It’s All About the Family

As I reflect on my two and a half weeks here at Tom Farms, I have two things on my mind. The first is that I can’t thank the entire team and family enough for hosting me. They’ve been so hospitable — welcoming me into their homes, inviting me to join them for parts of their lives (whether that’s checking out Kris’s woodworking madness, eating with the Rowland’s at their favorite Mexican restaurant, or joining Kassi for Junior Achievement at Madison Elementary School), and teaching me all about the Indiana way of life and Tom Farms.

I could not have asked for better hosts or a better experience. Everyone has been so open to my arrival and intent on making sure I got to experience all that the farm has to offer. Even with their insanely busy schedules, Kip and Marcia have made time to show me around and share a glass of wine in the evenings. The team (in the midst of what is one of their busiest times of year) let me sit, pester them with questions, and ride along for hours on end.

From hanging out in the office and helping decorate, to writing for the newsletter, to driving a tractor, immersing myself in the Tom Farms community has been one of my most meaningful and unique life experiences.

Everyone at the farm taught me something unique. I learned more than I had expected to about planting, tillage, farm management, operations, equipment, machinery, technology. The list goes on and on.

However, what I keep coming back to is the more personal stories — learning about each person’s interests, about each person’s aspirations for the lives they lead, about each person’s passion for farming. The community they have built at Tom Farms is truly incredible.

But perhaps my second reflection is more important. I’ve met four generations of the Tom Family — everyone from Reagan and Reese (Kassi’s kids), to Kassi and Greg, to Kip (Kassi’s dad) and Marcia, to Everett and Marie (Kip’s parents). What is phenomenal to me is the closeness of the family and how now, more than ever, that much of the family is invested in the business. Even great granddad Everett (although not part of the farm management team any longer) spends his days on site tending to his steer. The fact that great grandparents and great grandchildren alike can spend time with each other is something that not all of us get to experience. I only have one living grandparent and no living great grandparents, and my only living grandparent lives 8,447 miles away. Within a radius of 30 miles, the Tom’s are able to stay in each other’s lives, raise their families together, and bring generations together. That is something truly special.

I hope that one day I get to come back and visit. I came in not knowing what to expect — in fact, I thought it might be quite a lonely 2.5 weeks. However, as I am sitting back in sunny California now, I realize that it was not lonely at all. I’ve made some good friends and I plan to stay in touch. In fact, I feel like I’m now part of the Tom Farms family.

And so I leave Indiana, grateful for my newfound knowledge, experiences, and friendships, sad to leave such a wonderful community, and excited that there will be more adventures to share with Tom Farms in the future.