scope of the blog to encompass more than the weather report from the front door. We weren't sure how this would go, but we wanted to try.
The name GriggsDakota had been discussed before. It was a never-used-option on the baby name list. It had been carefully considered and found to have a pleasing sound, at least to our ears. Griggs Dakota was chosen as the name of Farmhand Kirsti's Summer blog.
She wrote about 30 posts that Summer. I helped with editing and Farmer Fred proofread to make sure the details were correct. She wrote a few classics such as:
When Fieldhand Kirsti left for the start of college volleyball practice, I thought the blog might fold.
She had other things on her mind.
We had a crop in the field and work to do. I wasn't sure if I had the time or the ability to finish the blog.
The goal in my mind was to complete the farm season in 2009. GriggsDakota would then be finished. I decided to give it a try.
That Fall, I began to look around in a new way.
There was unexpected beauty.
And moments of heartbreak.
It became the story of an American farm family and life on an American farm.
I read early on that unless you are famous, no one cares about your life. Don't bother to blog about it.
So I told the story of Farmer Fred. I focused on the farm: the history, the crops, the joys, the trials, a few recipes and how tos, mixed with just a bit who we are. Four years later, I am still telling the story of GriggsDakota. Why do I blog?
I think it comes down to this:
I blog about the farm because I can.
I have no delusions of grandeur. I like who we are and what we do. This farm provides the life we want to live. The farm is our dream come true, just as it was for our great-grandparents when they proved up their homesteads.
So thank you Roger Reierson for helping me believe that we have a story to tell.
And thank you to everyone who supports GriggsDakota with photos, suggestions, ideas, kind words or by reading the posts. A special thank you to Farmer Fred, who still proof reads every word and inspects every photo.
There are days when I worry that I should end this blog... I am running out of stories...there is too much similarity in the daily posts... the winter is too long...there is nothing more to say...
But today in GriggsDakota, I think I'll blog until I can't.
I got you, babe.
I got you, babe.
or mountain we can't climb.
I got you, babe.
I won't let go
