Where there is love…

“Where there is love, there is life.”- M. Gandhi

In agriculture, we rely on the fundamental principles of life. We cultivate seeds to grow and produce grain to be used for food and more seed for next year. We nurture animals to age and produce offspring that are leaner, bigger, healthier and stronger to provide security in our herds.

So what about love? As farmers, we love what we do and that gives us justification for the getting up before the sun to do chores, late nights in the field harvesting crops and everything in between. It also drives us to educate and advocate for our industry. Our love for agriculture unites us as Farm Bureau members…and a powerful bond it is.

My involvement with the Young Farmer and Agriculturist program started with my passion for agriculture. It has very quickly yielded so much more.

On March 23, 2011, I organized the first Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Agriculturist Ball. The intent was to get young agriculturists together to network and foster relationships within our growing organization. I didn’t plan on starting a relationship of my own – but do we ever really know when the best things in life are about to happen?

I met my best friend that evening. Her passion for agriculture was much like mine. After talking with her for hours, it was evident that her worldly travels had brought her back to her roots here in east-central Wisconsin.

In agriculture, we share more than common interests. Danielle and I shared our childhood. While we hadn’t connected until that evening, we had shared so many experiences. Riding along with dad in the combine, numerous trips to Fleet Farm or the implement dealer, family vacations built around industry trade shows or events, showing livestock at the Dodge County Fair, late-night dinners in the field and so much more.

Danielle and I grew together very quickly. She understood the demands of my sales role at Dairyland Seed and the demands with our family farm. In turn, I understood her family’s business. Together we bought a cow-calf herd and share the responsibilities.

On October 13, 2013 I asked Danielle to be my wife. I wanted it to be special, so after asking permission from both of our parents, I worked with Danielle’s parents to help stage the proposal.

It was the first day of corn harvest for Hammer & Kavazanjian Farms and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Danielle and I were anxious to spend the first day running the grain cart, so we packed a lunch and hurried to the field. After we harvested the headlines, Charlie slowly pulled the combine into the next set of rows.

My heart was pounding, it was time. I maneuvered the tractor and grain cart out to the edge of the field and slowed to a crawling pace. The combine proceeded to harvest the next pass of corn, and white signs with large letters started to reveal: DANIELLE, WILL YOU MARRY ME?

I placed the tractor in park, took Danielle’s trembling hand and escorted her down the stairs and into the corn field. With God’s grace, I asked her to be my wife.

And she said YES!

It was the perfect beginning to our life together. She is my best friend, my business partner, and now she is going to be my wife. While plans for our big day have become the focus of much of our conversation, we smile when we think about that day in the corn field. Our happiness builds excitement and hope to build a life together.

Gandhi was right. Where there is love, there is life.