Editor’s Note: The Season of Showing Up

April 1, 2026

By Lydia Zerby

As I sit watching my 10-year-old daughter participate in a pre-season softball clinic, I feel proud of her hard work and dedication in the off-season. I’ve worked to instill in her that players and teams who put in the time before others hit the field will be ahead of the game in their skill development. It’s that pre-season work that many don’t see, but that shows up later in the form of confidence and tenacity.  

As a coach, I’ve watched players stand in the batter’s box after striking out twice, shoulders tight, eyes searching for reassurance. I’ve walked out to the circle to tell a pitcher to take a breath and trust her skills. In those moments, success isn’t guaranteed, and growth isn’t instant. But showing up again — that’s where it starts.

Farming isn’t so different.

Seeds are planted beneath the soil with faith that the right mix of care, timing and resilience will bring a harvest. Most Iowans see combines in the fall, but they don’t always see the early planning, equipment repairs or the long days spent preparing for a season that depends on factors no one can control.

On the softball field, we can’t control bad hops, tough calls or the final score. In agriculture, there’s weather, markets and uncertainty. But in both places, the response is the same: adjust, learn and come back tomorrow.

I think that’s one of the most Iowa lessons there is.

Many of our farm families pass knowledge from one generation to the next. Coaching feels very similar. The fundamentals matter — how to field a ground ball, how to support a teammate, how to handle failure with grit and gratitude for the lesson. Those lessons stretch far beyond a single season.

Luckily, spring resets us. Open fields are planted. Lineups are rewritten. Records reset to 0–0. The potential feels wide open.

Whether we’re tending crops or mentoring kids, the work follows the same rhythm: prepare well, nurture patiently and trust that what’s planted today will grow in time.

And then — we show up again tomorrow.

Enjoy the issue, Lydia Zerby