07/04/2026
Most people see a beautiful wood counter with a concrete countertop.
I see over 50 years of sacrifice.
Before it became this counter in our butcher shop, that wood spent decades in my grandparents' milk parlor. Every board witnessed early mornings before daylight, late nights after dark, and countless milkings.
It watched my grandfather, Jimmy Neal Patterson, and my grandmother, Robbie Dale Patterson, pour everything they had into this farm. It watched my dad grow up working beside them, learning that farming isn't just a job but it's a commitment.
If that wood could talk, I don't think its greatest stories would be about the hard work. I think they'd be about the sacrifices.
Because farming has always been about working today with the hope that you'll still be farming next year.
Every generation has had to make sacrifices so the next generation would have the opportunity to continue.
Those sacrifices have never gone unnoticed or unappreciated.
Today, that same wood sits in our butcher shop where we serve our community. Every time I lean against that counter, I'm reminded that I'm only here because of the people who came before me.
I'm incredibly thankful that I get to care for this land, raise these animals, and provide food for our community.
To most people, it's just stained lumber.
To me, it's a lifetime of stories... and a reminder that it's now my turn to make sure the next generation has stories worth telling too. ❤️
