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The following week, Rachel’s family's farm in Manitoba was hit with severe hail, high
winds and torrential rain, pulverizing and cutting off many of the crops. It caused flooding and irreversible damage over much of the farm. My heart is heavy for them knowing this is the livelihood for multiple families. Damage at our farm was tough, but because of our
diversification and the localized hail, we can carry on and still make use of some of the damaged apples in our juice production. For Rachel’s family it’s going to be a tough year, but they too will carry on and do the best they can with what is left.
Growing food is challenging - apart from weather, there are also insects, pests, plant diseases, market fluctuations in pricing both for inputs and crop values. Add to that the recent labour shortages and extra government regulations and you have a very challenging environment for farmers of all kinds! Why do we do it, you may ask? For a farmer, there is a deep satisfaction in growing something from a simple seed - growing food to feed our families, the community, and the nations beyond. Nature provides its challenges but it can also be medicine for the soul. Many people, especially farmers, are invigorated by spending time in nature or on the land. I know the farmers in my family certainly are!
When the hail hit Tom commented, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” We know that everything we do, every crop we harvest, is a gift so, we are grateful and carry on – one day at a time!
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