We finished the entire fall harvest before making our announcement. Nate had already spoken with Paul Engstrom, a neighboring farmer who offered us both employment, better wages, and health insurance. More importantly, he offered Nate a chance to work in an environment where his abilities would be appreciated. We accepted without hesitation.
One October evening, we sat with Vern and Judy and explained our decision. Vern read our notice twice before looking at his son. He seemed shocked that Nate would actually leave the family farm. But Nate remained calm. He explained that loving your family shouldn’t mean accepting an unfair arrangement forever. For once, he refused to change his mind.
