My whole life I have lived on a farm. From the moment I could walk I wanted to be outside on the farm. All my toys were tractors and all my shirts had John Deere Tractors painted on the front. I fell in love with farming at a young age, and that passion is burning in me stronger then ever. Growing up I would ride with my dad or my older brother, Ray, in the buddy seat any chance I got. I would study their every move, until I asked if I could drive. I will never forget the time I was 12 my brother and I were moving the tactor and rake and tractor and baler to Anamosa. It was about a hour and half drive and my smile stretched from ear to ear the whole time. It was gravel roads the whole way besides we had to cross the 4-lane highway 151. When we got to the highway my brother was nervous about me crossing 151 because I was young, and I was too long to fit in the median. Ray told me to pull up beside him and wait for him to give a signal over the two-way radio. After waiting for a good window to cross he finally gave me the signal. I dropped the clutch in 8th gear pushing 2200 RPMs and we took off two wide across a 4-lane highway. I could see Ray out of the corner of my eye and every time he shifted up his front end would pop up and a puff of black smoke would come out of the chrome stack on his John Deere 4440. We made it across safely, I slowed down and fell back in behind Ray as we continued on our way. That memory will forever be one of my favorite childhood experiences. Fast forward five years and now am a senior in high school still trying to be as involved on the farm as possible. If I’m not at school or sleeping, I’m on the farm. I got a job choring a 2480 head pig confinement in the mornings before school. I am the proud owner of 10 cow calf pairs and a John Deere 4450. I am also a part owner in our bale wrapping business and for the first time I was able to split a load of fat cattle with my dad which are set to sell in October. Each year I keep trying to expand my cow herd and become more involved so someday I can help run the farm beside my dad and my older brother Ray.