Dear Curiosity Journal,
It feels so rare to find someone who shares our love for this work, and even more extraordinary for that passion to be matched with the gumption and good attitude required to make it through the struggles of a season. Farming is not for the faint of heart, so when we take on interns, we try to keep our expectations low while young folks figure out if this lifestyle is the right fit for them. However, Annie has exceeded our expectations. The personal growth I have witnessed in this young woman over the last 4 months is phenomenal. I observed her working through the challenges of fatigue, soreness, heat, discomfort, allergies, our obnoxious dog, wild animals, witnessing a difficult lambing, itchiness, being dirty, sunburn, an opossum in her kitchen, heavy lifting, problem solving, missing her friends, and much more. Farm life can push you to your physical, mental, and emotional limits, but she never gave up and finished the season strong, which makes saying goodbye so much harder. We wish her the best as she embarks on her final year of college and extend an open invitation for her to circle back if she ever feels the pull to return to the Driftless.
~Joy
S