Thanks to Laura Skelly, our NAFDMA Board Secretary for this week's message:

My name is Laura Skelly, and I’m one of the owners of Skelly’s Farm Market in Janesville, WI. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d write in my life.

I grew up in suburban Milwaukee County, which is about an hour and a half away from Janesville. I’m pretty sure I never saw a corn field until I was 18 (yeah, we didn’t travel much) and now I live in the middle of the corn belt.

I met Scott Skelly, my husband, my senior year in high school. He was pretty much a blind date to my senior prom because (I think) my best friend felt bad for me. She had a steady boyfriend for a while and I hadn’t dated anyone since my freshman year. Long story short, we started dating and developed a relationship that mainly took place on the phone after 9pm (because minutes were free after 9pm 😉). My senior year in college he proposed, I got my Bachelor’s degree, we got married, and the following year I graduated again with my Master’s degree in Meteorology. I had always wanted to be the one issuing tornado warnings and saving lives. Now, I order bakery supplies.

In 2013 there were hardly any jobs I wanted nearby. We were newlyweds and sick of driving back and forth visiting each other, and wanted to settle down. We bought a house in Janesville, where he’s worked on his family’s farm his whole life. I filled in from time to time when an employee called in sick but always told myself I could never work at the farm because I hated retail work. I did it all through high school and college and could never. Ha!

Six months into job searching, I felt useless, so I asked Scott if there would be room for me at the farm. We were growing and they needed someone to take over the bakery. Problem was, his family runs the business and I am by NO means qualified to take over something I don’t know ANYTHING about. I had zero managerial experience, have never been in charge of anything, and have always just been a good, reliable hourly worker who does the job that’s given to me.

So, I did what I knew I was good at – being put on a schedule. My first year on the farm I was on the regular employee schedule, doing regular things like cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors, doing dishes, etc. I had people I reported to and stood next to a cash register. I honestly don’t know if more than a handful of my co-workers knew I was even a Skelly. But that was okay with me! I was only 24, and I needed to sit back and observe something that Scott’s family had built from the ground up. Who would I be if I stepped in and said, “You should do this that way instead!”? I’m not gonna lie, I was extremely intimidated marrying into a family with a high reputation in town. My highest acclamation was being in the local newspaper for winning golf matches in high school – these people owned a BUSINESS!

After my first season, I started feeling more comfortable at the farm. I still didn’t feel comfortable enough to “officially” be in charge, but I took myself off the schedule and started taking on more responsibilities. I started learning how to place orders for bakery supplies. I started learning how to make employee schedules. I started learning how to drive a tractor. I started learning that hours as a farm market owner don’t run from 9am – 5pm Monday through Friday. I started learning that this job will eventually bring out the best in me. This job will push me to do things I never thought I’d be doing. This job will ultimately be what brings Scott and I even closer as husband and wife. People always ask us, “How do you work with your spouse every day? I’d kill them!” My question back to them is, “How do you not?” We get it and we get each other.

In my current role at the farm, I just finished my 11^th season. I am the HR department, the schedule maker, the bakery manager, our website designer, the marketing manager, and I can plant sweet corn. I enjoy reading books about how to be a better boss. I enjoy watching teenagers grow with us each summer (even though they annoy me half the time, but I think they appreciate being here 😉). I enjoy teaching our 9-year old daughter that hard work pays off. I enjoy attending the annual NAFDMA conference because I enjoy learning how to be a better person for my staff and my in-laws.

Bottom line is – yes, I am the only in-law at the farm, but there’s room for you if you want it and your spouse’s farm wants it. I slowly made my way into their business lives and wasn’t just the daughter-in-law or sister-in-law. I am an equal now. The intimidation slowly wore off but it’s definitely still there. The feeling is still in the back of my mind that I have to prove myself that I belong here. I’m not really sure why, but it’s there. I think it really grounds me so I remember that I am not the one who started this – I am just taking what they built and adding another layer of foundation.