Skip to main content

Returning Home

Hello everybody! I have answered my father’s request to write a few more blogs despite being 4.5 hours away at Dordt College. I consider it somewhat of a reprieve from the usual college workload that consists of economics, marketing research, and a seemingly endless amount of papers that need to be written. In any event, I think that cultivating thoughts and ideas for this blog is an easy task due to my love for the farm and my home. Oh look! I just found my topic for this issue, that’s convenient.


In a couple of days, I will make my third trip home of the semester. This may seem a bit excessive, but when you have a fall break, your brother’s senior musical, and a friend’s wedding to attend, the trips can pile up. Besides, it is a lot easier to go home when there isn’t an entire ocean in your way. (I spent last semester studying in the Netherlands.) Perhaps that is the reason I have looked forward to every trip home these past few months.


There are so many things to look forward to as you barrel down Interstate 29 and veer left onto Interstate 80. I know that as soon as I get past Pella, my driving will be more of habit than actual focus. I know that I am going to stop at Smokey Row, our local coffee shop, for my usual drink. I know that I will be greeted at the door by my beloved animals as well as a hug from my mother. And most importantly, I know that I will sleep well in my bed that night.


However, coming back to the farm carries more meaning than the physical things I can do while I am there. Cruising around in an old work truck feels like a ride of nostalgia through past summers of hard work. Conversations with my father or grandparents show me how much I’ve grown and how much I’ve stayed the same. Shooting clay pigeons and talking about school with my brothers takes me back to times that seem far gone these days. And there is nothing better than listening to Gary Dolphin and Ed Podolak on Saturdays as the Iowa Hawkeyes play (especially when they’re beating Ohio State 55-24).


As I prepare to graduate this coming May, my idea of home has become somewhat clouded. Dordt has grown into the role of my current home, I hold most of my life there. Despite that, my first home will always be the most important. I can sense it when I return to it. I may not reside there very often, but a lot of it resides in me – the lessons I learned from working on the farm, the memories made at the grandparent’s house, the slight smile I get whenever I think of that white house sitting at the end of our half-mile road. These are the things that I know I will carry with me wherever my next leads. (Speaking of that next step, if anyone knows of any good job opportunities, let me know!) Anyways, I guess what I am trying to say is that returning home is something special, no matter how many times I get to do it. 

- Cory 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Backing Away from Basics

How many times have you said to yourself or to others that there is a need to get back to basics? A return to the basics can help us realign with the fundamental principles of the task at hand. It’s generally very helpful. When I was struggling in a sport, I often backtracked to the fundamentals to discovered my point of error. Other’s use it in work, family life, and in cooking. Unfortunately, I believe that we have remained a bit too basic in our approach to pork. Go to a retail store and you will see the same cuts that have been available for the past 30 years. You will see chops, shoulder and loin roasts, tenderloins, ham steaks, etc. Now there is nothing wrong with those cuts as they present a myriad of cooking opportunities. But the wonderful pig produces so much more! Take for example some of the dishes we served this week at a pork education event. We made street tacos out of pork steaks (it’s the Spinalis muscle if you want to get technical). We made Chulet...
1 comment
Read more

Can you power wash?

              Can you power wash? It may seem odd, but this is often one of the first questions I ask someone interviewing for a job with us. There are generally two reasons for asking this question. The first is practical in nature. Pigs can kind of be like your kids sometimes, leaving a mess where ever they go.            This makes power washing a frequent event especially in the farrowing house. Grant does a good job of making sure the next mom has a clean place to have her babies.             The second reason is it may give you an idea of the persons work ethic. If they hesitate or try to appear that they are “over qualified” to power wash that may be a red flag. All jobs here are important, whether you are in charge of the books or cleaning farrowing pens, what you are doing is vital to the success of the farm.             ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Merry Christmas!

Christmas has finally arrived here at VG Farms. It is finally white and actually looks like Christmas. Before I go on, let me issue an apology for the lack of blog posts these past few weeks. Between my end-of-semester finals and my father’s busy work-load, it has been difficult to find the time to write. So consider this special Christmas edition a gift from us to you. As any family does, the Van Gilst’s hold several Christmas traditions. Some are small and informal – like watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation at least a half dozen times. Others are a bit more significant – such as gathering with each side of the family (Van Gilst and Branderhorst) to celebrate the holidays alongside grandparents, aunts and uncles, and an endless supply of cousins. We watch the Iowa Hawkeyes play in their bowl game (fingers crossed for a victory in a few days) and occasionally us boys will head off to Iowa City to catch some hoops. Whatever it may be, there is never a dull moment ov...
Post a Comment
Read more