I wish I could
Go back in time
Work the tobacco fields
With Gramma Ike in her prime

Her pants rolled up
Kerchief tied tight
Sweating alongside the men
She was little, but full of might

I would help in the kitchen,
Learning all her tricks
How she made meals stretch
Her favorite quick fix

I would watch how she raised
Seven children, all bullheaded
So I would have advice
On this path I am headed

I wish I could
Find a time machine
Meet my mom when she was young
Oh, the knowledge I could glean

I could go with her
As she traveled to Wales
Teaching and learning
Be a part of her tales

Then see how she managed
To balance all five of us wild ones
With a farm, her gardens, critters
Patience? She had tons

I would learn how she kept us
From killing each other
As summer droned on
And boredom began to smother
I often wonder
Just who I would be
Without these strong women
Who paved the path for me

They taught me so much
By their words and their ways
I hope I do them proud
All of my days
    Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira (14), Dane (12), Henry (7) and Cora (4), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.