agriculture Archives - Page 18 of 23

Century Farm Appreciation Party – What a Day!

There is so much to say. We are completely overwhelmed by the response to our gathering. I’ve taken a few days to try and form some sort of summary in my head, but there are so many wonderful memories, I’m having some difficulty. Let me start with the week of our gathering.

I am the current president of our county Farm Bureau. We had our 2nd Annual I Met a Farmer Tour on Thursday – 2 days before our Appreciation Party. The board meets a couple of days before the tour to have a “pre-tour tour” of the farms that we will be visiting. Our pre-tour tour ends with a post pre-tour meal at a local restaurant. On this particular day, I also went on a supply run to Sioux Falls (2 hours away…the closest “large city”), returning home just in time to leave for the tour.

On the day of the actual tour, I met the group at the starting point around 12:30 pm, and trusted that the shop would be presentable when we showed up on our farm for the crop farm part of the tour. Being the last stop, we were going to have supper in the brand new shop…the shop that was still being worked on that morning. The guys from the construction company were awesome. They met all of my pre-tour requirements (door on the bathroom, running water), and even helped Jonathan hang photos. When the bus arrived, the shop looked awesome!

Jonathan speaking to the I Met a Farmer Tour group

The day after the tour, we started hitting the Century Farm party preparations hard. Unfortunately, the weather decided to hit us hard as well. The skies turned a nasty neon green color…never good. We ended up sitting in the basement for awhile during severe thunderstorm warnings, and tornado warnings. Fortunately, the hail that fell did little damage to the crops, and the only tornado that touched down in our county only touched in a field.

The storm left a lot of standing water, but we were able to continue our preparations following the storm. Laura and I needed to run to Marshall to pick up the rest of the supplies that were on our list, so we made a run for town after making sure there was nothing else on the radar. What we should have done is check the radar throughout our supply run. When we finished our grocery shopping, I heard a rumble of thunder. By the time we had the groceries in the van, it was starting to rain. Before we had gone 3 miles, the skies opened. I drove home white knuckling it in heavy rain, hail, wind, and constant lightening. I never want to drive home in a storm like that again! When we finally pulled into the garage, and I shut the van off, I started shaking like a leaf. We only carried in the cold foods, and left the rest until morning…then I went right to bed.

Saturday morning brought our Dinner Club, Jonathan’s sister Sally, and our friend Susanne out to help with food prep. We wanted to serve organic salads along with the grilled pork chops and root beer floats, but we couldn’t find anyone in our area who is able to cater organic foods. So, we worked with our local Hy-Vee, and ordered all of our produce through them. Our preppers helped to prepare the lettuce based salad and the fruit salad in the morning, and helped to serve all of the food in the afternoon. We are so thankful for our friends and family!

Getting close to “official” party time, we threw on our matching polo shirts and greeted the volunteers and relatives who arrived early as planned. Soon, the Marshall FFA showed up to set up their petting zoo, and the Lakeview FFA arrived to set up their Ag Olympics games. Everything was ready when the first guests arrived.

To be honest, the rest of the day was a blur. I visited with many people, but missed some. Jonathan visited with many people, but missed some. Between the two of us, I think we had a chance to greet everyone. I had my camera in my hand the whole day, but only took 24 photos. Thankfully, Sally had her camera and was able to get a few more. I’m going to use the “a picture is worth a thousand words” thing here. Enjoy the photos that Sally and I were able to get.

Jonathan's dad, Kenny, and Aunt Fern. Kenny & Fern grew up on our farm — Jonathan’s dad, Kenny, and Aunt Fern. Kenny & Fern grew up on our farm

Cousin Linda & Marty from Michigan. Linda is Aunt Fern's daughter — Cousin Linda & Marty from Michigan. Linda is Aunt Fern’s daughter

Aunt Shi was married to Kenny's brother Bob. He died in 1966 — Aunt Shi was married to Kenny’s brother Bob. He died in 1966

The flowers & plants delivered by people we support with our business

The food line - served by our Dinner Club — The food line – served by our Dinner Club

Looking towards the south — Looking towards the South

Pam and Heidi serving up root beer floats

People gathered around the petting zoo entrance — People standing around the petting zoo entrance

Miniature horse & foal at the petting zoo

On the lawnmower course (tractor driving simulation)

Playing Man-Size Jenga in the Ag Olympics area

Cousin Charlie (in blue) farms just down the road. He is talking with Alton & Uncle Jim Aanerud

Cousin Craig & Denise Aamodt. We are so thankful for their help with the food!

As you can see, the day was fun, even though it was very hot and humid (by Minnesota standards, anyway). We are thankful that the storms held off until after everyone was either back home, or tucked in their hotel for the night. Jonathan and I keep talking about different aspects of the day, and how much fun it was. We both feel so blessed to be a part of the heritage of this farm. We are so thankful that we have a great extended family. One thing we really try to work on is relationships – whether it is with family, neighbors, grain buyers, the guy who changes oil in the van – it doesn’t matter who they are. Relationships matter.

With that, it is time to look forward to the next 100 years.

Our Menu for the Celebration:

Organic Marshall Salad (recipe will appear in another post)
Organic Fruit Salad (strawberries, 2 varieties grapes, watermelon, candy cantelope, honeydew melon)
Grilled Pork Chops (expertly grilled by the Lyon County Farm Bureau board-they grill about 5000 chops/year at the Farm Fest farm show)
Simply Balanced Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips
Lemonade
Water
1919 Rootbeer (my all time favorite)
Schwan’s Vanilla Ice Cream

Fun Fact Friday – John Deere Runs in our Blood

This was supposed to have been written yesterday afternoon (Friday), but we had a few waves of severe weather that put us in the basement for awhile. We’re all okay, and our crops look decent despite a bit of hail. Today is our Century Farm Appreciation Party! We are so thankful for the support from family and friends, and all those we do business with. Planning this event has been an exercise in counting our blessings.

Our daughter, Anna, has been putting together a PowerPoint slide show for part of our display. We noticed a trend when it comes to equipment…99% of it is John Deere! Here are a few photos that show the history of our harvesting equipment.

I’m not certain on what the correct order is for the first three photos, but I will be asking some of our local experts. That is the other fun part of this journey. Asking questions of our more seasoned generation, and watching their eyes light up as they talk about using the different pieces of machinery when they were young. Most of the gentlemen I have talked with are either retired, or are getting close to retirement. They all have passed the usual retirement age, but they still love to farm, so they have not yet fully retired. That says something, I think. What other job has you wanting to stay there even after you’ve reached your mid-70’s?

Next week, I’ll give a recap of our Appreciation Party. In the meantime, I have some salads to make.

Throwback Thursday – 100 Years

This weekend we’ll be officially celebrating our farm’s 100th Anniversary. We’ve learned more about the family that moved here in 1913 through their photos and diaries. One of the photos that took our breath away is of Daniel Olson, who moved his family from Iowa to Minnesota in 1913. This photo had to have been taken around the time they moved to our farm, or not long before they left Iowa, based on the age of the boy (Silas Olson) in the photo…which makes this particular photo over 100 years old. We are super thankful that someone labeled the back of this photo, or we would have never known who it was!

It has been an awesome journey to learn more about the family that I married into. There is a definite humor gene that has been passed down from generation to generation! There are also traits that have been passed down, such as hospitality, compassion, a good work ethic, to name a few. My digging into the Olson family history will not be done once the last guest leaves on Saturday. There are too many questions that need to be answered!

So, my public service announcement, once again, is to take tons of photos of you family…and don’t forget to label them for future generations!

Fun Fact Friday – Some Things Never Change

In a past blog, I’ve talked about how we are following in Grandpa’s footsteps by raising seed. As we look at the history of our farm, and the men who have built it to what it is today, we find little gems that make us squeal with delight.

I may or may not have jumped up and down like a little girl when we found a newspaper article featuring Grandpa Nuel, and Uncle Bob. The article talks about what it takes to raise seed, and why they do it. It also talks about why Bob built the shop that still stands at our place.

When I first read the newspaper article, the thing that struck me is how similar the seed production requirements are today as they were back in that time (we’re estimating the article was written around 1950). The author does a great job of explaining the whole process from planting, to harvest, to storage.

We live in a world where everything has to be the latest and greatest. If it is shiny, updated, loaded with features, we will do what we have to in order to get it. We “need” the software that organizes everything, the farm apps that keep cropping and livestock records, and iAnything to make our lives run efficiently. I will freely admit that I love my electronics!

Sometimes, though, we get little reminders that the “old” way isn’t as outdated as we thought. While our field inspectors may record things on their laptops, we still need the inspectors’ feet in the dirt, looking for things that could prevent us from selling our crop for seed. The process, as a whole, is solid. While we may have an easier time tracking lot numbers and field information with computers (and let’s be honest, hello printing capabilities! I can’t imagine hand writing out tags for 3000 bushels of seed!), the steps to go from seed to plant to grow to harvest to seed is still pretty good.

Like Grandpa is quoted as saying in the article below, we enjoy producing high quality seed. Some things never change.

(Click on the article to make it bigger)

Fun Fact Friday – Grandma Myrtle’s Time at S.A.U.M

We found one of Grandma Myrtle’s diaries from her time at S.A.U.M. We had no idea what those letters stood for, but we knew it was close to Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN. Then, we found photo albums from her time there…mystery solved! Grandma Myrtle and Grandpa Nuel attended the School of Agriculture at the University of Minnesota in St Paul! Nuel was a freshman in 1916-1917, and Myrtle was a freshman in 1920.

First page of Myrtle's Diary - notice the date — First page of Myrtle’s Diary – notice the date

Grandma’s diary also mentions going to Luther Seminary to attend Vespers, going to volleyball and basketball practice at the YWCA, and which boys walked her home. The photos in her album include many of the “Cottonwood Bunch”, and the girls she would hang out with. I was pretty excited to find this photo of the campus from her time there:

The joy we have found in reading Myrtle’s diaries, looking through her photo albums, and Nuel’s photo albums has made me a little more resolved to take more photos…and to label them! What we think is mundane, some day our descendents will find fascinating!

My absolute favorite line from Myrtle’s diaries was on the bottom of the page at the end of her first year at S.A.U.M:

Fun Fact Friday – Century Farm Edition part 1

Our family is having fun researching the history of our farm as we prepare for our appreciation party planned for the end of June. For the next few Fridays, I’ll share a fun fact related to what we have found.

Today’s Fun Fact:

In 1914, for 50 cents, our farm was registered as Fairview Farm by Daniel Olson.

A copy of the farm name registration from the county courthouse

So, What Do You Do All Day?

Thanks to my friend, Emily Zweber of Zweber Family Farms, for the inspiration for this slightly sarcastic look at a farm wife working in the field.

Seeding Wheat

On April 29th, we started seeding fields of wheat as well as fields of barley and peas. We raise a few varieties of wheat based on the needs of Albert Lea Seed House, who we raise seed for. This means we need to clean out the grain drill and the seed tender between varieties. We like to use a ShopVac® to get as much seed out as possible from the inside. We save the unused seed in case we need to replant a wet spot, or we’ll use it as part of a cover crop mix.

After the insides are vacuumed, we need to drop the trap door at the top of every seed tube. There are 60 seed tubes on our drill. I know that, because I count them every time I drop them.

After the seed is emptied, I make sure each meter trap door is adjusted correctly for the type of seed we are using. Wheat seed is set with the narrowest opening, field peas have the medium opening. If I don’t get the openings set correctly, we’ll either lose a lot of seed, or won’t get the seed planted at the rate we want. In this photo, you can sort of see the little lever I’m grabbing to drop the seed. That same lever is the one that sets the width of the opening.

Once the tubes have been emptied, and the levers are on the correct notch, we are ready to refill. The drill is brought out to the field, switched from transport mode to field mode, then we are ready to load it up with seed.

More farmers are now using a mini-bulk system. Each mini-bulk bag holds the equivalent of 40 bags of seed, which saves on labor and paper bag costs…and for me, this year, chiropractor costs. The bags are hoisted up by the forklift, and dumped into a seed tender wagon. The seed tender has an auger system that is powered by the tractor’s hydraulic system.

Emptying a mini-bulk into the seed tender wagon

After the seed tender has the right amount of seed in it, we pull it to the field with the tractor. Not a job I’m particularly fond of, but sometimes you just have to put on your big girl panties and do it. I hate transporting equipment on the tar roads, mostly due to the impatience of other drivers. If everyone slows down, and gives farm equipment plenty of room, all will be happier.

There are times when we still use small bags, depending on how much of that particular variety we are going to plant. For those situations, we drive the pickup – which has been loaded with the seed – out to the field. The end gate is about the same height as the walking platform on the back of the drill, so carrying bags from pickup to drill isn’t too difficult.

A little something for my South Dakota friends

After we get the drill full of seed, Jonathan can start seeding.This brings up a question that I asked when I was still a new farm wife. Why is it called seeding wheat? When we use the grain drill, we use the term ‘seeding’. When we use the corn planter, we use the term ‘planting’. Soybeans can either be seeded with the grain drill (we call it solid seeding the soybeans), or planted with the corn planter. We plant our soybeans with the corn planter, because that is what works best for us. Just like everything else, different farms have different things that work for them.

Some of the photos above were taken at night, and some in the morning. If we were close to finishing a field, Jonathan would push it a little so we could get done with that field. There were a few nights of little sleep, but we got it all in before we received a nice rain. As of Mother’s Day, we can see the first wheat fields starting to show a green haze. One of my favorite things in spring is seeing the seeds pop, and the fields slowly turn green. (The photo below is barley, but the wheat field looks very similar…the barley was across the road from the house, so it was the easiest to photograph.)

This is barley, but the wheat looks about like this — First flush of green!

Riding Along in My John Deere Tractor

Ride along with me in the tractor while I prepare the field for seeding barley and peas. If you’d like to learn more about how we grow barley and peas together, check out last year’s post.

Enjoy the ride!

Ahhh. Spring!

I love how quickly the landscape can change when the sun gets a chance to heat things up a little bit.

This photo is from April 25, 2013:

This photo is from April 26, 2013:

Both photos were taken from the same field driveway just to the north of our yard. The first one was taken from the van, the second one was taken on my walk…that I went on in shorts and a short sleeved shirt.

The guys are busy getting the planter ready, and I’ve received my spring assignment. If everything dries well this weekend, I will be out running the field cultivator next week! I can’t wait!

Look for photos and commentary on my spring in the fields…when we finally get out there. In the mean time, I’m going to be thankful for the first warm weekend since October.

Category: agriculture

Century Farm Appreciation Party – What a Day!

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Fun Fact Friday – John Deere Runs in our Blood

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Throwback Thursday – 100 Years

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Fun Fact Friday – Some Things Never Change

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Fun Fact Friday – Grandma Myrtle’s Time at S.A.U.M

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Fun Fact Friday – Century Farm Edition part 1

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So, What Do You Do All Day?

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Seeding Wheat

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Riding Along in My John Deere Tractor

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Ahhh. Spring!

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