I learned to be thankful for farmers by watching and listening to my grandpas. One was still actively farming with an uncle when I was growing up, and the others had retired. (I had three sets of grandparents, due to my birth mother’s death when I was 2.) Watching my one grandpa come in from feeding the animals in the morning, washing up with the Lava soap at the sink just inside the kitchen door before sitting down for breakfast, all with a smile, made a huge impression on me. We were given jobs to do when we stayed with grandpa and grandma, which helped to teach me a tiny bit of the work that goes into farming. Our jobs were easy at our grandparent’s, since we were from the city. We learned a little more about taking care of farm animals from our cousins who lived a couple of miles away. They had dairy cows for awhile, as well as pigs. We learned how to take care of calves, and how they milk the cows. I was always fascinated by that, and wanted to be able to take care of my own animals some day. That wish came true when we started raising pigs in 1989.
As an adult, I’ve learned that farmers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, religious, and political beliefs. Their farms are very diverse, growing everything from apples to zucchini. The one thing they have in common, is an appreciation for the land and animals in their care. Some days the work is difficult, and some days pretty easy. Even with all of the uncertainty with weather and commodity prices, farmers are a pretty optimistic bunch. There’s always tomorrow (sorry if you are now thinking of the song from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), or there’s always next year are common phrases. I believe it is an attitude that is passed down through the generations. In the photo above, Jonathan’s great-grandfather, Daniel Olson, is working in the field. He moved his family up to our farm from Iowa in 1913. His wife and children probably had no idea what they were moving into. As we celebrated our farm’s 100th Anniversary this summer, we all were very thankful for that optimistic attitude that prompted them to seek a better farm.
In the 25 years I have lived and worked on the farm, I have learned how to communicate with other farmers. Many times, as I’m interacting with farmers from around the world through social media, I learn about a way of farming that I had never witnessed before. The food that they grow is one I like to cook or bake with, but had no idea how it was grown. I love when those farmers take the time to share their way of farming, and I am thankful that they care enough to share their stories.
To read more blogs written by farmers, check out Holly Spangler’s page, where she has compiled a list of other 30 day challenge bloggers.
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.
A neon green sky is never good
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!
Some of our food preppers
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 & I in our polosJonathan’s dad, Kenny, and Aunt Fern. Kenny & Fern grew up on our farmCousin Linda & Marty from Michigan. Linda is Aunt Fern’s daughterAunt Shi was married to Kenny’s brother Bob. He died in 1966The flowers & plants delivered by people we support with our businessThe food line – served by our Dinner ClubLooking towards the SouthLooking towards the NorthPam and Heidi serving up root beer floatsPeople standing around the petting zoo entranceWatching the PowerPoint slide showCalf at the petting zooMiniature horse & foal at the petting zooOur wheat pool in the petting zoo areaOn the lawnmower course (tractor driving simulation)Playing Man-Size Jenga in the Ag Olympics areaCousin Charlie (in blue) farms just down the road. He is talking with Alton & Uncle Jim AanerudCousin 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)
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.
45
4400
7720
9600
9650
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.
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!
Daniel Olson and Silas
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!
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.
The shop that Bob built
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.
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
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:
S.A.U.M circa 1920
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:
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
Some of the cool things I was able to get my hands on yesterday while researching our farm’s history…abstracts that were over 125 years old. Land sold for $5.50/acre
First owner (non-relative) of our land. Paid $1100 for 200 acres.
I think it’s time I aired a few things… I am not perfect.
I use too much hairspray, swear too much (sorry, mom), drink a little (again – sorry, mom), am addicted to good coffee, and have a temper. I never finished college, and I don’t have perfect grammar. I am overweight because I love good food, and I don’t exercise enough. I am super scared of mice, and I hate spiders.
I have good qualities as well. I am a christian, am active in my church, and I love to give back when I can. I am involved on many agricultural related committees and task forces. I am a wife, mom, aunt, sister, cousin, and friend. I love my whole crazy family – the in-laws and outlaws, too. I try to be respectful at all times, whether I am communicating in person, or on the internet. I am loyal to a fault…yes, I’m still a Minnesota pro sports fan.
Jonathan and I hang out with very different groups of people. We have our neighborhood card club, made up mostly of Belgian-American farmers that are pretty much all related to each other. We are the only Scandinavians in the group. Then there is our dinner club, made up of 5 couples from church. Our ages range from early 40’s to mid-70’s. It is a very eclectic group, but we have tons of fun. I am active in Farm Bureau, and count amongst my friends farmers from all over the US and Canada. There are many different farming styles represented by my friends.
I’m pretty sure there are no others on the planet that have the same personality quirks that I do. I am an individual, unique, even a bit crazy at times. Yet, I am welcomed into each group because I have at least one thing in common with them. The whole six degrees of separation thing has proven itself many times!
Does this sound any different from the rest of you?
I am an organic crop farmer. I’m not a 1st generation hippie farmer like some would like you to believe. Our farm will be celebrating it’s centennial this year. 100 years of continuous Olson family farmers. Jonathan and I started farming together in 1988. We farmed conventionally until 1998, when we started to transition our first field into organic production. We finished transitioning all of our acres just a few years ago. In the early ’90’s, many farm economists were talking about value added opportunities, and finding alternative crops to grow to stay viable. So, we did. We love our method of farming, and we are proud of what we grow. That attitude is pretty much the same attitude that Jonathan’s great-grandfather had when he moved his family to this farm from Iowa. It is the same attitude that Jonathan’s grandfather had when he started raising seed for the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association in the 1940’s.
More confessions – we do not eat an exclusively organic diet. We eat more meat than vegetables at some meals, and don’t feel bad about it. I buy groceries based on taste preferences, and what’s available at the time. I don’t like turnips or tons of root vegetables. I have never tried kale, and part of me thinks there is no way it can be good for you. I don’t like heavy whole wheat breads. And, I don’t feel guilty for my food choices. I know that whatever I choose to eat, a farmer is involved.
I don’t think I fit any stereotypes for organic farmers. Funny thing is, I don’t know too many who do.
The point of this whole thing? Every farmer is unique. We all do things a little differently on our farms, like to eat different foods, and cheer for different sports teams. We can get along when we are face to face at meetings, on trips, or just hanging out. Why, then, does it seem like we can’t get along on the internet? Why do people feel free to put down others in a medium that is viewed by those who may not understand the subjects we are arguing about? Just discussing the pros and cons of certain GM seeds, or different organic methods can quickly turn into a battle between farmers. What’s the point in that? What are others hearing when farmers are putting each other down?
I shared some my laundry at the beginning of this blog – not to make myself feel better, but to point out that we typically only see a small portion of who a person is. Agriculture is the same way. What we talk about on social media is only a small portion of what farming is. Instead of focusing on the faults, why not take a look at the whole picture? You might find that you have more in common with each other than you think.
