By Johnathan Gerdes My daughter was in the barn with me late one evening, assisting me in a difficult birthing situation and we decided to start a little “TV” show that we would share on my family’s social media page. We called it “Reality!” My daughter would hold the camera and record things as they were happening. When she would say, “Action!” I would say, “Welcome back … [Read more...]
Your Flying Farmer – Zoo Cows
The beautiful farmhouse and the bright red barn are the first things people see when they come to stay in our luxury silo Airbnb or to get some fresh raw milk. “This is the cleanest, most perfect farm I’ve ever seen!” Those are the words I hear very often as people walk around the farm I call home. Sometimes I struggle to see the wonder of what looks like work to me, but I find … [Read more...]
Your Flying Farmer – Don’t Settle for the Postcard
Don’t Settle for the Postcard I know you’ve seen it. That postcard that makes you long to be at the beach. As our Minnesota winter starts to rev up, the feeling in my toes and fingers starts to go away. My aunt, who grew up on the farm, says, “Winter means pain.” The cold gets in and likes to stay. That’s where the postcard comes in. It’s bright, with blue water, white sand, … [Read more...]
Your Flying Farmer: Welcome to the Internship!
Welcome to the Internship! A couple of days ago the weather was so perfect I almost couldn’t help but run into the sky from my front yard. The hot air balloons were up and slowly descending into the fields all around us. Their enormous size and slow motion movements make them seem otherworldly. The draw was all but irresistible and I ran into the sky to join the dance. It … [Read more...]
How Do You Look When You Die?
How Do You Look When You Die? “Turn on the dancing music!” yelled my 4-year-old son. We had decided it would be fun to learn a dance move called “the running man,” which is essentially a series of marching and sliding backwards in such a way where it looks like you’re walking but you’re staying in the same place. It hurts your brain at first because your legs are moving back … [Read more...]
Nostalgia Lies and the Good Old Days
The cool air of autumn carries so many memories and feelings as it swirls through the leaves. There’s not much that can give feelings of nostalgia quite like a perfect fall day. Memories of playing in leaves, fires with marshmallows, harvest parties, wagon loads of corn, and as much apple crisp with ice cream as we can eat. But do feelings of nostalgia tell the whole … [Read more...]
Your Flying Farmer: How Do You Look When You Die?
“Turn on the dancing music!” yelled my 4-year-old son. We had decided it would be fun to learn a dance move called “the running man,” which is essentially a series of marching and sliding backwards in such a way where it looks like you’re walking but you’re staying in the same place. It hurts your brain at first because your legs are moving back and forth but you’re not going … [Read more...]
Your three irreplaceable titles need YOU
Summer is a time of opening things up and getting light on everything. I love the smell of fresh air that comes with summer. Unless I’m hauling a load of manure... I think that would be called ripe. As a kid, I remember my mom reading books to me of stories from the “olden days” when they would bring out all the rugs, hang them on the clothes line and pound them until they … [Read more...]
Come fly with me!
Farm work was done, the milk hauler had recently picked up the milk and was headed to the cheese plant, we had just finished eating dinner, and my daughter was getting out the ice cream. Ice cream is not only a perfect followup to any meal but this is ice cream month! Not only did President Reagan see fit to make this month the best month, he made this weekend, the 17th, … [Read more...]
I am your father!
I remember the first time I heard those fateful words; “I am your father.” I was a small boy and the intense fighting, sparks flying, and great heights already had me on edge. Then when the “dark lord” proclaimed his identity, Luke’s response fit the feelings well with his excruciating “Noooo!!” No one would want the evil Darth Vader to be their father. What is a father? Did … [Read more...]