Julia Griffin was studying nutrition in college when she realized she didn’t know how to grow the healthy foods that she was learning about. These thoughts began to eat at her (pun intended), and she knew she had to do something about it. So, Julia began volunteering at a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in Detroit, Michigan. 

At the farm, Julia discovered an immense love for flowers and the process of growing them. She started working full time at the CSA farm and began designing floral arrangements for weddings and other events.

Julia took what she learned at the farm and decided that she wanted to start her own farm, focused on floral design and higher-end products. She started with three city lots next to her house and quickly ran out of room. Her husband agreed that the two were going to need more land, so the Griffins moved to an 11-acre property in Dexter, Michigan. It was here that Julia began sowing the seeds for her cut-flower farm.

In order to help the Griffins build and maintain their new farm, they bought a Kubota LX Series compact tractor, plus a tiller and brushhog attachment, the same day that they bought their house. Julia always knew that she’d have a Kubota, as all of her farming friends and teachers recommended Kubota to her. 

Willa Rose Floral keeps flowers blooming the entire season and usually has a full amount to sell every week. The farm grows a variety of perennials, annuals and native flowers, utilizing natural growing processes. Julia often hosts bees from Bees in the D, a Detroit-based group focused on educating and preserving bee populations, and lets nature’s pollinators help her work her magic.

Julia runs Willa Rose Floral by herself, but she hires several employees throughout the season to help her with wedding and design work. Willa Rose Floral’s growing season is usually April through October (sometimes November, depending on frost). Julia is busiest in the spring and finds late summer and early fall to be her biggest production time. She specializes in tulips during the spring and shifts to dahlias and other summer flowers in the later months.

Growing such beautiful flowers and creating captivating arrangements allowed Julia to practice another love of hers - photography. She quickly found a following on Instagram and her photographer’s eye made for free marketing and community outreach. Julia absolutely loves when people engage with her pictures and discover Willa Rose Floral’s services from her social media platforms. 

“Building this farm has been such an incredible journey so far. One with lots of high and lows, some tears, lots of stress, some wins and most importantly so much learning,” said Julia. She never saw herself working in an office, and considers herself lucky to work outside every day. It's her favorite part of running Willa Rose Floral and no two days are the same! 

Julia hosts several events and workshops throughout the growing season, promoting her mission and Willa Rose Floral to her community. You can follow her journey and see Julia’s stunning photography over on her Instagram or learn more about Willa Rose Floral by visiting her website.

As a firefighter and paramedic in the Greater Chicago area, Brent Hullinger works long hours to ensure his community's safety.  His days off are well deserved. But what does Brent do on those days off? He doesn’t rest… he builds ponds and water features, with a big assist from Kubota equipment. 

In 2017, Brent opened The Pond Beyond, LLC, a direct result of the skills he honed in his free time. The Pond Beyond tackles everything from designing layouts to installing custom features such as waterfalls, koi ponds and other decorative water features. The Pond Beyond is based out of Chicago, but Brent has had the chance to work on projects in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. The company is a Certified Aquascape™ Contractor and a partner of the Project Fire Buddies association.

The largest project that The Pond Beyond has completed required 675 tons of decorative stone, resulting in a 225-foot stream with 15 waterfalls. Large projects like these have helped Brent get his company’s name out there, and he’s been able to bring on two full-time teammates and a part-time employee. 

When Brent was looking for equipment, he did what any of us would do and demoed several machines at his local dealerships. The verdict? Kubota was the clear answer for The Pond Beyond.

Brent's first Kubota purchase was a KX040-4 compact excavator. As his jobs grew more demanding, he upgraded The Pond Beyond’s power accordingly. Today, Brent’s fleet includes the Kubota KX040-4, still going strong, plus a Kubota SCL-1000, SVL-97-2, KX057-5, ZD331 and L4760GST. Brent and his team perform all the maintenance and service on their Kubota machines, and are blown away by their reliability. He swears that his machines run the exact same as the day they bought them. 

Alongside water feature design and installations, The Pond Beyond offers general excavation, retaining wall construction, grading work, drainage solutions and even holiday lighting installation. Next winter, Brent plans on offering snow and ice control for his customers. 

The Pond Beyond doesn’t just create beautiful ponds and water features, they craft great relationships with their customers. These relationships are just as critical to The Pond Beyond’s success as their Kubota machines are. 

Check out Brent and his team’s work by visiting their website or their Instagram page. 

There’s something grounding about growing up in a farm and ranching community. 

Maybe it’s early mornings in the pasture, and the calluses across our hands.

Maybe it’s the knowledge of crops and the connection we share with our livestock. 

Maybe it’s the joy of a bountiful harvest and the shared sorrow of a lackluster one.

Zachary Whitman experienced all of these in West Texas, where he was born and raised. He discovered the value of hard work, true grit and integrity in West Texas, virtues that would serve him well in life, no matter where his boots took him. 

He showed an aptitude for politics that would eventually see him lend his political skills to presidential campaigns and White House assignments for 16 years. After his career in politics, Zachary began working for Amazon. 

The money was good and the work he was doing was important. But Zachary began to feel a growing hole in his fulfillment. It would inspire him to look beyond everything he knew and take a leap of faith.

Zachary hung up his suit and tie and started to brainstorm his next project. He was looking for something that would get him closer to his roots. 

In December 2019, Zachary discovered a 357-acre property for sale in Virginia and the wheels began turning. Of the 357 acres, 65 were ready for agriculture operations and 292 acres were forested. It was exactly what Zachary had been searching for.

From the start, Zachary decided this property would provide visitors an opportunity to step away from their screens and experience everything nature has to offer. A property that would help him find lasting fulfillment in this grand adventure we call life. 

Zachary knew he wouldn’t be able to achieve his vision alone, so he got to work and purchased a Kubota B2301 and several Land Pride attachments – his new farmhand. His family grew up working with Kubota equipment, and Zachary knew a Kubota machine would be perfect for his new property. 

He used his compact tractor to clear out shrubs, till a garden, clean up his hay field and build housing for animals. Zachary even used his B2301 to help him renovate his house on the property! Although he dreams of having a tractor over 50 horsepower someday, his B2301 has been the perfect size for his needs, especially the needs Zachary couldn’t have predicted when he started. 

Currently, Zachary has one AirBnB built on the property, as well as a garden for his guests to pick fresh produce, chicken coops for fresh eggs and a handful of fishing spots. His end-goal is to add three tiny homes, a barn house, an A-frame structure and another cabin in the woods. 

He’s planning on bringing goats and cattle to the farm, while working with a local butcher to provide quality meat to the community and his guests. As his garden begins to grow, Zachary wants to build an apiary to house bees and assist him in the conservation of natural, Virginia wildflowers. With so much forest on his property, Zachary wants to dedicate a portion of it to deer and bear habitats, as well as hiking trails (safely distanced from the bear habitats). 

For more information and to follow Zachary in Rooted Land Company’s journey, visit his website or Instagram page.

It’s hard to know what we’re meant to do in life. But when you find it, there’s no feeling quite like it 

Marshal and Alicia Hartman met during college, and each knew they had found the person they wanted to spend the rest of their life with. The two were married and Marshal took a job with law enforcement in the big city. Over the years, their family of two would grow into a family of five. 

Unfortunately, Marshal was injured in 2019, before the pandemic and needed to spend almost 2 years recovering at home. While following their city’s recommendations and distancing themselves at home, it became quickly apparent to the Hartmans that they needed more space. They needed a change. 

For them, that meant a move out of the city and into rural Nevada. 

Marshal and Alicia had always talked about wanting to raise animals. With their move to the country, they found themselves with enough land to make this dream a reality. 

The Hartmans bought three baby sheep and began bottle feeding them. It was an activity for the whole family, and Marshal and Alicia began to research how their family could harvest and use sheep wool. What they discovered is that they were much more interested in alpaca fiber and its uses.

So, Marshal and Alicia purchased their first alpaca and fell in love with its quirkiness. They bought three pregnant alpacas and locked themselves into the alpaca life. 

Alicia began posting pictures and videos of the alpacas on an Instagram page, giving their friends in the city a glimpse of their life in the country. The hashtags that Alicia used captured a larger audience, and more and more people began finding their farm, Great Basin Alpacas, on social media. 

Great Basin Alpacas is 10 acres in total, including the Hartman’s home. Their female animals have two acres dedicated to them, while the males are on just one acre – for now. 

The Hartmans even have full RV hookups, so people who want to come and see their alpacas can stay on their property. Eventually, they plan on bringing grass-fed lambs to their farm. 

You can find Great Basin Alpacas Farm and book an RV stay on harvesthost.com. 

In order to maintain their property, the Hartman family has a Kubota BX23S sub compact tractor and a Land Pride scraper. They chose their Kubota because they knew they would need a durable and reliable piece of equipment to keep up with their growing needs. The BX23S has surpassed their expectations.

Currently, they’re using harvested alpaca fiber to make socks, beanies and yarn. The Hartmans also found a local fiber processor and plan on working with them down the road. Since you can only shear alpacas once a year, the Hartmans' plan to grow their herd and sell more fiber is one that will take time. In the future, they want to provide their farm products at local farmers markets and possibly even open their own store. 

But they don’t mind the wait. They’re having a great time getting to know these animals and spreading their roots in the Nevadan countryside. 

Learn more about Great Basin Alpacas and the Hartman’s property by following them on Instagram. 

Align Outdoors is a group of friends who wanted to do better. Better for others and themselves. Better for their clients and partners. Better for their community.

Andy, the founder of Align Outdoors, loves taking his daughter to playgrounds in their community and discovering fun, innovative playgrounds. The two discovered one playground company that stood out above the rest– playgrounds manufactured by Landscape Structures. Andy reached out to the local representative, Parkitects, and after they saw his passion and enthusiasm, was offered a job as a Regional Manager.

It only took a few weeks for Andy to realize Parkitects playspace designs were in high demand and there was a growing need for more installers… so he proposed Align Outdoors as a solution.  

Align Outdoors is a team of six friends, each with rich histories in landscaping and working with one another. For the last year, Align Outdoors has been servicing Western New York with much needed commercial playscapes and custom landscapes. 

The Align Outdoors team wanted to use their talents to revitalize communities and build exciting playgrounds. To enjoy every single day and have fun on the job. Align Outdoors gives them this opportunity, and they don’t plan on looking back. 

Align Outdoors is already booked for next season and in talks of bringing on another crew to help meet their growing demand. The team’s partners and manufacturers notice Align Outdoor’s commitment to stunning installations and have voiced pride in their hard work. Together, Align Outdoors is pushing for a larger impact on community work and are even working with non-profit partners to volunteer their time and donations to better their community together.

The tools they use to get the job done? Andy and the Align Outdoors team choose Kubota equipment because they know they can trust Kubota’s CCE and landscaping equipment to help them make the world a better place.

Learn more about Andy and Align Outdoor’s efforts by visiting their website. 

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Mulder Outdoors is Northwest Indiana’s one-stop-shop for landscaping, hardscaping, lawn maintenance, drainage and light excavation solutions. Andy Mulder started Mulder Outdoors eight years ago, but he’s no stranger to the landscaping industry. 

“What drives me is the ability to build amazing projects for people and reflect back at the end of the day.” 

Mulder Outdoors is a five-man team, but that doesn’t stop Andy and his crew from taking on big challenges. Simple things like jobsite cleanliness, acute attention to detail and clear communication are clear differentiators in the Mulder Outdoors experience. Andy invests into his company and the equipment they’re working with and equipment like the Kubota KX080-4 lets Mulder Outdoors take their capabilities to even greater heights. 

Andy loves the industry, loves the team he works with and, most importantly, loves being outside in #KubotaCountry each and every day. 

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Podcast: The Mulder Life Podcast

The Legacy Academy opened its doors in 2020, right during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Holly ___ watched as five students grew to nine and realized that these students needed options for building vocational skills, as well as college-bound individuals in need of real world STEM applications. So, she started Legacy Foundation and rounded out its board members with 

“The Legacy Foundation seeks to teach principles from the past, using the technology of today.”

Holly’s family donated five acres to the Legacy Foundation and students have the opportunity to attend farm school days– days where they’ll take the STEM skills they learn in the classroom and watch as they translate to agricultural science, permaculture and aquaponics projects. 

Right now, the Legacy Foundation is working to restore an old barn, install a well system and hook the barn up to electricity. With the help of a trusty RTV900, her father’s old tractor and the eager spirit of the Legacy Academy students, Holly has watched students find inspiration in working the land and a deeper appreciation for STEM skills in the field, especially during the uncertainty of online school and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Future Legacy Foundation projects include a garden, farmer’s market, parent drop-off/ pick-up loop and picnic table area. The Legacy Foundation relies entirely on community sponsors and private donations. You can donate to the foundation by clicking here.

Legacy Academy: https://thisislegacyacademy.com/

Legacy Farm: https://thisislegacyfarms.com/

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A letter from Jamie Boss Sr.

Riding bikes taught Jeremy Witek what is meant to feel alive. He started Global Action Sports Solutions Parks with one desire in mind– to create the world standard in adventure sport facility and trail development with unforgettable commitment to user experience. Now, 20 years later, G.A.S.S. Parks has completed more than 70 projects in 29 different countries, including involvement in events such as: Red Bull Rampage, Red Bull Ride’n’Style, GoPro Mountain Games, X Games and Downhill Taxco.

Jeremy and his team rely on Kubota construction equipment to help them build skateparks, bicycle trails and even motocross tracks. They’re currently using Kubota U17, U27-4 and U35-4 mini excavators, as well as a SVL65-2 skid steer to make sure there’s no obstacle they can’t conquer. They work to create parks and trails that are accessible to adventurers of all ages and skill levels. Jeremy encourages local kids and members of the community to assist him in finishing each project and shows them how these tracks bring riders, skates and hikers together. In order to terraform and design these trails, Jeremy and the G.A.S.S. team have to wait for favorable weather, which means they get to do a fair amount of biking in their downtime! 

G.A.S.S. Parks is currently building a downhill bike park for the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians in San Diego, California. The bike park is located on the La Jolla Indian Reservation campground, which sees over 100,000 visitors annually, and is set to open fall 2022. G.A.S.S. expects over 20,000 mountain bikers to visit the new park, which will feature a shuttle system for riders and their bikes. Each trail that Jeremy and his crew build is built in a way that preserves nature and gives it plenty of room to grow.

The G.A.S.S. Parks team features project updates on their Facebook and Instagram pages and are planning on starting a high-end YouTube channel later this year. Laying the groundwork for the next generation of skaters, bikers and hikers… G.A.S.S. Parks and Kubota know how to get the job done! 

In a world where we see dozens of photos in hours, what makes one stand out? This particular setting started on a bright sunny Torrance, California morning at Jon Nakamura’s family home where his friend, Armondo Castillo, and crew began demolition and excavation.

Jon started the day looking through the eye of the lens, ready to capture the cosmetic changes to his parent’s home, but also to give back to Armondo and his crew proving that even something as simple as a driveway is also a work of art. Jon and Armondo first started shooting together as a way to display Castillo Rock Concrete’s expert services, but as a photographer, Jon had to highlight the hard work that Armondo and his team give day in and day out with their Kubota equipment by their side.

Jon fully believes that life is too short to not live in the moment and it's important to be able to look back at photos and remember times of change and to have something to pass onto future generations. “I never want to pass on a bad photo, as that might be the last photo of that person.”

Peter Mills, the owner of Elevated Trail Design, a North Carolina based trail design company born out of Peter’s love for adventure coupled with his passion for the outdoors. Elevated Trail design owns a fleet of Kubota U17 Excavators to construct premium trails across the country running from mountain bike and equestrian to walking trails in state parks.  After working for trail design teams at ski resorts in college, Peter knew that he wanted to take his talents back to North Carolina to start his own company. Elevated Trail Design “uses natural landscape while maintaining high standards of safety and sustainability”- with a goal of constructing trails that expand trail-goers appreciation for the outdoors. Building both long and short length trails with varying terrain, Peter relies on the versatility of the U17 Excavator to operate across a diverse range of projects. For mountain terrain, he loves the U17’s efficient maneuvering to navigate steep sidehills while he appreciates the compact size for single track trails with narrow pathways.

Find your own oasis and experience what it means to be a land owner. Derek and Honey Smith started on a hobby farm before they found their own slice of heaven a farm in the Pacific Northwest. When they needed some equipment Kubota was there to help. The Smith's are stewards of the land and strive to use best practices to provide for their family and to someday pass it along to their children. Rosie the RTV-X1140 is their workhorse and has changed the way they are farming today, but as Honey puts it, "It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth every minute of it."

Jake & Abbey Sass live and operate a farm on land bought in 1953 by Jake's grandfather. They farm hops that are sold to craft breweries local to their area, using Kubota tractors to help them keep their operations running smoothly.  

Meet Jared and Joelle Orem, farmers, hay producers, and proud Kubota owners. Jared put it best, "We have never worked a day in our life, even though it's hard work." Jared is proud to continue the legacy that is Orem Farms. Kubota wants to continue the legacy of our family farmers because together we grow and Together We Do More.

She is just comfortable taking that leap of faith. The Dainty Pear, Sarah Clark, is a woman leading from the front and her family is there every step of the way. Her drive is laying out the essence of hard work, failures, triumphs, legacy to her five children and her passion is rooted in food, calm and worship.  

The Dainty Pear (Sarah) and her husband found their slice of heaven in Utah and are working the ins and outs of having a hobby farm. Chickens, goats, yaks, cows, alpacas and of course a pig, their day consists of raising their animals and maintaining the land. This was all very new and somewhat intimidating to the budding family but they are building a legacy, one that starts with their two hands. With some newness, The Dainty Pear knows it's OK to fail, it can be intimidating even to work equipment, but she found her groove through her own personality.  She keeps it real by managing on her style (yes, it’s OK ladies to rock those long nails, even on the farm). 

For her, knowing where the food starts helps to enrich bridging farm to style. She is bringing us all a little bit of soul to her cooking with a sprinkle of sunshine with the release of her new cookbook and it started all with that leap of faith.

So if you see The Dainty Pear, you might find her within a “moving meditation’ as she describes her equipment mending fences or moving hay, bustling around in her kitchen with a crew setting up shots for a new cookbook, all the while to help demystify injecting style into farming.     

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Need some investigation on how to fix your landscape, lawn or drainage issues? Lawn-N-Order are your guys! Settled in Weaverville, North Carolina (WNC), the founder Ryan Houston and his team provide unique landscape design solutions while keeping your budget in mind. What started as a one-man show with a lawnmower has grown into a 20 year business that currently has a focus in drainage and landscape.

Why the name you ask? Rooted in lawn care, the company gained traction with just a lawnmower, leaf blower and a name that makes people smile. It’s clever and they can certainly solve your issues. The business has now flourished into what it is today with Ryan’s twenty-seven years of experience with the region’s plants and wildlife. Being a WNC native, he’s familiar with how the area is similar in climate to Japan, giving him the knowledge on what plants will thrive in the mountains of WNC. Mimicking a lot of the Japanese plantings and diverse climate, Blue Star Juniper and Japanese Maple are just two of the plants used to stand out amongst the crowd. 

Their focus on quality has gained them many “Super Service” awards over the years. While growth is great, Lawn-N-Order prides themselves on having a smaller team, giving the ability to focus on great work and providing outstanding service. This is what sets them apart from the competition along with their long-term clientele and drive to build relationships with clients to make them a repeat customer. 

Using their Kubota KX057-4, the team lends a helping hand to a lot of out of state transplants and vacation homeowners who are unfamiliar with the terrain. They usually do not have the knowledge of what can occur over time to their property. This is where the team steps in to educate, prevent problems and save the homes in beautiful WNC!

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Every day is an opportunity to focus on life and seize the moment. In Lexington, Kentucky on March 27, 1888, James Coleman jumped at an opportunity and purchased a plot of land that would touch the lives of over 300 descendants. Coleman Crest Farms proves that no matter how long you're away from home you can always return and create a legacy that transcends beyond your lifetime. Jim Coleman is making the most of his 27,000 days and educating the community not just on farming, but the ability to make the most of every day that you are given.

Do you ever want to eliminate the amount of waste in your home? The Compost Queens, based out of San Antonio, Texas are doing just that by creating a community of composters. 

What began as wanting to put her community first, Kate started learning to compost and garden with her mother ultimately wanting to engage community members to help utilize food waste.

Kate stated their goal was to create a compost system that would be hassle, pest, and smell free all while supporting local residents, businesses and farmers..  Compost Queens provides resources to the community to eliminate waste and benefit each home with an organic compost solution.  Workshops and family day classes are also held at their farm for a hands-on experience.

Looking forward to the future, Compost Queens would like to expand its operations by partnering with the city and engaging additional resources to expand community knowledge.  

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Summer loving and farm living, this is how Allen took in the sunny season away from school when he was younger! As many kids did, helping his grandparents on their farm during the Summer is where Allen got his farming introduction. A Jersey native that slowly moved his way further south as an adult, he eventually purchased 6 acres of land and started growing his own organic vegetables and sunflowers too, as their beauty piqued his interest!

Word got around to his friends and family who always took him up on the offer for some fresh vegetables. Who wouldn’t?! Encouraged by this and the enjoyment of growing vegetables and flowers, he opened a roadside stand in 2015. Each day ended with all flowers sold and only vegetables left. A little odd, right? Living in a county with about 75% preserved farmland, selling vegetables was common but flowers not as much. Even better for Allen, as his love for flower farming had grown, he knew he had to shift his focus to flower production. Bringing his hobby to life, Allen the Flower Farmer came to fruition and there was no looking back. 

Allen and his wife now have 15 acres of land where they use their Kubota BX1500 and L3901 to grow different kinds of flowers such as dahlias, cosmos, zinnias and gladiolas. While known mostly for their Sunflowers, they might have up to 15 different flowers in production at any given time! Their “pick your own'' event and flower photo ops thrive with the guest and put a smile on their face as they walk through a field of flowers. As Allen would put it, “there’s just something about looking at a field of flowers that everyone enjoys!” Be sure to visit Allen, his wife and their dog as they continue to bring flowers “From Farm to Vase”!

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Ward's Farm

Up for a challenge? Ben and Lauren Denny sure were! Living in Idaho with zero farming experience, but an itch to try something new, they took a leap of faith and bought her family's 7th generation farmland. They now live in McAlester, Oklahoma where they’ve made a life of loving and living the Simply Country way as first generation farmers.

They quickly realized while learning by themselves, a lot of people do not know what goes into ranching and farming and this is where their love for sharing the lifestyle online came into play. As Ben would say, “people are interested in getting back to this way of life and just need some education on how to do so.” Their passion for educating others is what really helped Simply Country Ranch blossom and offer all that it does today. 

While they took on some major learning curves when they jumped away from all they knew, Ben and Lauren had to stay financially sustainable somehow. Simply Stained was Lauren's personalized signage and home decor business that kept them afloat while building what Simply Country Ranch has become today. Lauren was a 4th grade teacher in Idaho and started Simply Stained as a way to give her students and other teachers gifts that didn’t break the bank. This took off while in Idaho and has only continued to grow with the ranch. They now print photos onto wood for visitors that meet all the farm animals.

Their animals are the center of everything they do, from hosting holiday events and ranch tours to their book “Winston and the Missing Apples”, which is based on a true story of their border collie dog. Five years ago, they started to breed Scottish Highland Cows and now have chickens, lambs, mini donkeys, mini horses, goats, Nigerian pygmy goats and babydoll sheep. Between their many animals and six different types of fruit trees, Ben and Lauren are appreciative of their Kubota equipment that helps keep the farm chores completed. They loved how easy it was to learn to operate, especially for first time users!

They’ve learned by trial and error, and connecting with veteran farmers, but hope to help others who are wanting to start their own farm. Simply Country Ranch continues to share their life online in hopes of reaching the community to experience the simple country life and take a sliver of this lifestyle home with you in many ways!

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What began as limited personal experience in the agriculture business, Ron Simmons crafted  the idea to form Master Blend Family Farm and in 2012, started raising a small head of hogs to help bring food to his local North Carolina community. Their small operation has now doubled in size and is producing superior pork cuts to local business and farm-to-table shipments.   

Like many others, the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ron’s community.  During this time he helped drive awareness to the local restaurants in which he supplies and those promotions sparked an entirely new idea of a food truck in which they provide samples.  

Ron has always prioritized educating those around him and continues to raise awareness regarding food deserts; areas in which it is difficult to source affordable good quality fresh foods. Being a local producer, entrepreneur, and educator Ron is teaching his community about healthy foods, growing fresh produce, and agriculture; as a result, Master Blend Family Farms is building a school to serve their community. Ron has had great mentors in his agricultural journey and wants to continue to pay it forward to others that are interested in learning more.

https://www.masterblendfarms.com/

For those who did not grow up on tractors, the idea of hopping on and operating one can be intimidating. Lucky for all the newbies out there, Kubota’s sub- and compact tractors are designed for intuitive use and are easy to learn. Just ask Melissa Morgan of Outdoors with the Morgans; Melissa and her husband, Mike, have been putting their new BX23S to work on their property doing everything from hauling wood, brush hogging to trail building.

Before their BX, Melissa hadn’t had much tractor time outside of riding in a hay wagon when she was younger. After taking some small, but important steps, Melissa is now taking full advantage of her BX23S, getting projects done around their property and loving every minute of it.

Check out the video below to hear from Melissa herself on five things she’s learned as a new tractor owner.

He was born in Kansas and spent his younger years doing many jobs like being a caretaker and driving school buses. Living through the Great Depression, Grandpa has a healthy appreciation for living off the land, so he decided to buy and cultivate a hobby farm- ultimately landing in West Virginia. Here, he grew crops and his wife would can them. They enjoyed using and saving everything that they could. Little did Grandpa know at the time he would watch his great-grandchildren be raised on this very same land over 60 years later. He currently resides with his live-in caretakers (his granddaughter and her husband) along with his 5 great-grandchildren that keep him on his toes. In his extra time, he enjoys playing solitaire and weaving baskets by hand. Grandpa Miller uses his Kubota RTV as his main source of transportation. He still loves to tackle jobs around the farm, take his great-grandchildren out fishing at the pond that he built, and even drives his RTV to and from his local church.