As the story goes, I was in Washington D.C. lobbying for grass-based agriculture with my friend, Richard Warner, over a 7 dollar ice-cream cone in the Longworth House Office Building. He suggested we create a moniker to stand out from the high powered suits. In the belly of the nation’s capital, the grass whisperer was born along with the “country casual” attire that would win over the most curmudgeon of staffer or skeptical representative.
My lineage dates back to 1890 where my ancestors settled our little 100 acre farm amongst 7 springs that bubbled out of the high-lime Honeoye Soils in Deansboro, New York. My great grandparents, Hubert and Evelyn had a construction business and built barns and houses while tending to livestock and crops. My grandparents, William and Charlotte milked golden Guernsey cows, raised rabbits and poultry while also being the town’s Postmaster, Deacon of the local church and trustee of the Deansboro Cemetery. My maternal grandparents, Jim and Pauline Steele also had a dairy farm and raised bees, poultry, crops and taught us to play a mean game of rummy. My parents, Ed and Sandy raised beef and hay along with a thriving farm accounting business and working off the farm to support my brother Scott and me.
I had farming in my blood. As a young lad, I learned about work ethic, raising animals, fixing stuff that broke, hunting, trapping and fishing. I learned to appreciate the land and the idea of legacy. In 1984, I started milking my own cows after a degree in Animal Husbandry from Morrisville College and refurbishing the barns and milk-house. During the next few years I met my awesome wife (now 37 years in) and we started a family. My career path was distinctly altered when after milking cows, my wife and I both held down full-time jobs beside to make ends meet; we sold the milking herd and saved the farm from indebtedness. This was super stressful but we learned from it.
The farm has always been the hub for our family bringing in grazing income while my wife and I worked off the farm. During that time until today, I have worked the farm and also had a fencing business, managed a 2 million chicken grower operation, worked at a Walmart Distribution Center, worked road construction, been a carpenter, equipment operator and today I am a conservation professional with a Conservation District while freelancing as a grazing consultant, writer, speaker and photographer while also running our custom grazing business.
At 60 years old with parents, a wife, daughters, and grandchildren representing the 6th generation, I feel blessed. The road to this place has many, many stories and back stories accumulating in the creative mind of an experienced talker. I will use this perspective to hopefully teach others, call out the bullshit and give the visitor a place to connect. Your feedback or shunning will keep me from retiring to the old man chair. Thanks for the nod. GW
