| Against the odds, one Utah woman is running cattle and teaching her young sons and students to love the land. Jacie Fasselin splits her time between being a full-time rancher in Elmo, Utah, and teaching agriculture full-time at Carbon High School. The background: Her ancestors homesteaded the land generations ago, so it feels like destiny for Fasselin to be fighting for the land and water rights after getting the ranch in her divorce. “I got the farm. I chose to stay," Fasselin said. "I would be in a room wishing I was here. At least the stress of the farm is genuine, the stress of raising my children is genuine. I used to stress life that was not necessary.” A natural born teacher Now, she is running her own cattle, breaking horses, fixing fences, teaching all the time, Amy Joi O'Donoghue writes. “The fact that I am a natural born teacher, I will sail that ship all day. I am really passionate about agriculture literacy. You do not have to grow up in agriculture to make a difference.” The challenges of farm life As a single mom, farmer, rancher and teacher, Fasselin has plenty to do. Her boys, Jace, 10, and Jaxten, 7, are learning early about the culture of having land that you work. There’s crops to be planted, harvested, cattle and horses, O'Donoghue writes. At the end of the day, Fasselin gathers the boys around the dinner table. They say their prayers and she never stops being grateful. Read more about Fasselin and her passion for agriculture. | 