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Framing gratitude through farming, faith, and family: The Peters clan
One family north of Winkler has plenty to be thankful for as the season of harvest and gratitude overlap. A cherished, flourishing farm To the Pembina Valley, the Peters family may have a familiar story. Joe Peters and his family, which includes him and his wife Jerilynn along with their children Katelyn, Luke, Caleb, Micah, and Ezra, have a “small family farm” together with his brother and his family. “We raise all kinds of different things,” he said. “We have a grain farm, but we also have cows, we have sheep, my brother has pigs, we have chickens, horses, dogs, and cats. We have lots of different things going on.” The bounty of the farm is certainly something to be thankful for all on its own, but the family also values its history and legacy. The farm has been in the family for well over a century — it was established in 1888. “I'm the 5th generation, so it's been in the Peters’ family for many, many years,” said Joe. ‘It requires us to have a tremendous amount of faith’ As the Peters family works on completing their harvest before the cold arrives, they are also taking a moment to reflect on how farming has enriched their lives. It’s a generational blessing and a generational lesson for which the family is thankful. It connects them to their spirituality. “One of the biggest things is there are so many things that are uncontrollable on the farm — we can't control the weather. We can't control the markets, so it requires us to have a tremendous amount of faith,” said Joe. “There is nothing in our power to make a seed grow. We can put it in the soil, but we can't make it come up. That is God's job, and so it requires us to have faith that the Lord will provide.” Continuing to trust through the storm Peters said that even once the crop is growing, success still isn’t guaranteed. There is always the threat of hailstorms, drought, high winds, and excessive rain, so to the Peters family, farming is a lesson in having faith at every juncture. Related stories: What’s on your plate? Pembina Valley shares their Thanksgiving must haves Study finds Canadians will pay a little more for a Thanksgiving dinner in 2025 Harvest Heroes: Nominate a farmer that your thankful for “There are many opportunities for it to fail, and so we have to trust that the Lord will provide for us, and he does that,” said Joe. “It's very obvious when he is providing, and even when the crop fails, we can see how he continues to provide.” ‘It teaches us to work hard’ In addition to being a means to explore faith, Joe said that farm life also provides a valuable opportunity to develop a work ethic. “It’s a lot of work,” he said. “[Farming] teaches us to work hard, and we get to see that when you work, you get to eat.” For Jerilynn’s part, she is thankful for the character-building nature of farm life. It promotes unity and togetherness. “One of the things that I enjoy the most about farming is that we can do it together. There are lots of jobs that maybe aren't as fun, but it's just [nice] working together as a family,” she said. “There's just lots of importance in being able to spend time together, and in the end, it makes us stronger ... to do that all together.” According to Joe, the farm also provides for physical, spiritual, and emotional life through the canning that sustains the family over the winter, and the experience of watching the “miracle” of life that grows in the spring when the animals start to have their young. What are the children thankful for? When it comes to the Peters children, they have as much gratitude as their parents do. Caleb said he’s “most thankful for God.” “He has a place in heaven for me,” he said. “I am thankful for family and friends that we are able to have fun with and talk with,” said Luke. Joe agrees with his sons. Faith and family are ultimately also at the centre of his gratitude, too. “I'm most thankful for is definitely family and being able to go through life with them, for my wife and my kids who support me in our farming adventure,” he said. “And also, like Caleb said, I'm very thankful for God, our Saviour.” In their sea of appreciation, the Peters clan also reserves special regard for the season’s food. From stuffing and cranberry sauce to turkey, potatoes, and the pie that comes at the end of the meal, every part of the Thanksgiving tradition is as cherished as the people they eat it with. With files from Robyn Wiebe