Life on the farm taught Ken MacKenzie many things: integrity, responsibility, generosity, and stewardship. In this compendium of childhood recollections, Ken shares these lessons through another farm tradition: storytelling.

Guided by the wisdom of past generations, MacKenzie recounts some of the guiding principles that shaped him into the man he is today. Winters are a quiet period to plan for a brighter spring. Your farm animals are your partners in success. Hard work has the sweetest rewards. Vacations are sometimes found in the smallest moments of joy. And, most importantly, your roots help you grow; nurture them, mind them, and listen to what they have to say.

MacKenzie attributes his business ethic, practical know-how, and worldview to the farm’s teachings. In his journey to articulate these lessons, MacKenzie shares the nuggets of wisdom that have followed him from the farm to his life over and beyond the rail fence.

Ken MacKenzie left his family farm to go to the University of Guelph, but the farm never really left him. He has spent a career in agribusiness, working in the livestock feed manufacturing sector. Looking back on his success as a businessman, family man, and community member, Ken felt compelled to trace his origins and share the lessons that have been a guiding force in his life.

Ken lives with Joy, his wife of nearly fifty years, in a country home on Cultus Lake, BC. They have a loyal, friendly Labradoodle named Angus. Their son and daughter live in nearby Abbotsford, and they have six wonderful grandchildren who challenge them to think, learn, and grow.