Feb. 16 2016 06:00 AM

Farmers need to share their stories with each other, too.

As dairy farmers, we hear a lot about sharing our stories with consumers. Stories about why we farm and how we care for our cattle help us connect with consumers.

What we sometimes forget, though, is that we need to share the stories of our lives with each other, too. Our stories about the joys and challenges of dairy farming help us connect to each other. We need those connections. We need dairy farmer friends who understand what this life is like.

Each of us is drawn to sharing our stories in different ways. Some of us share our stories in private conversation. Others find more public ways to share.

I've been sharing my stories in newspaper columns and blog posts since 2003. I am honored and thrilled to start sharing stories about my farm and family here in the HD Notebook.

Frericks family

Some of the characters you're going to meet in my stories are my husband, Glen, and our three children, Dan, Monika, and Daphne. In the photo, Monika is on my left; Glen is holding Daphne, while Dan is on the far right.

Many of the stories I share will take place here at our farm. Blue Diamond Dairy is a first-generation, hybrid dairy nestled in the gentle hills of central Minnesota. By hybrid, I mean that our cows graze in the warm months and live in our tie stall barn during the cold months.

Blue Diamond Dairy

Some of my stories might be from the dairy farm I grew up on in northern Minnesota. It was there that I first learned the importance of stories from my father and grandfather. The hours we spent milking cows and making hay together were filled with the stories of their lives.

Blue Diamond Dairy

Sharing the stories of my life, through words and photos, brings me great joy. I sincerely hope that reading my stories will kindle thought and bring you joy.

Sadie Frericks blog footer
The author is a dairy farmer and writer from central Minnesota. She farms with her husband, Glen, and their three children. Sadie grew up on a dairy farm in northern Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in agricultural communications and marketing. She also blogs at Dairy Good Life.

..