A Tour I’ll Never Forget
It wasn’t on my schedule. I hadn’t planned it. And that’s what made it so good.
Somewhere just outside of Galena, Illinois, I stopped at a place called Berning Acres Dairy Farm, run by Natalie and her husband Matt. I arrived late, toward the tail end of their 90-minute public tour, but Natalie, with the kind of graciousness you hope to find in a small-town farmer, walked me through the first part again, solo.
She didn’t have to. But she did. And I learned a lot.
I got to milk a cow. I saw the technology they’re using to track, monitor, and milk the animals. I even ended the visit with some fresh ice cream and a new respect for the work it takes to run a family dairy operation.
Natalie’s Story and Mine
Natalie didn’t grow up on a farm. That life came later, when she married into it in 2007. Now, she and her husband are raising five kids while running a full-scale dairy operation and welcoming curious visitors like me. I didn’t get her on camera (a missed opportunity I’m already regretting), but we talked. A lot. About her life, her changes, her pivot into this new world.
And as we talked, something clicked.
That word — pivot — keeps coming back to me.
This trip I’m on … it’s not just a journey through states. It’s a pivot. From 40 years in dark ballrooms, lighting stages and events, to chasing light of another kind — natural light, real people, authentic stories.
And Natalie’s story helped me realize that these kinds of changes … later-in-life, passion-driven, purpose-led shifts … are worth documenting.
A Bigger Idea Brewing
After the visit, I sat in the car thinking about what I would’ve done with two cameras, a boom mic, and some b-roll. I could’ve filmed a short documentary right there. Her story, her energy, the cows, the land — it was all there.
And that’s when another idea returned.
Earlier in this project, I had thought about starting a series: “A Minute in America” — quick, powerful portraits of people pivoting, evolving, doing cool things. Farmers. Artists. Innkeepers. Mechanics. Bakers. People like Natalie.
Is it too much to try to do that this year while I’m also filming and editing a 50-state travel series? Maybe. But once this 50 at 60 journey wraps up, I’m seriously thinking about chasing that idea full-time.
There are stories everywhere.
Pasture to Pivot to Pella
The rest of the day was filled with long stretches of road, fields of soybeans and corn, and a hypnotic number of wind turbines as I crossed into Iowa.
I eventually landed in Pella, a Dutch-influenced town that feels like it was pulled from a postcard. My hotel, the Amsterdam, is right across the street from the historical village and just around the corner from the famous Pella Windows and Doors … a company I only connected to the town’s name as I was dragging my bags across the parking lot.
The windmill looms nearby, and everything here feels … quiet. Safe. Beautiful. I wandered the square and found myself grinning. Not because of any big event. Just … because I like it here.
Closing Thoughts from a Curious Man
This wasn’t a flashy travel day. But it was one of the best kinds: one that unfolded naturally. A surprise tour, a meaningful conversation, a deep reflection, and a new town I already can’t wait to explore.
I keep saying this, but the more I travel, the more curious I become. I don’t want to be a dairy farmer, but I do want to understand their lives, and I want to share their stories with people who may never visit rural Illinois.
If you’ve been following along on this journey, thank you.
And if you’re standing at your own pivot point … maybe this is your sign.
📍Quick Travel Notes:
- Location: Galena, IL → Pella, IA
- Highlight Stop: Berning Acres Dairy Farm
- Hotel: Amsterdam Hotel, Pella, IA
- Meal of the Day: Fresh ice cream on a dairy farm
- Quote of the Day: “I’m not changing the world … but I might be changing someone’s day.”
— Paul, Cloran Mansion Innkeeper
