Life as a college student can be amazing, challenging, and rewarding.I am studying agriculture education at Washington State University and every day seems like there's something new life has to throw at me. I like to stay busy and am involved in a few clubs on campus along with classes and work. I rarely have the chance to spend weekends at home on the farm, but when I do, I love having an opportunity to see my family and of course, checking out the triticale.
Our family is pretty tight-knit. This time of the year, every Sunday you'll find my dad cooking the best burgers in Ritzville at the community gun club, my mom handing out the most delicious cupcakes she baked to the club members, and my younger brother, Dane, shooting 23/25 birds on his 16 yard pretty consistently. While these Sundays are a little untraditional and maybe even a little hectic, it's the way we spend our Sunday's for a couple of months every spring. It's been a tradition for our family for as long as I can remember. I'm lucky enough to go to a college that isn't so far that I can't stop by here and there, always greeted with big smiles and many hugs from the people that watched me grow up.
This is one of our fields just north of Lind, WA. Jumping for joy because spring is near and the trit looks good!
This last weekend I was able to come home for a few days. It's something I always look forward to. Besides getting to spend time my with my family and celebrate my brother's 19th birthday, I also had the chance take a walk through some of our fields. The snow had finally melted and we could see our triticale for the first time since November My favorite part of spring is seeing the small, green plants peeking through the snow after a long winter.
This picture was taken on March 4, 2017. The triticale is gearing up take off this spring. By harvest time in July, it will have grown almost four feet tall.
I always cherish my time at home. Each time I head down the lane, clean laundry and groceries in hand, I can't help but look in my rearview mirror. This place is what built me and made me the person I am today. I grew up driving the tractor and working harvests on this ground, I learned how to play sports and judge crops in this community, and I will always be supported by the incredible people that live here.
We all have our roots; mine just happen to be surrounded by wheat fields and homesteads.
Until next time - cheers!
Maya Jane, President & CEO