Growing up in Iowa, Elle Gadient spent early spring mornings with her mother watching the sunrise over their family farm. Cattle woke in the cornfields as songbirds returned from their winter migration and buds emerged from tree branches. For Gadient, the promise of new life, the beauty of the land, and the work required to care for both are what make farm life meaningful.
“I love that every day on the farm is full of excitement, renewal, and hard work,” says Gadient.
Today, Gadient is a fifth-generation Iowa cattle farmer who farms with her husband, Steve Besler. Their herd is part of the Niman Ranch network, a cooperative of independent family farmers committed to high standards for animal welfare and environmental stewardship.
But if it weren’t for one calf, in particular, Gadient may not have returned to farming as an adult.
On a cold, rainy evening when she was 10 years old, Gadient recalls one of her family’s cows struggling to give birth. By the time her parents delivered the calf, the newborn was weak and struggling to survive. The Gadients did everything they could to save her, bringing towels from their home’s dryer to warm her.
The calf soon began to regain her strength. Gadient bottle-fed her twice a day and named her Sugar Plum, and a tender relationship quickly formed. Gadient would sometimes spend so much time caring for Sugar Plum before school that she missed the bus. The calf eventually grew and moved out to pasture, but Gadient continued visiting her, often bringing treats—Sugar Plum had a particular fondness for fig newtons.
Over the years that followed, Gadient watched her family work through illness, extreme weather, drought, floods, and financial uncertainty on the farm. She learned about the deeper responsibilities and less playful realities of caring for animals.
“Not every cow is like Sugar Plum, and not every day farming is fig newtons and sunshine,” says Gadient.
The difficulties made Gadient question whether she wanted to continue farming. She saw how hard her parents worked and how much they sacrificed to keep the farm going. Both worked jobs off the farm to support their agricultural livelihood, often sleeping very little. “I’d have to be crazy to choose this way of life,” Gadient remembers thinking in high school.
At 24, Gadient moved to Denver, Colorado. She worked for Niman Ranch, supporting a network of more than 600 independent farm families—including her own—from a distance.
Despite leaving the farm, her connection to it remained. And when Sugar Plum died, Gadient learned that distance could not protect her from the losses that come with farming, or the grief that comes with loving an animal.
“We enjoyed 14 years together,” says Gadient. “Sugar Plum’s death taught me something. Being away from the farm didn’t spare me the heartache. Distance didn’t take away from my connection back to my home.”
With that lesson, Gadient eventually made her way back to the farm. She married Besler, a fellow cow lover, in 2024 and moved to the Iowa farm where he grew up. Today, they raise cattle of their own while Gadient continues working with Niman Ranch to support other farm families. The familiar long days, uncertainty, and the constant demands of caring for animals remind Gadient of how farming, for her, feels like home.
Now, in the evenings, Gadient watches the sun set over the horizon, not far from where her parents watch the same sunset.
“This is the life we choose,” says Gadient. “This is our life on the farm.”
Watch Gadient’s story below and find others from our farmer storytelling events on Food Tank’s YouTube channel.
This article is part of Food Tank’s ongoing Farmer Friday series, produced in partnership with Niman Ranch, a champion for independent U.S. family farmers. The series highlights the stories of farmers working toward a more sustainable, equitable food system. Niman Ranch partners with over 500 small-scale U.S. family farmers and is committed to preserving rural agricultural communities and their way of life.
Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.
Photo courtesy of Elle Gadient
