Family traditions are something I strive to keep alive year after year in our family. Whether they are traditions I have retained from my own childhood and have passed onto my children, or traditions we have started on our own, they provide a sense of family strength and identity. They're also a way to add some seasonality to life. Our family finds that it is so important to take time to acknowledge the changing of the seasons as it shapes how the next few months will look on our farm.

I'm a planner. I like to know what I will be doing hourly since my motherly duties, in addition to keeping up with my kids' and husband's schedules, often means the days magically slip away. My husband, on the other hand, loves spontaneity. He could (and has) decide to go camping and leave within the hour. I, on the other hand, can't handle the anxiety of packing everyone up in a hurry.

Several years ago, I heard a very inspiring speaker share part of his life story along with his groundbreaking work in urban farming at an agricultural conference here in Wisconsin. I was profoundly impacted by his view on agriculture, culture, politics, economics and how all of these play a role in the success of our communities. Not too long after our first son Gabriel's birth, I realized that Milwaukee was the home of the speaker I heard years ago: Will Allen of Growing Power. We finally were able to adventure there as a family this September!