What might seem like the picturesque setting from a Luke Bryan country song is Sandi Brock’s everyday reality. A country property worthy of Hollywood cinematic sets, a sky painted every dawn and dusk by the likes of famous artists, and at the center of it all an incredibly hard working passionate woman.
And somewhere in there, a country song is probably playing in the background on her sheep barn radio.
The landscape of Shepherd Creek Farms holds a lot of passion, pride and memories for the Brock family. Since Sandi and her husband Mark moved to the farm, much has changed. Some for the better, some they are still working out. And many challenges endured.
But their ambition and attitude is right on point. Sandi says that she feels the proudest “knowing that I’ve put the needs of something or someone else before me. Knowing that even after a hard day, I look forward to the next. Knowing that I work in an industry filled with equally driven peers who I can lean on for support and encouragement.”
Not everyday comes easily. Sandi admits that not many know her to be a worrier, always waiting for something bad to happen, but her optimism shines through in her outlook and zest for the industry. Subscribing to the mantra ‘when one door closes, another opens’ has led her through her farming career and life. Through changes, family succession planning and taking risks to try new things.
From their early days of farming together as a couple, Sandi and Mark have overcame hurdles through their trust. “We trusted that Mark’s dad had faith in our abilities to make sure we had the opportunity to keep farming. We leveraged our strengths to search out how and what we wanted to farm.”
But through it all, Sandi says that right now she is happiest “working with my best friend. That I am excited to start each day (after coffee). That I can share my passion for agriculture with others through social media. That my kids now show an interest in what we do and get it.”
Sandi said that if she could do one thing without failure, she’d like to “run the combine.” Not your typical answer. But she has true grit. And some day her buggy driving days will be in the past.
When you talk with Sandi, you know she is the real deal. A woman that grew up knowing that farming not only runs in her blood, but it is her blood. Her sweat. And her tears.
Her childhood memories of dairy farming days are long behind her, but she still recalls a tree that grew in the middle of their farm yard. “It was exactly half way from the barn to the house. It is in every memory of growing up. From building a new dairy barn, to driving past it the day I got my license. It was a place to hide from a brutal wind in the winter, and a place to rest in the shade between loads of small square bales. I still love that tree.”
Characteristic of many farmers, Sandi dedicates her spare time foremost to her family. Saying that the best piece of advice given to her was to enjoy her kids when they were young. They have now grown into young independent adults and only really tolerate short visits with their parents. Not surprising.
She fills her time outside of farming with kids, her husband, friends, being a 4-H leader, snap chatting new born lambs, crop touring and indulging in going out for breakfast.
Her fearless leadership in both farming and life is infectious. Each day she is excited, passionate in her journey, her friendship is warm and welcoming. She is truly leading her life fearlessly through her pursuit of happiness in farming.
