During Women's History Month, I often think about the
impact of women working in agriculture.
My late mother-in-law definitely made an impact
on my life and provided a great appreciation for living
down on the dairy farm.
The barn you see behind this row of calves was the
milking barn on our farm during World War II.
Ryan's mother, Bonnah Lyn, milked cows every day while
waiting on Bill, my father-in-law, to return
from Japan.
Bonnah Lyn kept the home fires burning as
she worked beside her father everyday caring for
livestock and helping with the apple orchard.
Bonnah, in her own stubborn way, was progressive.
She never liked change but she was always
striving to improve the farming operation.
In the early fifties after moving down the
road from where she was born,
this barn provided a larger area for milking,
hay storage and a shelter for other livestock.
Raising chickens was added for diversification.
One of her greatest accomplishments in her view was
raising a son. In her words," the best crop I ever grew."
I fully understand and agree with her as I work with her
son and grandsons everyday down on the dairy farm.
May we never forget the sacrifices made by those before
us to make a better life for the next generation.
Women's History Month reminds me that our
challenge is to continue that tradition!
