The Farming Families of Sioux County-May 2019

of Sioux County MAY 2019

Meet the

WINTERFELD Family

FAITH

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FAMILY

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FRIENDS

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FARMING

Proceeds from event will be given directly to

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TEXT TO 72727 TO STAY POSTED ON NEWS AND UPDATES. The Farming Families of Sioux PORKPALOOZA County | May 2019

OUR PHILOSOPHY There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year, he won the award for the best grown corn. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.

“Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”

So is with our lives... Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

-Author Unknown

Call it power of collectivity.

Call it a principle of success.

Call it a law of life.

The fact is, none of us truly wins, until we all win!

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

Proverbs 11:24-25

May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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of Sioux County PUBLISHERS Garrett and Mindy Gross, AGE Media IOWA MANAGER Bob Fitch, AGE Media DIRECT ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, STORY SUBMISSIONSAND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE TO:

712-551-4123 bob@agemedia.pub The Farming Families of Sioux County is distributed free exclusively to the farmers, ranchers, and producers in rural Sioux County, Iowa. ©2019 The Farming Families of Sioux County Magazine. All rights reserved.

Content in this magazine should not be copied in any way without written permission from the publisher. The Farming Families of Sioux County assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Content in articles, editorial material and advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by The Farming Families of Sioux County.

COVER: Doug, Dave, Don, Claudette, Dan and Corey Winterfeld

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The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE

WELCOME TO FARMING FAMILIES MAGAZINE! On behalf of our publishers Garrett and Mindy Gross, owners of Age Media & Promotion, I want to welcome you to the very first issue of “The Farming Families of Sioux County.” We’re excited to join the dynamic agricultural community of Sioux County (and Lyon County too with a sister publication there).

Farming Families is all about “the good stuff” … farm families, youth in agriculture, local history, rural entrepreneurs, and ag-related businesses.

You won’t find any mention of politics or other divisive topics in our pages. With the five countyspecific Farming Families magazines Garrett and Mindy have been publishing in South Dakota for several years, readers have affirmed their belief that providing a bright light of positivity is a welcome sight in their mailbox.

Each month, our cover story will feature a farm family from Sioux County. We’ll complement the cover story with the aforementioned topics plus introduce you to a farm family from one of your neighboring counties. Our approach is to view this county’s farm families as part of a collective neighborhood. We’re here to help you and your neighbors to share stories and make connections.

Because this magazine is about you and your neighbors, we want and need your involvement.

Email your submissions, questions and suggestions to bob@agemedia.pub.

A little bit about me … I was born just across the Sioux River in Hudson, S.D., and grew up in Sioux Falls and Yankton. In the mid-1970s, while living in Yankton, my parents started farming the family farm west of Hudson. Every weekend, we “commuted” from Yankton to Hudson to get the field work done. My dad (Bob Fitch Sr.) took a lot of vacation time from his cattle buyer/ salesman job in Yankton to get the crops planted and harvested in the spring and fall. My parents returned to Hudson and built a new home on the farm in 2004.

In my high school and college years, I lived with my grandparents in Hudson during the summer and spent many hours cultivating the corn and soybeans as well as walking the beans on the

farm founded by my great-greatgrandfather in 1873. I’ve spent 24 of the past 32 years since I graduated from Augustana in positions connected with agriculture. I worked for a farm newspaper and then spent two decades with ag associations in Minnesota. A new professional opportunity brought my family to Hawarden in late 2012.

Today, my wife Kathy is a special education teacher at Lifescape in Sioux Falls and my son Cole works for PR Construction in Ireton. Our grandson Robby attends West Sioux Schools.

For the past six years of my career, I have been out of agriculture. After meeting and interviewing the Winterfeld and Meyer families featured in this issue, I knew I made the right decision to return to agriculture and sign on with Farming Families magazine. I was welcomed with real warmth into the homes of Don and Claudette Winterfeld and their sons of Sioux Center and the Dean and Linda Meyer family of Lester. It’s also been a pleasure to get to meet so many local business owners as we’ve worked to build our clientele of sponsors.

Bob Fitch Jr. (right) is the manager of the Farming Families magazines in Sioux and Lyon County. He’s pictured with his wife Kathy, son Cole, and grandson Robby.

My mother’s grandparents and great-grandparents emigrated from the Netherlands to Sioux County about 120 years ago. Meanwhile, my dad is about to embark on a second marriage with a lovely woman whose family has been part of the farming community in Lyon County for many years. I look forward to expanding upon these connections and meeting many more of you in the months to come.

Bob Fitch Area Manager, AGE Media (712) 551-4123 Bob@agemedia.pub

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FAMILY

WINTERFELD SUCCESS BUILT ON TRUST AND GRACE

By Bob Fitch Dan, Dave, Doug, Claudette, Don and Corey Winterfeld 6

The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

Donald Winterfeld has lived in the same house on the family farm west of Sioux Center since he was 3 years old. Now 85, he’s still active, running a combine in the fall and serving as the “gopher” tracking down parts and supplies all over the county for his sons, Doug, Dave and Dan. Don married Claudette in 1961. She’s 79 years old and still cooks for the entire crew on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; plus does the meal preparation on Tuesday and Thursday when the crew grills its own lunch. She feeds anywhere from 10-20 hired hands depending upon the day and time of the season.

Don’s grandparents farmed in Sioux County with their 14 children. “My grandfather was real strict. If you did something wrong, you had to go get the stick for your lickin’. And the kids learned that if they came with a small stick, they’d get hit a little harder than if they came with a little bigger stick.

My uncle told me there was only one time that a kid didn’t get a lickin’ and that was my dad. My dad did something wrong in the house and his dad said ‘you go get the stick.’ And my dad came in the house with a fence post. His dad laughed at him and he didn’t get a lickin’.”

Don’s dad farmed in Minnesota for a short time before returning to Sioux County in 1937 when Don was 3 years old. Back then the farm grew about half oats and half corn. “Of course then they farmed with horses and had to have oats to feed the horses.” The horse team of Charlie and Prince got a workout pulling a two-row corn planter and cultivating the corn four times. They fed about 100 head of calves, farrowed hogs, had chickens, and sold milk to the creamery in Hull.

Chores got easier with the advent of tractors.

Their Farmall F20 had a belt-driven loader – there were no hydraulics. “It was better than nothing, although with the heavy deal on the front of that F20, then your back end was a little light, so then you really couldn’t do a lot. But it was better than doing it by hand.”

Today, Don and Claudette’s sons own and rent 5,800 acres of corn and soybeans, plus custom plant and combine for others. They feed 10,000

Don and Claudette Winterfeld

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head of beef cattle and have 1,000 head of hogs.

“We all have our little scenarios that we’re in charge of. We try not to cross over,” said Doug Winterfeld.

Adults, left to right: Marcus; Corey and Jenny; Wade and Alyssa Kroeze; Sheryl and Doug; Kelsi and Drew Evel. Small children, left to right: Maddox, Paxley, Vayda (in back), Paelyn (in front in blue), Larkin, Lola, and foster child.

Dave Winterfeld said, “The thing that makes it work is we all do our own thing – and we all trust each other to get our jobs done. Good, bad or indifferent, we all work through it.” Dave generally works on the planting and harvesting side of the operation, plus hauls wet feed from ethanol plants and delivers feed. He’s the treasurer for Siouxland Ethanol at Sioux Center.

Dan Winterfeld runs a livestock trucking business and is also in charge of a cattle manure composting operation. They use about half of the compost on their own land and half they sell to other producers. All of their acres are enrolled in the USDA NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

The program helps producers develop a tailored plan to increase productivity and protect the value of the land.

Tate, Sara, Stella, Dan, Scarlett, and Karsyn Winterfeld

Ava, Ayden, Tasha, Adi, Dave and Asha Winterfeld 8

The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

Dan and manager Mick Toering carefully manage the application of compost and lime to control weeds. The dry product weighs half as much as wet manure and has virtually no smell. With some of their fields 30 or more miles away, they maximize efficiency by hauling the compost to the field during harvest and haul corn back in the same trucks.

Toering, along with Doug’s son Corey, also manage human resources and daily operations including the allocation of the time of the hired men. “Mick balances everything out. It helps to keep the emotions out

of it,” said Doug. The farm has about 10 full-time employees, plus the feed hauling business has 6-7 employees and the livestock trucking business has 2-3 employees.

Corey is also in charge of crop production purchases and the finances at the farm. His management role is growing.

Corey’s wife, Jenny, is a lawyer in Sioux Center and a judge in Lyon County.

Doug started farming with his dad right out of high school in 1981. He regrets not spending more time with his children when they were younger because he was so focused on the farming business. But he’s changed his tune and now encourages their employees to actively engage with their children’s activities. “We want them to be there for their kids. Mick really helps allocate our labor pool to make sure everything here is covered.”

In addition to Corey, Doug and his wife, Sheryl, have three other children and seven grandchildren. Daughter Alissa owns a hairdresser shop in

Asha Winterfeld, grand champion at the 2017 All American Quarter Horse Congress

Ava Winterfeld, reserve grand champion at the 2018 All American Quarter Horse Congress.

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Center. Private investors are coordinating the effort to build the 166,000-square-foot center which has an estimated cost of about $10 million. It will host horse cutting, roping and barrel racing; livestock exhibitions; farms shows; and other events. The hope is also to have an outdoor amphitheater and an “Old Town Iowa” street where each town in the county can have a building to represent their community.

Adi Winterfeld at the 2018 Iowa Quarter Horse Fall Classic

Sioux Center; daughter Kelsi is a licensed teacher but is currently at home with a newborn in the Twin Cities; and son Marcus is a student and basketball player at Dordt College.

hog confinement cleaning & disinfection

Dave and his wife, Tasha, spend much of their spare time escorting their daughters to competitive horse riding events. The oldest, Asha, 20, was the national champion in the Western Pleasure Division at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus , Ohio, two years ago. The middle daughter Ava, 13, was the reserve grand champion last year. Nine-yearold Adi has big plans to match the accomplishments of her sisters.

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The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

Dave’s son, Ayden, and Dan’s son, Tate, are both 17 and love fishing and hunting.

In the summer and when they are not in school, both Ayden and Tate fill in a lot of different roles on the farm including working the cattle.

Dave is also helping to lead the development of the Sioux County Expo

Dan’s wife, Sara, does the bookkeeping for the trucking business, is a travel agent consultant, and a job recruiter.

Their oldest daughter, Karsyn, attends Dordt and is on the volleyball team. Son Tate is a junior at Western Christian and daughters Stella and Scarlett go to Sioux Center Christian.

Don and Claudette’s sons have always had a passion for basketball which Don used as a motivator in the winter when they were young. Doug said, “As soon as we got the hog barns clean, we could go play basketball. We figured out how to do things pretty fast when there’s a basketball hanging at the end of the rainbow. We got very efficient in what we could do. The problem was when summertime came, Dad remembered how fast we could do it all winter and when it would take an extra hour, he’d tell us ‘I know it didn’t take that long before.’”

Doug exercises his passion for basketball as the head girl’s basketball coach for Sioux Center High School, which included finishing as the state runners-up in 2017 and 2018.

Sheryl operates a secondhand clothing store in Sioux Center.

Doug and Sheryl have been foster parents to about 50 children over the past 8-9 years. “Our kids really pushed us to be foster parents. They just love being around other kids,” said Doug.

Some of stories about the foster children are hard to tell. “It’s sad when you see a 3-year-old who has to be looking out for a younger one, having to fill a parent role that young,” he said. While foster children sometimes come with different challenges, Doug and Sheryl find the hardest part is letting go when it’s time for the kids to move on.

Don and Claudette’s daughter Chari lives about 7 miles away.

Her husband owns Siouxland Machine in Rock Valley.

Another daughter, Cathi, died in a car accident as a teen.

Through the good times and the hard times, their faith has helped them to keep things in perspective. “What we’ve all been through and with what we still have to go through, there’s only one thing that really matters – and that’s by God’s grace we can get into heaven and we can worship God. I’d say that’s the most important thing,” said Don. Claudette agreed, “That’s the only thing that’s really real for me. I look forward to that day.

The best is yet to come.”

Sunset reflections on a local farm field. Photo by Brett Davelaar, Brett Photography May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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KEEPING LOCAL HISTORY ALIVE

NORTHWESTERN IOWA DUTCH HERITAGE CELEBRATED AT TULIP FESTIVAL Photos courtesy Orange City Chamber of Commerce

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The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

Dutch pride and history will be on vivid display during the Tulip Festival in Orange City. An annual tradition since 1936, the festival is May 16-18 this year.

Forty Dutch families took up residence in Sioux County in 1870. The descendants of these pioneers spread throughout northwestern Iowa, but Orange City continues to the nexus for “Hollanders” in the region. And every year the Tulip Festival pays homage to their European homeland, honoring the traditions and customs of their Dutch ancestors.

“When you look around Orange City today, you still see so many of the qualities of the Dutch heritage,” said Mike Hofman, executive director of the Orange City Chamber of Commerce. “The Dutch are noted for their tidiness and cleanliness and I think that’s very evident in Orange City and it’s carried through in fun ways during the Tulip Festival.”

Prior to the twice-daily parades, “street inspectors” carry on a Dutch tradition to ensure the cleanliness of the streets in anticipation of the Tulip Queen’s arrival. Boys and men throw buckets of water while girls and ladies follow with brooms, ensuring that the streets are spotless for the queen and her court.

The Volksparade is the Tulip Festival’s main event. The twice-daily parade draws thousands of spectators and is filled with sound and color.

Several of the festival floats are Dutch-themed with riders wearing authentic Dutch costumes. Bands from across the region march in the parade which is held all three days of the festival at 2:15 and 6 p.m.

About two hours before the parade, the Fietsen Zangers, or bicycle singers, perform a capella on their signature black bikes. From noon-1 p.m. each day, they spontaneously stop along Central Avenue to serenade visitors with a Dutch song in four-part harmony.

The Straat Feest, or street festival, begins at 1 p.m. Included is the Mode Show which showcases authentic, distinct and varied Dutch attire from the Netherlands. Also during Straat Feest, community members of all ages perform authentic Dutch dances while wearing traditional wooden shoes or klompen.

The Dutch Dozen is a group of 12 high school-age men and women, all dressed in traditional costumes,

Tulip Festival parade

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Left: Sioux County Courthouse, Right: Tulip Fest Quilt Show

who provide a colorful, lighthearted and melodious journey through Old Holland, with most of the choreographed singing in Dutch. An audience favorite is traditionally “Daar bij de Molen” (“There by the Windmill”), which is performed on a darkened stage with the aid of black lights shining on the orange wooden shoes and hand-made sleeves in the shape of blades of a windmill.

Shows are performed daily at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The Quilt Show includes 175 handmade quilts and quilting demonstrations take place during the day as well. At 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day, the Quilt Show features “bed 14

The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

turnings,” a traditional way women shared their quilts with one another. They met in homes, and since there wasn’t room to display all the quilts at once, they layered them on a bed. As each quilt was uncovered, the maker told its story: where she got her fabric, how she chose it, how much fabric she used, her pattern, and any challenges she had during the making.

The bed turning includes contemporary, vintage, and historical quilts along with their stories.

The Century Home depicts life in Orange City during the early 1900s. The home was built in 1900 by Orange City’s first mayor, Antonie Betten, Jr.

Its only other residents, Martin Van Oosterhout, a lawyer and Chief Justice for the U.S. Eighth District Court of Appeals, and his wife, Ethel, purchased the home in 1928.

Inside the home you’ll find the Hospers clock, which came from the Netherlands with the family of Henry Hospers, the founder of Orange City; a pipe organ handcrafted by a Dutch immigrant farmer in 1903; displays of needle work and quilts; photos and memorabilia of early Orange City residents; a room featuring former Tulip Festival queens and courts; and many other items which give a glimpse of the early days of Orange City.

Street markets have been popular in the Netherlands for hundreds of years. To replicate the authenticity of these street markets, vendor carts at the Tulip Festival have everything from fish to vegetables to fabrics and bread. Costumed folk push them during the Dutch Heritage Walk.

The festival’s Night Show this year will be Disney’s Beauty and the Beast which will be performed at 6:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, May 1314, and at 8 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday, May 15-18.

The Cruise-In Car Show is on Wednesday, May 15 beginning at 6 p.m. The Tulip Festival also includes a carnival midway and an Antique Tractor Show on Thursday-Saturday; the ArtBurst art fair on Friday and Saturday; plus a craft show on Saturday.

Many events including the parades, tractor show and car show are free. Other attractions including the Night Show, Dutch Dozen, Century Home and others have a fee. Ticket sales and complete event information can be found at www.octulipfestival.com.

Of course, tulips will be in bloom throughout the community and The Flower Show at the Dutch Heritage Museum will feature 1,000 tulips in one-of-a-kind arrangements.

“We wouldn’t be able to get it done for 79 years if there wasn’t a strong sense of community,” Hofman said.

“In fact, when you’re working on other community projects or economic development efforts, the connections made during the Tulip Festival pay dividends.”

EUREKA! THE DUTCH DISCOVER SIOUX COUNTY’S RICH LANDS Upon first laying eyes upon Sioux County, Henrik Hospers said: “… with wondering hearts those magnificent, sloping hills whose ascent was hardly perceptible, reverently bowing our heads to the Good God, who for ages had kept these rich lands in store, as it seems for those whom we represented.

We sat in silent wonder until, with one accord we exclaimed like the great philosopher of old, ‘EUREKA!’” This tale of discovery by Dutch settlers of the rich farmlands in Sioux County is from the book “Siouxland: A History of Sioux County, Iowa” by Nelson Nieuwenhuis. It’s recounted along with many other stories and photos at the Dutch American Heritage Museum in Orange City. Accompanied by antique farm implements, authentic Dutch clothing and other objects of the early days in Sioux County, the museum helps to document the region’s heritage for current and future generations.

Formerly known as the Sioux County Museum & Orange City Dutch Heritage Center, the museum is located at 120 3rd Street Southwest in Orange City.

It will be open during the Orange City Tulip Festival on May 16-18. The museum is also open for specific programs in the summer.

In 1870, the first 253 pioneers, in 40 family households, left Pella, Iowa, in five wagon caravans for Sioux County, according to “Freedom on the Horizon: Dutch Immigration in America” by Jacob Van Zee. When the railroad was built in 1872, Sioux County grew even more. City founder Henrik (Henry) Hospers actively sought Dutch immigrants, even spending time in The Netherlands to promote colonization. Soon northwestern Iowa became a new refuge for Dutch immigrants either directly from The Netherlands or from other already settled Dutch enclaves in the United States.

The museum also tells the story of Corneliske (Cornelia) De Groot De

The Dutch Room display portrays living conditions in mid-19th century North Holland.

Merchants, sea captains or farmers were families typical to such homes. Often a barn was attached to the house.

Vries who had been born in Freisland, The Netherlands in 1813. She and her husband Abe moved to America in 1863, first settling in Pella. After moving to Sioux County in 1871, Cornelia became a critical member of the community, assisting in the birth of 203 babies as a midwife from 18711890.

The museum includes a photo of Lambert Hollinga and other children on the ship Rotterdam in 1921. Hollinga turned 4 years old while aboard ship.

Born in 1917, he died in Orange City in 2013. His father, Geert Jan Hollinga immigrated to Orange City in 1920 and sent for his family the following year.

The ship docked in New York City and Hollinga’s family was processed through Ellis Island. Hollinga vividly remembered this experience, “Being vaccinated scared me to death.” He also recounts being herded like cattle and “they tied a tag on each one of us with our name and destination written on it.” Lambert eventually opened Hollinga Barber Shop in downtown Orange City. He was in business for 50 years.

May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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Sunset reflections on an area farm field

by Brett Davelaar, Brett Photography

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The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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COUNTRY NEIGHBOR

REAL SUCCESS IS KNOWING YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD

By Bob Fitch

Dean and Linda Meyer of Lester feel fortunate to live in northwest Iowa’s fertile farm country and to be able to raise a family who appreciate a life in agriculture.

Above photo: Jacob and daughter-in-law Hannah; son-in-law Nash and Tarah; daughter-in-law Alice holding Kenna and Alvie with Brayden; Linda and Dean; Blake; Kortlen and Kasha (on tire); son-in-law Drew and Lanna with River 18

The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

“There’s a lot of gratification to have the opportunity to work with your boys … seeing them take off with something,” said Dean. “There are a lot of things they can do better than I can. It’s truly a God-given blessing to have boys who can work and take the business to the next level.”

Their oldest son Alvie graduated from Iowa Lakes Community College and leads the management of Meyer Stock Farms’ 1,100-head beef feedlot. He and his wife Alice have three children, Kasha, Brayden, and Kenna.

Middle son Jacob is married to Hannah and they have one child, Bailee. He went to South Dakota State University where he majored in ag science.

Youngest son Blake is a junior at West Lyon High School and is thinking about studying diesel mechanics at a technical college and bringing that expertise back to the farm. He’s active in FFA where he’s on the ag mechanics team this year.

Why have all three chosen farming? “That’s what we love. I don’t think there’s anywhere else that would fit. I couldn’t sit in an office from 8-5,” said Alvie.

He started his own cow herd when he was in FFA in high school. Alvie, Jacob and Blake, along with their cousins, are the fourth generation of Meyers farming in Lyon County. Their great grandfather moved here from Kansas in the 1930s.

“Making decisions, we do it all together,” Dean said.

“When you’ve got young guys, they’ve got new ideas and most of the time they merit digging into.

Some work, some don’t, but you don’t know unless you do a little research on it.

“We know one thing for sure, there’s going to be change. And the key is you’ve got to move with it. If you’re not going forward, you’re going backward,” said Dean.

In recent years, they’ve been changing how they buy and market their cattle. “Originally we bought calves in the fall and sold them all within two months.

We were hitting one market buying and one selling.

We decided we needed to do something different,” Dean said. Sourcing calves out of Tennessee, they are now buying and selling cattle every month.

The Tennessee connection was made as a result of a relationship he created through his service on the U.S. Meat Export Federation board. “That’s the thing about being on those boards, not only representing what you do, but just rubbing shoulders with people all over the country. It helps broaden your horizons.”

Dean is also on the board of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and Alvie is on the board of directors of the Lyon County Cattlemen’s Association.

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They Meyers are looking into further expansion of their beef herd which are fed in a combination of a feedlot and a monoslope barn. Alvie works on the day-to-day sourcing of the least-cost feed ration which includes purchasing ethanol byproducts.

The Meyers have also been changing their swine operation where they send about 8,000 hogs to market each year. Originally their pigs were coming from his brother who has a sow unit down the road.

With the swine disease issues in northwest Iowa, they wanted to look at other options. “We ended up building a sow unit with a group of farmers out

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May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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Top Left: Brayden, Dean and Alvie Top Right: Dean and Linda Meyer Bottom Left: Daughters-inlaw Hannah and Alice with grandchildren Kasha, Kenna and Brayden Bottom Right: Linda with Bailee

in eastern South Dakota. We get our pigs out of there and we wean-to-finish them,” said Dean.

Previously Dean was in partnership with his parents, Raymond and Twyla, and his brothers, Denis and Brad, but they amicably split into three family corporations several years ago. “It’s an opportunity for each of us to work with our boys. It seems like everyone’s got different ideas, different passions.

“My dad was always able to allow individuals to bring the best out in themselves. It’s just a matter of when they’re good with something, they go with it. Some like doing the physical part, some like the business part, some like the mechanical part. It’s finding that balance in there and what can be an asset for the operation.”

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The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

Their CPA Dave Halse helped them transition from the previous corporation into the new family farm corporation. “ Dave understands the personality of Lyon County and Sioux County and how we work here as farm families.

He understands the dynamics of it.”

Just as their business structure, beef and hog enterprises are evolving, the Meyers are also diving into precision crop farming. Jacob works parttime at Pioneer and applies his knowledge of Pioneer’s nutrient management program called Encirca to the farm’s 1,500 acres of corn and soybeans.

“We want to be wise stewards of the resources we’re given,” said Jacob.

Much of what the Encirca program focuses on is management of nitrogen. “We

used to always make sure we put plenty of nitrogen out there. But now we can variable rate it on the fields,” Dean said.

Jacob said farmers can splitapply nitrogen and put half on in the spring and half during the growing season; and use the program based on the weather and based on soil type to get the correct yield for the year.

Dean said, “We’ve got to do our part. The voluntary nutrient reduction strategy in Iowa encourages all farmers to do their part.”

Ultimately, livestock is king.

“There’s a reason why there is so much livestock here in northwest Iowa. It is the best place in the country to raise livestock. You can do it most efficiently and we’ve got a good workforce here with solid

farm families. A wise old guy told me once: ‘The best labor is the ones you raise.’”

Meyers are exploring possible niche markets on the hog side and producing a specific type of beef carcass that is more desirable to the consumer – and trying to do it at the lowest cost. “In the end, we’ve got to produce what the consumer wants. That’s the end user of our product.”

Life isn’t all work though, Dean said. “It’s good to take a week or a weekend to get away. Once a year, we all take a vacation together. We leave the farm to someone else and enjoy going to the Black Hills.”

They also like to visit daughter Lanna and son-in-law Drew Schmidgall and grandchildren Kortlen and River who live in Morris, Minn. Their other daughter Tarah is married to Nash Knobloch who manages a feedlot with his brother near Rock Rapids.

“When the kids were growing up, we went camping a lot.

We drug that camper all over.

Being farmers, we like the outdoors. I’ve got a sister in Los Angeles and we enjoy visiting her and her family, but, you know, I can’t get out of that city fast enough,” Dean said.

able to work with our children and see them grow in to adults, and now raise their children in the same manner. I’m so thankful for this heritage,” she said.

Linda said some of the biggest challenges of farm life are bearing the weight and responsibility of keeping it all together. “I have found out its important to keep a positive attitude during challenging and stressful times.”

What guides the Meyers as a business and as a family? “We can all agree that there’s a much higher power that we’re subject to,” said Dean. “We feel

we have a strong faith in God and that’s where it all starts.

If what we do doesn’t bring glory to God, we’re not going to be blessed here. That’s really where we need to put our values at.

Cattle in feedlot

“There’s a lot of things we do on faith. It should be natural for a farmer,” he said.

“Success isn’t always a monetary thing. In fact, I know it isn’t,” Dean said. “Of course, we all want to be successful.

But real success is when you get to the end of your life and you have that peace in your heart knowing that you did the best that you could.”

Married to Dean since 1985, Linda has always enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom.

“As the children left, I have become more involved helping Dean and the boys on the farm especially during spring fieldwork and harvest. I am the grain cart operator during harvest, and I enjoy keeping the acreages mowed, trimmed, and maintained.

“The best thing that I have enjoyed about farm life is being

Jacob, Alvie, Blake and Dean Meyer May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

HEALING HOPE MINISTRIES, INC. In July 2012, Brandon, S.D. couple Denny and Karri Allen experienced the devastating loss of their 15-month old son Asher. At the time, he was their only child, and they were left with emptiness. “It was a very difficult year going forward. It was a very dark time for us,” shares Denny.

Shortly after Asher’s death, the couple found and attended a retreat near Crosslake, Minn. called Smile Again Ministries. “Looking back, we feel that’s what impacted our grief journey the most, aside from meeting and talking with many other families who’ve experienced a similar loss,” says Karri.

After a few years on their grief journey, they strongly felt God calling them to pursue opportunities in the area for families grieving the death of children. After much prayer and many discussions, Denny and Karri felt it on their hearts to bring a program like Smile Again to South Dakota.

“We began praying about it and started asking various people in our lives to help us with this vision,” says Karri. One of the first couples they met with were instantly drawn to the vision and offered to help them locate and purchase the land to get started. Soon, another couple offered to connect them with legal counsel to help establish their organization, which they named Healing Hope Ministries. They founded the organization in the state of South Dakota on March 25, 2016 (Asher’s Birthday). “Having a place such as Healing Hope Ministries can give grieving moms and dads an outlet they sometimes can’t find with family and friends,” explains Karri.

Inspiration to start the organization stemmed from Karri’s strong connections with other moms

Karri and Denny with their sons (left to right) Isaac (4 years old) and Elijah (5 years old) 22

The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

C.

Asher

in the area who had experienced the death of a child. Denny says, “She would have 3-hour ‘lunch dates’, and they would just share their hearts with each other. That was so comforting and healing to her. I believe this is what really opened our minds to pursuing the vision that God had been laying on our hearts.”

Karri adds, “All I wanted to do was talk to other women who had been in similar situations.

I needed to know I would be okay...that I could survive, because, honestly, I didn’t think I could.”

Denny and Karri are in the process of completing the retreat guest house on an acreage near Alcester. They hope to open it this spring.

They are currently looking for goods and services to complete the guest house renovation as

well as help furnishing it.

Couples can stay at the retreat for a minimum of two nights and a maximum of four nights. Healing Hope relies on donations to operate the retreat, and their goal is to keep the cost to attend low for families walking through grief.

S c h o l a r s h i p s a re available, if there is a financial need.

Others can help by attending events, volunteering, and sponsoring community Walk to Remember events and praying for families while on the retreat. For those who share their vision,

One of the resort paths May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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Beautiful view at the retreat location

Karri suggests, “Helping us promote Healing Hope within your communities, place of employment, churches, and connecting us with families who may be walking the path of child loss are very helpful.”

To advocate Healing Hope’s mission, Denny and Karri maintain an online presence and rely on word-of-mouth, p e r s o n a l re l a t i o n s h i p s , hospitals, churches, funeral homes and counselors. They also speak at churches and various local events.

The Allens’ goal for Healing Hope is to help families find hope after the death of a child.

“Through visiting with families and helping them feel they are in a safe environment, you can see the walls come down as they openly express their innermost feelings of pain and 24

The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

hurt,” says Denny.

The couple wrote a book titled The Walk about their experience. "There is no getting over this loss. It's something you think about continually, but it does change, and Denny and Karri with their book, The Walk we want people to understand there's hope for that change,” shares Denny.

For news and announcement on Healing Hope’s events, watch their website (www.healinghopes.com) and Facebook page (Facebook.com/healinghopeministriesSD).

You can find the Allens’ book, The Walk on Amazon.

For more information or to get involved, contact: Denny Allen 605-321-1875, denny@healinghopes.com Karri Allen 605-201-4261, karri@healinghopes.com

SIOUX CENTER HEALTH

is here to serve our local farmers At Sioux Center Health, we are here to serve you and your family throughout the continuum of care — from birth to end of life, and every stage in between. As a health ministry guided by Christian values, we are committed to consistently delivering an excellent experience to every person at every encounter to fulfil our mission of bringing hope, health, and healing to life.

• • • • •

Family Medicine and Clinics Hospital and Outpatient Care Birthing Center Therapy and Rehabilitation Senior Living

• • • •

Hospice and Home Care Childcare and Preschool Occupational Health Home Medical Equipment

For more information about our services, visit siouxcenterhealth.org.

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1922

712-476-5343

Van Zee Enterprises, Inc. | FAMILY OWNED and OPERATED SINCE 1922 2015 N Main Street, Rock Valley, IA 51247 | vanzeeent.com May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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SPONSOR PROFILE BENCO PRODUCTS

Left to right: Dan Severson, Brian Bentz and Jason Benning

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Thomas Edison is credited with the quote “Opportunity is missed by most people, because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”. For Jason Benning, a graduate of the University of South Dakota and the founder and president of Benco Products in Tea, this may be especially true. In 2006, he saw several gaps in the ag market that were not being filled. He jumped at the opportunity to offer products that solve those challenges and launched an online catalog to sell the products. For the last 12 years, with hard work, Benco Products has grown to become a manufacturer and distributor of

The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

specialty ag products nationally and globally.

However, providing quality products and service to local farmers continues to be their top priority.

Over the years, Benco’s custom-built electronics became more and more popular. As the demand increased for their manufactured products, the company opened their retail store in Tea in 2009. They started selling sprayer controls, spray tips, plastic fittings and other parts to complement their custom-built products. They expanded their variety of products to serve their

Benco booth at Sioux Falls Farm Show

growing number of customers.

Jason explains, “We work with a wide variety of customers.

From the family farm all the way up to large COOPs, we can help them all.”

Benco can be best described as a company that finds solutions. It is a common occurrence that farmers are faced with situations where creativity to resolve a challenge is essential. Jason and his team pride themselves in having the experience and the parts to figure out ways to make square pegs work in round holes when needed, for example. Not only does Benco have access to a large array of products but also the ability to provide the service and

knowledge to properly utilize those parts.

Benco sells products from manufacturers like Raven, Precision Planting, Hypro Banjo, Ace Pumps and more.

Their sales and service team, which also includes Dan Severson and Brian Bentz, know what producers are looking for and understand the farmers’ goals. “Farmers want a product that can help them get back in the field as quickly as possible, but they also want a product they know works well and won’t break down either,” says Dan. Jason is proud of where the company is at today, because of their great customers. He

says his team is happy to accommodate their customers’ needs any time of day.

“Farming is not an 8 to 5 job; we understand that. We are on call day or night. Because without our great customers, Benco would still be a dream!”

27093 Katie Road Tea, SD 57064 (605) 213-1010 Bencoparts.com sales@bencoparts.com

May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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FINANCIAL FOCUS account is best for your situation. Some of the options are IRA, Simple IRA, SEP, and Solo 401(k).

Solo 401(k)s are available only to those who have no employees other than themselves and their spouse.

They allow you to make taxfree retirement contributions as an employee and employer.

Because you can contribute as an employee and employer, you almost always have a higher maximum contribution limit for a Solo 401(k). You can also make post tax Roth contributions, if tax savings is not an incentive.

Darren Raih, Darrel Raih, and John Dykstra

DO YOU LOVE TO PAY TAXES?

Every person and/or business owner must take their eventual retirement serious. The earlier the better, but if your primary goal is to contribute the maximum amount to a taxadvantaged retirement savings account, a Solo 401(k) is usually a very good option at any age.

Let’s take a closer look.

By Darrel Raih, President of American Investment & Trust

Would you like to find a tax deduction for your farm operation that appreciates instead of depreciates in value?

Farmers have a long reputation of embracing any and all tax deductions; buying a new tractor, combine, and pick-up are high on their list. All of these assets are necessary and important, but they depreciate in value. Now imagine an alternative where you can get a healthy deduction on your taxes and the asset has 28

The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

the potential to appreciate in value. What asset or account accomplishes this? American Investment & Trust would like you to consider a Solo 401(k) Retirement Plan. Let me explain.

If you’re self-employed or own your own farming operation, you need to take ownership of your own retirement plan. No outside employer will provide you with a retirement plan to get tax breaks and save – it’s up to you to make a plan.

The good news is, there are plenty of options for small business owners and selfemployed entrepreneurs to make retirement contributions, you just need to know which

Starting in 2019, a Solo 401(k) may allow self-employed individuals to contribute up to $56,000 pretax if over age 50. This could potentially save you $24,000 in taxes plus your contribution may grow in value!

Some of the advantages of a Solo 401(k) Plan are as follows: • Easy to administer • Can contribute a higher percentage of income than IRAs • Accounts can be self directed for more investment flexibility • Contributions are tax deductible and grow tax-free • Lower costs than Traditional 401(k)s

• Can be converted to accommodate future employees • Business owner’s spouse can participate • Because the employer and employee are the same person, contributions are aggregated, rather than being segregated into deferrals, matching and profit-sharing When setting up a Solo 401(k), the most important step is picking a qualified provider. This is where American Investment & Trust can help. We will supply your investment options and help administer your plan, and will also help you through all the steps involved.

At American Investment &

Trust, a division of American State Bank, we have a team of retirement plan specialists who can assist you in determining which type of retirement plan is right for you. Our specialists pride themselves in finding solutions and strategies that help clients manage the changes in their lives and farming operations. We have the tools, knowledge, staff and capacity to help you reach your goals!

Do you want to find a tax deduction that depreciates or appreciates in value? You could: 1. Buy a new pick-up and in 10 years it may be of little value.

potential to appreciate in value and help you retire on your terms.

Call American Investment & Trust at 712-722-4848 to learn more about a Solo 401(k) Retirement Plan and see if it would be a good fit for you.

Products and services of American Investment & Trust are: not FDIC insured, not insured by any federal government agency, not deposits or other obligations of bank, not guaranteed by bank, and may lose value.

All examples above are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Please consult your tax professional.

or 2. Start a Solo 401(k) and in 10 years it will have the

May 2019 | The Farming Families of Sioux County

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FROM THE KITCHEN

CARAMEL PECAN CHEESECAKE From Deb De Jong, Central Café in Hawarden

INGREDIENTS: • 1/3 cup butter • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs • 8 oz. cream cheese • 1 cup powdered sugar • 8 ounces of Cool Whip • 1 teaspoon of vanilla • 1/4 cup butter • 1 cup coconut • 1 cup chopped pecans • Smuckers caramel ice cream topping.

DIRECTIONS: Melt 1/3 cup butter. Add 1 cup graham cracker crumbs.

Press in 9- or 10-inch pie pan. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.

Beat 8 ounces of cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar.

Add 8 ounces of Cool Whip and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Put in cooled pie shell.

Melt 1/4 cup butter. Add 1 cup coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans. Mix and in 9-inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, til browned. Stir as edges begin to brown.

Cool. Cover cream cheese mixture with Smuckers caramel ice cream topping.

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The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019

Everyone has a great story...

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of Sioux County MAY 2019

Stay connected out there.

Stop in for a free plan analysis today!

ORANGE CITY

Connected fields. Better yields.

(712) 707-8900 SHELDON

(712) 631-4110

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The Farming Families of Sioux County | May 2019