The dust from the soybeans has finally settled, and the combines are tucked away for the winter. This year, the final pass across the field felt different. It wasn’t just the end of another crop cycle; it was the closing of a significant decade in my professional life.
The Responsibility of the Finish
When the opportunity at Michigan Farm Bureau first surfaced, the timing was both perfect and impossible. It was the height of harvest season. In agriculture, you don’t just leave mid-row. You finish what you started. You ensure the crop is in the bin and the land is prepared for what comes next.
I realized that to be successful in my next role, I had to finish this one well. Much like the fields that required my full attention before I could look toward next year’s planning, my responsibilities at Michigan State University deserved a clean handoff. I made the decision then: I would see this harvest through to the very end before stepping into the new mission. It was about more than just duty; it was about ensuring I had the mental bandwidth to be truly present for the next challenge.
Parallel Closings
There is a profound symmetry in how these two chapters ended. Harvest is the ultimate accountability. It is the moment when all the planting, the worrying over rain, and the midnight adjustments to equipment finally result in a tangible outcome. You can see exactly what your labor produced.
My time at MSU felt similar. As I prepared to depart, I found myself looking back at the systems we built and the teams we grew. The “harvest” of my higher education career was visible in the modernized infrastructure and the culture of security we established together. Closing the farm season gave me the mental space to appreciate the closure of my university chapter. Both required a period of intense focus followed by a necessary stillness.
Finding Clarity for Family
The long hours in the tractor cab provide a unique kind of solitude. Between the hum of the engine and the steady rhythm of the header, there is time to think about the “why” behind every decision.
During those weeks of harvest, I found the clarity I needed. I thought about my family, our roots in this community, and the legacy of the fifth generation. I realized that moving to Michigan Farm Bureau wasn’t just a career shift; it was a homecoming of sorts. It was an opportunity to bring my technical expertise directly to the community that raised me, while also ensuring I could be the husband and father my family needs for the years ahead. The quiet work of the fields helped me confirm that this path was the right one for all of us.
Preparing the Ground
Harvest is often seen as an ending, but every farmer knows it is the necessary precursor to planting. By finishing the work at MSU and concluding the harvest at home, I was clearing the ground for what comes next.
I start this new journey with the peace of mind that nothing was left half-finished. The bins are full, the transition is complete, and the clarity gained in the field has become the foundation for my next steps at Michigan Farm Bureau. The season has closed, but the ground is ready.