Fear and Farming: The Truth About Life as a First-Generation Farmer

Starting a farm isn’t just a dream—it’s a gamble. Here’s what we’ve learned facing fear, weather, and the wild beauty of farming in Chelan!

by Chad Steiner

“They say the only reason we call it farming is because ‘gambling’ was already taken.”

You waited your whole life to become a farmer. Then you bought one property, then another. And then one came with an orchard… well, what do you know about growing apples? I guess you’re going to learn. At first prices are good. Like, well, this really makes sense. Nothing stunning on a return, but a promise. 14 acres of apples seems great (ultra small in the scheme of things). Then you transition to organic. Oh my gosh coddling moth. They overwhelm your crop – literally eating away your profits. Then.. oh, and then… the market drops out on reds so you cut them down and plant peaches, oh, and then… labor costs sky rocket, oh, and then… you keep pulling out tree’s and grafting new varieties. And in 2023 you finally feel like you hit a great crop – one of your biggest yet but the market turns – you get ½ the income with almost 2 times the amount of harvest. Oh, and then, in 2024 coddling moth infestation is greater than ever – organic sprays are insanely expensive and still don’t keep the moths away. Yes, the life of a farmer, whew – “gambling”.

This is one way to describe our apple story. Keep in mind our goals are much different than large commercial growers. We’re aiming to serve the u-pick market. Nevertheless, the risks can be a real punch in the stomach. Fortunately, it’s not our sole source of income, however, it does need to be profitable to be sustainable – and in some years it is, some years it definitely isn’t.

Jeana and I are first generation farmers. We dreamed of creating Chelan Valley Farms for a long time before actually doing it. Yes, we’re so honored to call ourselves “farmers” but we’re also humbled by the families who’ve been able to keep their farms going for generations upon generations – kudo’s to them!!! We created this farm to connect each of you to farming! We’re passionate about it. We’re passionate about sharing what we know and what we learn. Would we do it again knowing what we know now – you bet. Is our future risk free – by no means. Thankfully we’re surrounded by a ton of smart people who help us get it all done.

In the introduction I kind of highlighted some of the risks or shall we say, things out of our control. Frost, hail, drought, wind, wildfire’s… yes, they are all on our radar. Some can cause cosmetic damage, some can cause catastrophic damage. But waking up to working outside and being alongside mother nature is incredible. Has it turned out like we dreamed? No, it’s been insanely harder for longer than we imagined. What we know now – make sure your “why” is super strong. It’s our why that get’s us through the long days and marathon stretches or the heart ache. This winter we lost our first baby lamb. A million things go through your mind on what you did wrong and how you could have saved her. Mentorship helped us be prepared for most things, but the heartache of a lost baby lamb is tough. Seeing all her siblings thriving makes it worth it. Seeing those lambs go to local FFA, 4-H and Grange kids for the fair – worth it!

But what I really wanted to share a bit about is fear. Did you know that fear stands for “False Evidence Appearing Real”. Yeah, I’ve never been more afraid than in these last years trying to manage it all – the finances, the different crops, the animals, a family, as a husband. Fear won’t go away, we’re hard wired for it. But I can control the narrative. I can use it as fuel. I feel like I’ve had times where it’s been such a good motivator. And sometimes, I really have to focus simply on what’s in my control – time, where I’m spending it, soil health – healthy soil = healthy plants, customers and how much we do to host them well, knowing my numbers and so much more. Sometimes expectations have to be traded for appreciation. Mother nature can take away our record crop – we just have to roll with it and appreciate we get to do it another year. But most of all – I really believe in the need to surround myself with good people. We have an advisory board of such amazing folks, I have adopted mentors, we have Wilbur Jim (he’s amazing) and we have one another. It really takes a team to pull it all together. The team gives me the confidence, courage and street smarts to keep going. To keep fear in a dance but not take the lead. So, simply put, becoming a farmer has been full of fear and that fear has helped me grow.

I want to be clear. This post could be semi-intimidating or share a side we may not speak about much. But, it is all worth it. Some of our friends say they don’t know anyone who works harder. Yeah, certain times of year we work ALL the time. Especially with kids sports going 8 days a week (lol, we love it). It’s made me think – I talked about becoming a farmer, all the risks and navigating fear – but what makes it worth it?? My first childhood memory was someday being a farmer and serving others. Now we have a farm. Our kids get to spread their wings. I get to wake up and go outside to move the sheep or get ready for the tasting room or harvest our crops. Gosh there are infinite stories that fuel my “why”. Recently a couple came to the tasting room for the first time – we were talking about their family. They have kids and grandkids and were so excited to come all together to spend time together at our winery and farm. This reminded me of the many many times we’ve had 3-4 generations on our tasting room patio, the little kids off running in the grass and picking blueberries while the older generations had uninterrupted time to visit over a glass of wine. This is what makes it worth it. Serving and sharing this wonderful place with all of you. Sharing the story of our wines and hearing how much you enjoy them.

So I’ll end on a fun note. It’s Rosé season. Sunday is Easter. We’re stocked up – come decide which one’s your favorite. Or, if you can’t make it this weekend, plan a trip – we’ll put our two Rosé’s side by side for you to pick.

“Yes, farming is a gamble. But it’s the kind of bet where the reward isn’t just financial—it’s generational, spiritual, and deeply meaningful.”

If you like following these blogs I invite you to:

• Visit the farm or tasting room
• Forward this to someone and encourage them to subscribe to our Farm Friday email
• Download your spring gardening guide

Have a great Easter!

Cheers,