By Heather Lang
Starting your own business is a large commitment and not something to consider unless you have the whole family's support. Sterling Cuts was created to not only provide the local community with our homegrown meats and share the love of our lifestyle but to highlight all the spectacular products that come from North Dakota and are made or grown by the producers in this flyover state that we love.
For more than a decade my husband and I have made it a priority to advocate for agriculture and share facts along with the truth of this lifestyle in hopes that our children have the opportunity to pursue this lifestyle if they so choose when it comes time. Our kids have always been right by our side attending events and helping care for the animals, so involving them in our meat business was no different.
As a team, the kids are in charge of operating our little store: Operating the till, counting back change, performing customer service and keeping the store looking good. If you buy any of the canned goods or fresh baked breads and frozen caramel rolls, those are made by our daughter. The youngest thrives in customer service and if you are lucky enough to enjoy any of his scotcheroos I promise you that you will be back for more. The oldest prefers to be outside operating the machinery with my husband doing the behind-the-scenes stuff that needs to be done: grinding pig feed, fixing fences and working on machinery.
You know how on your kids’ birthday they get to bring treats for the entire class? Brownies, cookies, cake, cupcakes, or donuts seem to be the most obvious choices. Our oldest’s birthday falls on Halloween when treats are in abundance, so I was hoping I could get away with him saying he wanted something easy like a bag of candy to share with his classmates. He had different plans. He decided he wanted to bring candied bacon for his whole class. Not just any bacon. It had to be our bacon and more specifically bacon from BamBam. BamBam was his show barrow from that summer. He had spent hours creating a bond with him and worked hard to raise BamBam as a superior meat pig to help feed our family and he was SO EXCITED to be able to share his hard work with his friends. Everyone raved about how much flavor the bacon had and how incredible the candied bacon was, with some even asking for the recipe. He could not have been any happier at that moment.
Farmers and ranchers rarely have the opportunity to get away. However, we have been blessed to get a couple of yearly getaways to attend Farm Bureau events just the two of us. During these times my parents come to the house to watch the kids. The kids are in charge of the farm while we are away, because my parents have no ranching background. It can be a lot to put on the kids' shoulders especially when it is 40 below and farrowing is in full swing. Despite this, they’re used to getting up early to get all chores done before heading to school, watching for signs of labor, and checking on the health of each piglet. They know when to seek assistance if needed, and we're grateful to have family nearby to help when necessary. On a family farm, it is all hands on deck to make things possible. Even with the extra responsibility, these are times the kiddos look forward to each year because they know they get their special time with Grandma and Grandpa.
Heather's daughter helps takes care of the pigs.
We sometimes wonder if all the volunteering and advocating we do is worth it? Are we making a difference for our kids, the industry or the community? Will our kids ever comprehend the sacrifices we make for them? Or will they resent us for it?
The NDFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Conference was the start of our advocating story almost 20 years ago. Today, it continues to be one of our family's yearly highlights. Our kids have been at almost every conference since their existence. Now our kids look forward to inviting their friends to this same conference and they look forward to getting together with their "Farm Bureau friends."
As parents, we believe it's important to give our children responsibilities to help them grow, build confidence and become forward-thinking individuals. Our ultimate goal is to raise kids who are prepared for the world outside, and who possess a strong sense of self-worth. We want our children to be loving, independent, and hardworking members of the community. Our kids are ready to take on the world, and we can only hope that the world is ready to receive all that they have to offer.
Follow our journey on Instagram @ndpiggytales
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Heather is the former NDFB District 7 Promotion and Education Committee member and is also a former American Farm Bureau Federation P&E member. She currently serves as the president of Burleigh County Farm Bureau. Heather and her husband, Lucas, raise animals and crops on a 5th generation farm near Bismarck.