Farmer Tom

Tom raises cattle on a ranch in Aspen, Colorado. Unlike most farmers, Tom started his life over and became a farmer at 65. As a child, he was born in Amsterdam and fled with his mom and sister during the war. His father stayed back to run the business, in denial about what was happening to Jews. While Tom and his family settled at an uncle's house in New York, Tom's father was being killed in Auschwitz. Tom's uncle had a farm which never made much money, but his uncle loved what he did for a living. That's more than you can say for most people who go to work every day. Tom also loved farming. When it was time for college, Tom's mother pushed him to be like the rest of his family - rabbis, doctors, lawyers, and businessmen. She sent him to NYU to get an aptitude test to see what they thought he should be doing. With questions like, "Would you rather read a book or take a walk in the woods," Tom had no difficulty convincing them - and his mother - he was meant for farming. He went to agriculture school and later became a grain merchant. He raised a family and continued in business as people tend to do. Then, fed up with having never tried to fulfill his dream, he took his savings and bought a herd of wagyu cattle, which make a very high end beef, such as Kobe and Mishima.

I loved the morning my family and I spent with Tom. He's smart, interesting, and the kind of guy who takes healthy chances in life. Being on a ranch is extremely relaxing. And the cows are really cool animals. When we were pulling out, one of the cows poked her whole head into the car to say bye to my wife. She didn't want us to leave. Neither did I.

Tom, age 70.