The Farming Families of Lyon Co. Jan 2020 by AGE Media and Promotion

January 2020 | www.AgeMedia.pub

Faith / Family / Friends / Farming

of Lyon County

Meet the

KLAASSEN Family

Standing in back: Brady, Brennan. Front: Kaden, Harlan, Rick, Colby, Darwin and Brad. Story on page 20.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

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NOW REACHING 3,000 FARMS IN NORTHWEST IOWA January

2020 |

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of Sioux County PUBLISHERS Garrett and Mindy Gross, AGE Media IOWA MANAGER Bob Fitch, AGE Media

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DIRECT ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, STORY SUBMISSIONS AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE TO:

SIOUX COUNTY

712-551-4123 bob@agemedia.pub © The Farming Families, Age Media & Promotion The Farming Families is distributed free exclusively to the farmers, ranchers

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Content in this magazine should not be copied in any way without the written

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permission of the publisher. The Farming Families assumes no responsibility January

for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Content in articles, editorial and 2020 | www .AgeMedi

advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by The Farming Families and

a.com

Age Media & Promotion.

Faith / Fam

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/ Farming

of Lyon Coun

Meet the

KLAASSEN Family

LYON COUNTY Stand ing in back : Brady, Brenn an. Front : Kade Rick, Colby n, Harla n, , Darw in Story on and Brad. page 20.

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CONNECTING FARMERS AND BUILDING COMMUNITY Target active local farmers with your marketing. For information on advertising: Bob Fitch | bob@agemedia.pub | 712-551-4123 4

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

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FITCH FOR FARMING FAMILIES

WELCOME PLYMOUTH COUNTY TO FARMING FAMILIES MAGAZINE! By Bob Fitch, Manager Iowa editions of Farming Families

On behalf of our publishers Garrett and Mindy Gross, owners of Age Media & Promotion, I want to welcome the farmers of Plymouth County to The Bob Fitch Farming Families magazine. Thanks to advertisers in your local area, we’re pleased to be able to add you to our existing readers in Sioux and Lyon counties. Farming Families is all about “the good stuff” … farm families, country churches, 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. Garrett and Mindy first launched Farming Families in southeast South Dakota several years ago and I came on board to help launch the magazine’s Iowa editions last May. Readers in both states have affirmed our belief that providing a bright light of positivity is a welcome sight in their mailbox. Each month, we’ll feature farm families from each of the three Iowa counties we serve, with the family from your specific county on the cover of the issue you receive. Our approach is to view area farm families as part of a collective neighborhood. We’re here to help you and your neighbors share stories and make connections.

neighbors, we want and need your involvement. Email your submissions, questions and suggestions to bob@agemedia.pub. Farming Families is mailed at no charge to active farmers in each of the counties we serve. Retired farmers, land owners or others interested in the publication can subscribe for $50 per year or receive a digital copy for free by texting their county name to 72727. A little bit about my background … My dad grows corn and soybeans on a farm west of Hudson, S.D., which has been in our family since 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. It’s been a pleasure to meet so many great farm families and agribusiness operators in Sioux and Lyon County over the past eight months. I’m looking forward to meeting many more of you in Plymouth County.

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PLYMOUTH COUNTY FEATURED FAMILY

‘I LIKE IT ALL … THE SMELL OF THE DIRT IN THE SPRING AND THE NEW CALVES IN THE FALL’ by Bob Fitch

Jim, RJ and Nick Staab of Remsen. RJ is the sixth generation of the Staab family to farm in Plymouth County.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

Jim Staab works wherever he’s needed – in the field, in the feedlot or in the seed warehouse. “We’ve got a lot of different jobs. I like it all … the smell of the dirt in the spring, the new calves coming in in the fall, and when the seed is going out … it’s all nice when it works. You put a lot of hours in. But when you get everybody taken care of and everybody’s satisfied, that’s the name of the game.” Jim and his wife Rosie farm with their son Nick and grandson RJ east of Remsen in Plymouth County. The Staabs raise corn and soybeans, have a cattle feedlot, and sell seed corn. “It takes everybody. It’s a family deal,” Jim said. “All the grandkids get involved every so often, picking up rocks or whatever we’ve got to do.” He finds it particularly satisfying to be farming side-by-side with his grandson, RJ, who is a junior majoring in agriculture at South Dakota State University. “Boy, he didn’t want to go to college. But his mother said he was going. Ever since he was very young, he’s always been farm, farm, farm.” RJ said, “I hated college for the first couple months, but then I got over it. I come home every weekend anyway. I pretty much know what I want to do with my life. I wanted to be a farmer ever since I was a little kid. Farming is a lot better than sitting in the classroom.” Nick said RJ started out early. “I had him run the grain cart when he was probably 7. I was combining and needed the cart at the other end of the field. It was a power shift, so you didn’t need to push the clutch in. I told him to put it in gear and drive alongside real slow. Even though he wasn’t big enough to push the clutch in, he could pull the lever back into neutral. “When he was 4 or 5, he used to ride with me when I’d plant. I used to have to fill with beans after five rounds. RJ knew exactly when it

Deb, Miranda, RJ and Nick Staab.

was time to fill – he counted all the rounds when he was little. He’d say ‘one more round and we’ve got to fill.’ That was fun,” Nick said. RJ’s moniker stands for Roman James, which comes from his two greatgrandfathers who were both named Roman and his two grandfathers who are both named James. He comes by his passion for farming naturally. Not only is he following in the footsteps of his dad and grandfather, but his grandmother Rosie is hands-on as well. Jim said, “Rosie has been part of this deal from the start. She’s run every piece of equipment we’ve had except the planter. Without her, things would get pretty messed up. She’s a pretty main

cog in our situation.” Rosie remembers running a 12-row

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operating dealers of DeKalb seed. DeKalb started selling seed corn in 1935 and Rosie’s maternal uncle, Albert Schmitz Sr., started with DeKalb in 1938. Albert passed the business on to Rosie’s parents in 1940. Jim and Nick also now farm the original Staab farm north of Remsen since the death of Jim’s brother Joe. The Staab family comes from stern German stock. Jim’s great grandfather originally came to the United States to straighten out his two brothers who had gotten into trouble. The Staab family in 2008: Wyatt, Mark, Morgan, Kim and Paige; Taylor, Lucas and Blake and Riley in the blue shirts, John holding Madeline, and Erin; Nick, Deb, Miranda and RJ (in front); and Jim and Rosie.

cultivator with their three kids sleeping in the tractor cab with her. Their oldest son John is now a teacher in Champaign, Ill., and their youngest son Mark is the transportation director for the Le Mars School District.

The farm where their home is now was passed down from Rosie’s parents, Clarence and Rosie Keffeler. “Dad bought the land in 1951. At the time, it was the highest-priced land in the state of Iowa – $450 per acre. He had people tell him he was never going to make it,” she said.

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Jim said, “The IRS came in here and audited him – they thought nobody could be making enough money to pay that much for a farm, milking cows.” Rosie said her parents had the top Jersey herd in the state of Iowa for a couple years, plus they raised 1,000 chickens every year for the DeKalb Corp. in what was then a state-of-the-art facility. They also had some hogs. “And they made everything work on 160 acres,” she said. “We all helped, we all milked.” Her family is one of the nation’s longest continually

Nick worked for his grandfather, Roman Staab, after high school before joining his parents. Jim said, “If you worked for my dad, YOU WORKED. There was no mercy there. Dad ran the operation until he was 90, really until they put him in the ground. My brother Joe was probably the only one who could work with him because he was so tough.” Nick said, “Oh yeah, he was tough. He fed the cattle until he was 85 and ran the silage chopper when he was 80. He was active and aggressive. If he was going to do something and he put his mind to it, he got it done. That’s just the way he was.” Rosie remembered that her father-in-law got out of debt when he was 85 years old. Jim laughed, saying: “He went to town, took care of his last note when he was 85. When he came home from the bank, he said ‘I cleaned up!’” Jim worked with his brothers and his dad right after he and Rosie married in 1967. Jim’s farming career was interrupted by a stint of service in the Army National Guard in Vietnam. After he returned, they farmed on his brother’s farm south of Marcus for five or six years before joining Rosie’s parents. After Rosie’s dad died fairly young, her mom continued to run the seed business for several years before transitioning it to them. “She could deal with men better than women. She knew as much about

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The Staab farm north of Remsen in 1952. Jim, Nick and RJ Staab farm this ground plus operate the former Keffeler farm which once belonged to Rosie's parents.

the seed as anyone around,” Jim said.

substantially. They also farm a lot more crop ground now.

When he was farming with his dad and brothers, their land was scattered over 28 miles. “We were going 28 miles down the road with an M, a WD45 and we finally had a 560,” Jim said. Rosie said, “One of the neighbors was just a character. He told us, ‘When you guys come down the road, it’s like a circus coming to town. Get over!’” Jim continued, “We’re devout Catholic, but that guy was REALLY a devout Catholic. He told us: ‘It took me 35 years to convince these guys around here not to work on Sunday; and then you guys pull in here and you do more work on Sunday than any other day of the week!’”

Today, the Staabs are also updating their technology, adding iPads to track their cattle feed, rate of gain, cost of gain and other statistics. “The banker is sure going to like it,” Nick said.

Nick said their farm has changed a lot since he started with his parents in the late 1980s. At the time, they had a farrow-to-finish hog operation with older facilities and had moved out of beef cattle. Rather than modernize their hog outfit, they chose to get back into feeding cattle and grew 10

One of the keys to continue as an independent cattle feeder is “being able to be profitable year-after-year,” he said. “We try to source cattle from the same places every year through video auctions, but you’re at the mercy of the market. To try to lock into a profit, we contract 90 percent of them.” RJ said farmers have to be proactive public ambassadors. “Everybody wants to know where their food comes from. Farmers have to get involved to get the word out there that we’re not as bad as everybody thinks we are.” He said using social media is very effective (on YouTube, search “Staab family farm” to see an example).

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

Off the farm, Nick is on the board of directors of German Farmers Mutual Insurance, a position Jim previously held. Nick used to do lot of sports coaching at Remsen St. Mary’s School where he was head softball coach for two years, head girls basketball coach for two years, and assistant baseball coach for four years. His wife Deb is director of brand event sourcing for Staples in Orange City. Their daughter Miranda will finish her degree in pharmacy at the University of Iowa in the spring. Nick said their values as a family and as a farm business are driven by their faith. Their children went to Remsen St. Mary’s School as did he, his wife, Jim and Rosie. Their faith is complemented by their commitment to honesty. Jim said, “My dad said if your word is not any good, you’re not any good. If you give your word or a handshake, that better mean that’s the way it is.”

OLD MAN WINTER IS BACK NEAR BRUNSVILLE PHOTO BY BOB FITCH

January 2020 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

KEEPING LOCAL HISTORY ALIVE

by Bob Fitch

Outside the main entrance to the Plymouth County Museum stands the first log cabin built in Plymouth County. It was constructed from native oak and elm logs about 1865 and donated by O.L. Weber in 1966.

FIVE-FLOOR MUSEUM SERVES UP A BIG TASTE OF NORTHWEST IOWA’S PAST You’re going to get more than a taste of old-time Iowa in Le Mars. The Plymouth County Historical Museum serves up a heaping helping of Iowa’s past. 12

Housed in Le Mars “Old Central” school building, the museum features five levels of exhibits (the museum is handicap accessible with an elevator). It includes a broad range of the history of Plymouth County and northwest Iowa including a Loess Hills wildlife exhibit, a train room operated by the Floyd Valley Model Railroad Club, a religious heritage room, a military room, heritage house, an airplane room, and even Plymouth County’s first log cabin just outside the front door. Donated by O.L. Weber, the log cabin was constructed from native oak and elm in 1865.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

Step back into the 1940s and 1950s at the re-creation of Miller’s Lunch, a former café in Le Mars. The café existed from 1943 to 1990 and was operated by Charles and Ida Miller. The Millers lived in the apartment behind the café. On the 4th of July, root beer floats made with Le Mars’ own Blue Bunny ice cream are served to a packed crowd at the Miller’s Lunch display in the museum. Exhibits that connect with the region’s strong farming and agricultural background can be found throughout the museum. A scale model of a typical 1940’s

This room is a re-creation of Miller’s Lunch, a Le Mars café once located across from old Wal-Mara on north Highway 75. The café existed from 1943 to 1990 and was operated by Charles and Ida Miller, who lived in an apartment behind the café. Every year on the fourth of July, The Plymouth County Museum serves root beer floats to a packed crowd at the Miller’s Lunch display.

farm yard includes a barn for horses, cattle, sheep, and hay storage; a hog house; a chicken house; and a corn crib for grain storage. It was hand-constructed in the 1990s by John Schnepf, a retired Plymouth County farmer. Another farm model was built by Bruce Richardson. This scale model is of the barn and corn crib on the Elmer Richardson farm in Garfield Township, Plymouth County. With end gates in the back of the wagon instead of the seeder, this high-wheeled wagon was used to haul grain most of the time. By adding bang boards, it was used to pick ear corn. When no grain elevator was available for unloading ear corn, a shoveling platform was attached to the back of the box. It was donated by long-time museum volunteer Norm Barker. Grain seeds such as oats, barley, wheat or rye were placed in the large hopper of this McCormick-Deering grain drill. The seeds passed through the metal tubes and into the furrows made by the disk openers. Small secondary seeds such as alfalfa could be placed in the small hopper and seeded on top of the ground at the same time. The chain back of each opener helped level the ground and cover the secondary crop. When acquired by the museum from Rodney Hodgson, the drill had been converted to be pulled with a tractor, but the two original tongues were available so it has been restored to the horse-drawn configuration for four horses.

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The museum also includes antique samples of the many brands of tractors used in the area. A 1926 Ford Model T Truck is on display as is a 1947 Buick convertible.

Plymouth County farmer John Schnepf built this model 1940s-era farm yard with barn for horses, cattle, sheep and hay storage; a hog house; a chicken house; and a corn crop for grain storage.

The museum includes a number of different models of vibrantly-colored antique tractors.

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The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 1-5 p.m. or by appointment. It is closed on Monday, Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. Admission is free although donations are appreciated.

With end gates in the back of the wagon instead of the seeder, this wagon was used to haul grain most of the time. By adding bang board, it was used to pick ear corn. When no grain elevator was available for unloading ear corn, a shoveling platform was attached to the back of the box. The wagon was donated to the museum by Norm Barker.

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January 2020 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE

MMCRU FFA RECOGNIZED BY PIONEER; GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY The MMCRU FFA demonstrated a great amount of creativity in the Pioneer® brand A-Series soybeans Big A Challenge. The chapter’s final masterpiece was one of 15 featured during 2019 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. A judging panel selected the top 15 chapters in the collaboration between Pioneer and FFA that focuses on the next generation of soybean varieties and the next generation of growers. Each chapter brought a unique perspective to decorating a seven-foot-tall Big A statue, highlighting A-Series soybeans’ cutting-edge science and gamechanging yield potential while celebrating local communities. MMCRU FFA Members attended the show and found their Big A. Also, on the trip, they stopped at the World Headquarters for John Deere Tractor in Moline IL. Members who attended were Terry Lundeen, Rachael Van Maanen, Cody Simon, Katie Bush and Natalie Plegman. Adult chaperones were James Mayer, Richard Beelner, and Jill Alesch. The MMCRU FFA Chapter is very active in the community. They grow pink pumpkins in their test plot each year and donate the money that was raised to breast cancer research. The chapter’s annual plant sale gives the

MMCRU FFA members Cody Simon, Natalie Plegman, Katie Bush, Rachael Van Maanen, and Terry Lundeen with their “Big A” displayed at the Farm Progress Show last summer.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

HINTON, IA MMCRU FFA members and chaperones Jill Alesch, Rachael Van Maanen, Katie Bush, Richard Beelner, Natalie Plegman, James Mayer, Terry Lundeen and Cody Simon at the John Deere factory in Moline, Ill.

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community an opportunity to see what the chapter has grown. During this school year, FFA members built an aquaponics system to grow tilapia that they will harvest and host an event to feed the community. The MMCRU High School recently built a new Industrial Technology Center. An astounding 82 percent of the students take classes in that department. The Industrial Technology and Agriculture Departments work closely together to give the students every resource available. Students used the 3D printer available in the Industrial Technology Center to print an MMCRU Royals green crown to go on the giant “A” display in the Pioneer contest. The school has a greenhouse and is looking for ways to expand in the future. “We continuously strive to use our greenhouse to reach our goal of donating a thousand pounds of produce every growing year by growing food to support various farm-to-table events and community food drives. Someday we hope to supply food that our school can use in their lunch programs,” said the students in their application to the Pioneer contest. FFA chapters were selected based on an essay highlighting how A-Series soybeans benefit farmers and a sample design of their Big A statue.

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CROSSING THE ROCK RIVER IN SIOUX COUNTY PHOTO BY BRETT DAVELAAR BD PHOTOGRAPHY Aerial farm photography via drone is available from Brett Davelaar. Call 712-470-1969.

January 2020 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

LYON COUNTY FEATURED FAMILY

Darwin, Rick and Brad Klaassen farm near Little Rock.

COOPERATION KEY TO KLAASSEN SUCCESS by Bob Fitch

Cooperation is defined as the process of working together to the same end. Synonyms include collaboration, joint action, teamwork, partnership, synergy, and give-and-take.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

You might add “Klaassen brothers of Little Rock” to the list of synonyms for cooperation. Through the past 30 years, Darwin, Rick and Brad Klaassen have a demonstrated record of collaboration and give-and-take that has set the stage for another generation of teamwork as their own sons come into the Lyon County farm operation. “We all own some of our own ground and we rent some ground,” said Rick. “We each have some of our own equipment and we own equipment together. Without working together, we couldn’t afford some of today’s equipment. It all works.” Darwin said, “We’ve got to work together, otherwise we don’t get it done. We all talk and make decisions together. It’s the way to do it.” They each have an area of specialty. Darwin takes care of the chemicals and seed. Brad has a backhoe and does all of their tiling work. Rick does the Farm Service Agency interaction and is in charge of their fertilizer program. Of course, it’s all-handson-deck during the busy spring and fall. Darwin said, “In the spring, we have three planters out there planting corn and beans; two field cultivators; and somebody hauling seed. At harvest, we have a couple of combines going and lots of trucks and we do our tillage too. It takes a lot of manpower. The spring is short and the fall is short. When the time is ready, you’ve got to get going. We used to have six weeks in the spring and six weeks in the fall – you don’t have that anymore.” Rick said, “This last spring, we’d have maybe one day in the field and then five days of sitting.” Brad said, “The fall wasn’t much different. There was a solid week at the end, otherwise we’d get stopped by rain or snow.” Darwin said, “This year we combined more beans at night than in the day. You’re at the mercy of the weather.”

The Klaassen family in 1999. Front: Brad, Brady and Vicki; Dan, Trevor, Shane and Lisa; Shannon, Staci, and Rick holding Kassidy. Back: Harlan, Colby, Virginia, Carly, Darwin and Sheila. Not born yet when this photo was taken were Brennan, Bryant and Kaden.

Getting all that field work done Dad is 77-year-old Harlan who in a timely manner is augmented started farming when he was more and more by the next 17 and married his wife Virginia generation of Klaassens: Darwin’s when they were 18. Darwin said, son Colby; Rick’s son Brennan; and Brad’s older sons Brady and Bryant. While their role on the farm is increasing, each IN QUALITY ANIMAL CARE also works off the farm. Colby works for the Iowa Department of Transportation. Brennan works for Cory Peters Construction. Brady works for Dale Kruse and Bryant attends Southeast Tech for auto body repair.

LEADERS

Brad said, “They’re slowly starting to take on more responsibility. We’re trying to hand it over a little bit at a time just like Dad did with us.” Darwin said, “We’re trying to teach them the way Dad taught us – they’ve got to be hands-on.”

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“It’s kind of crazy how things have changed. Dad used to tell us what to do, now we tell him what to do. He always asks us what we need done.”

Brady, Brad, Kaden, Vicki and Bryant.

Harlan helped them launch their agricultural careers. “We all got started by farrowing sows and selling feeder pigs,” Darwin said. “Dad gave us each three to four sows. We combined our feeder pigs to sell them. We had low expenses. We started with oldfashioned wooden pens without any crates. We didn’t have to worry about any diseases back then except TGE. Everything was out in the open. We’d let the sows out in the corn field after harvest.” Today, Rick and Brad continue as pork producers, owning custom-finishing barns. Darwin’s son Colby manages two customfinishing hog barns. Darwin and Colby also have a cow-calf operation. Darwin said, “I started feeding cattle when I got out of college in 1988. I started with 10 Charolais cows. A couple years later I got out of the Charolais because they were so wild I couldn’t work with them. I switched to Simmentals and now have built our herd to 120 head.

Son-in-law Bryan Herum, Carly, Sheila, Darwin, Colby, and daughter-in-law Brooke.

“I calve in January and February in a heated building. I typically sell the cattle in December at 900 pounds,” he said. He and Colby also produce about 7,000 small square hay bales each year. Approximately 75 percent of their production goes to horse farms and the rest primarily is sold to farmers raising goats and sheep. Harlan passed on some strong love-of-farming DNA to the next generation. “I went to college to play basketball and got a degree in physical education. I came right back to the farm,” Darwin said. “It’s part of our heritage. That’s all we ever knew growing up.” Rick remembered, “We’d get out of school and go right to the field.”

Standing: Future son-in-law Jesse Kramer, Brennan, Rick, and son-in-law Austin Lloyd. Seated: Kassidy, Staci, and Shannon. In front are Shannon and Austin’s children Matthew and Mia. 22

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

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Harlan’s dad (also Harlan) started the farm. The wife of the elder Harlan, Leona, is still living at age 98 in a nursing home in Rock Rapids.

Harlan Klaassen has captured shelves full of trophies at antique tractor pulls.

with their sons Trevor and Shane in a separate operation nearby. “Dad’s got 10 of us who are farmers – that’s pretty incredible. Ten farmers out of one family. And we’re all within four miles of the home place,” said Darwin. Brad’s youngest son Kaden is an eighth grader and could someday make the total 11 farmers. They do have interests outside of agriculture. Before he was farming full-time, Brad was a mechanic in Little Rock for 15 years. That got him started building motors and racing cars. Brad and Darwin raced for a number of years. Today, Brady, Bryant and Colby can be found on the race track in the summer. Off-the-farm, Rick is a hunter and often hunts deer at his hobby farm near Loess Hills in southern Iowa. The family is also involved in community events. Brad said, “Dar and Dad and I are all active in the Little Rock Town & Country Club” which helps to keep the town of 500 residents vibrant. Darwin said, “The club puts on

the Corn Show every year. It’s like a big fair. We get carnival rides that county fairs don’t get. It’s all volunteer help. Without that, it wouldn’t succeed at all.” Held in August, the Corn Show includes a pageant, parade, bean bag tournament, golf ball roll, soap box derby, tractor pull and more. Harlan participates in the Corn Show antique tractor pull and has shelves full of trophies from many tractor pulls throughout the area. The Little Rock Town & Country Club also owns the Little Rock Freelance newspaper. Their mom Virginia has been the editor for 40 years. Virginia and her daughters-in-law Sheila and Vicki work in side-by-side-side buildings in downtown Little Rock. Sheila is vice president of ag banking at Frontier Bank and Vicki is the managing clerk at the local post office. Staci is a fulltime homemaker. In addition to Colby and his wife Brooke, Darwin and Sheila’s daughter Carly is married to Bryan Herum, who works at Rural Electric Cooperative and helps out on the farm when needed.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

In addition to Brennen, Rick and Staci have two daughters, Kassidy, who is engaged to Jesse Kramer; and Shannon, who is married to Austin Lloyd. Shannon and Austin have two children, Matthew and Mia. Brad and Vicki’s son Brady is married to Olivia. Harlan’s mom Leona is 98 years old and living in a nursing home in Rock Rapids. While new equipment and technology is always making farming more efficient, it won’t be a substitute for a spirit of cooperation remaining a priority on the Klaassen farm. Just as Darwin, Rick and Brad helped their dad and their grandpa (also named Harlan) and learned to work as a team, the next generation of Klaassens will be challenged to positively collaborate. “Our boys are going to have to work together going forward,” Rick said.

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January 2020 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

FINANCIAL FOCUS

BANKER: BASE COMMODITY VS. VALUE ADDED By Troy Vander Stouwe, Executive Vice President, Iowa State Bank

In the agriculture business, a farmer is surrounded by vendors that sell goods and services to help the farm operate each year. The farmer purchases seed and other crop inputs, machinery and repairs, livestock supplies and services—the list goes on and on. The list of vendors that sell to any farm operation is extensive. One supply that most farm operations need to operate is borrowed money. Your bank is one more vendor on that list that sells you something you need to make the operation viable. Perhaps we should ask ourselves: What do we want and expect from our suppliers? Over the last few decades, it has been my observation that the most successful agriculture operations have a close and interactive relationship with their bankers. Strong communication allows both sides of the relationship to be a better partners. Do you know what your bank looks for in an operation and how they analyze your financial numbers? If you’ve never asked those questions, I encourage you to do so. As a community bank we want to take the time to understand your operation, and for you to understand how we use the information you give us. We love helping you achieve the goals you have for your operation! It is the most rewarding part of our jobs. We also want to be a trusted advisor for you if a decision will bring on extreme risk for your operation. The more we know about your operation, the better job we can do with those decisions. The more we know you know about your operation, the more confidence we have in those decisions. Some of the most successful operations I have experienced build in time to get their primary vendors in the same room for scheduled meetings. This could be a meeting with your banker, accountant, agronomist, feed dealer,

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

veterinarian, etc. Building a strong advisory team around you can be such a powerful tool for managing your business going forward. When you’re purchasing goods or services you always want to get the most value that you can. Don’t overlook the added value that you can get by asking more questions and gaining in understanding. All of us, as humans, have a hard time admitting when we don’t know something. It is ok to not know everything, especially if we have never asked the questions. The greatest lessons I have learned was when I became humble enough to admit I didn’t know the answer. Iowa State Bank is a locally owned financial institution with a rich history in northwest Iowa that dates back to 1879. The bank has grown from the initial asset size of $35,000 to its current assets of over $600,000,000. Iowa State Bank has offices located in the communities of Hull, Ireton, Le Mars, Orange City, Paullina, Remsen, Sanborn, and Sheldon.

January 2020 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

SIOUX COUNTY FEATURED FAMILY

‘THE WHEELS NEVER STOP TURNING’ by Bob Fitch

Kasen, Zack, Rhonda, Beau and Raelyn Van Wyhe. Photo by Ashley Harrison, Illumination Photography & Gallery.

The future is taking hold already at Crossroad Farm north of Ireton. The children of Zack and Rhonda Van Wyhe love farm life and are ready to do their part.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

“The kids already talk about what they’re going to change when they take over and what they’re going to add,” said Rhonda. Their sons Beau, 12 1/2, Kasen, 6 1/2, and daughter Raelyn, 5, mirror the changing seasons with their play. “They’re always playing with their farm toys, mimicking what’s going on. When it’s harvest season, they’ve got their chopper going. They use their imagination for just about everything: ‘Oh, here’s the silage pile, here’s the compost line.’ It’s amazing the things they come up with.” Oldest son Beau is ready to learn to drive tractor and is working side-by-side with his dad and grandpa in the cattle feedlot and the shop whenever he can. Beau is also big into football and basketball, amongst other school and church activities. “Raelyn is our little monkey,” Rhonda said. “She climbs on everything and hangs on everything. She’s in gymnastics. She’s a very smart, sassy little girl. She loves to be dressed up, but she’ll be right there with the boys riding the four-wheelers.” Zack added: “She does it with style. She’ll wear a dress with her fourwheeler helmet. Her attitude is: ‘If I’m going to do it, I might as well look good doing it.’” Kasen started flag football last fall and is wrestling this winter. “He’s a little mini-me,” Zack said. “He’s one to take it all in. He’s got the same problem as me – if you give him a question, he’ll think relentlessly about it until he solves it. He’s a problem-solver.” Zack said the focus on problemsolving which he and Kasen share is passed down from his grandfather. “If there’s a problem I go to bed with, by morning I’ve got the problem solved,” he said. Rhonda added: “Like his grandpa, his wheels never stop turning.” Zack’s late grandfather, Marlin “Bub” Van Wyhe started the family farm in 1961 with his wife Darlene who now lives at Hawarden. Bub passed the farm down to Terry, who is actively in

Kasen, Beau and Raelyn Van Wyhe. Photo by Ashley Harrison, Illumination Photography & Gallery.

partnership with Zack. If all goes Zack grew up on the farm and well, Zack hopes to pass the officially joined his dad in 2004. farm down to his own children. “I tried college and it just didn’t Age Media Qtr Page Color 7-12-19.pdf 1 7/12/2019 11:22:43 AM Zack, Rhonda and his parents, take. I just really enjoy the Terry and Linda, have homes on outdoors. When Rhonda and I the original farm place which is about equidistant from Hawarden, Rock Valley, Sioux Center and Ireton. In addition to raising corn and soybeans, the Van Wyhe’s customfeed cattle and pigs. They also custom-haul liquid manure; plus make compost and spread it. “That’s been my new adventure the last three years. We converse a lot with Bar-K and Winterfelds. They showed us the process of making it. I did research and got set up doing it. It’s kind of a lovehate relationship because it always seems like it’s too wet or it’s too dry.”

January 2020 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

got married (in 2012), we tried living in town. I didn’t take to that either! The kids were still sleeping when I left in the morning and were ready for bed when I got home.” Rhonda said, “It just made it easier to live right out here because we both work out here, and he’s right on the yard if he’s needed. He can see the kids more and they are able to help farm.” Rhonda grew up in Hull and didn’t have any farm experience before marrying Zack. Today, not only does she do the bookwork and go for parts, she does some field work, used to do the baling, and

can work the cattle when needed. “For being a town kid, she really had to learn a lot,” Zack said. In addition to adding the manure handling and composting business to the operation, the Van Wyhe’s feed about two-andhalf times as many cattle now as Terry did in 2004. “When I started, everything kept going up and up and up. It was only in the last three to four years that I’ve seen hard times. The last two years, I’ve paid more attention to the finances and bookwork side of things,” Zack said. “We’ve gotten out of some of the custom

work we were doing for others, such as baling. It was spreading us out too thin for the amount of help that we had. It was taking too much of a toll on everybody.” He plans to continue to zero in more on the most successful aspects of the operation in the years ahead. “We grew so fast and expanded so much, it got complicated and took over our lives. It didn’t leave time for much else.” Rhonda said they previously had three manure tanks running. When they were also custombaling, they were running out of manpower. They’re now running only two manure tanks, but invested in bigger tanks, allowing them to haul more with less manpower. Crossroad Farm has three full-time hired men and three part-timers who help to fill in. Zack’s dad Terry said treating others as you want to be treated is important not only in life, but on the business side of farming as well. “You won’t have a hired man too long if you don’t treat them right. If you won’t do it yourself, don’t ask them to do it,” he said. Terry said he’s glad he’s old enough that he won’t have to adapt too much to all the new technologies coming into agriculture. He joked, “When I have trouble with my phone, I hand it off to get help. I’m not much for dealing with computers that drive tractors.” Zack credits his dad with being patient with him over the years. “With him, patience is a virtue. Dad says very little, but when it’s needed, he’ll put his two cents in.” He regrets not getting more business education and they are telling their kids farming in the future will require a business degree. Rhonda said, “You learn a lot growing up on the farm, but having more business knowledge will help them to understand and run the farm business better in the future.”

Linda and Terry Van Wyhe. 30

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

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The other area Zack is trying to improve upon is to make sure he takes time out for family. He said a good life is “being able to take the time to go to your kids’ and family’s events – seeing them grow up and not missing it.” He has also changed his definition of success, focusing on “reaching your own goals. I was trying to keep up with everybody else, but that put stress and struggle and tension on family life where there shouldn’t have been.” That change also reflects the advice “there always tomorrow” which was handed down from his dad and grandfather. Rhonda said, “If things aren’t going good today, just be done and try again tomorrow. You can’t finish everything in one day.” Zack said he’s seen big changes in himself and his priorities since the family started attending Granite Church, a start-up church which meets at the community center in Hawarden. Rhonda said, “I definitely think that since we found our new church home, we’ve grown stronger in our faith. We’ve had more challenges, but we’ve seen more miracles. Even with all of the rain the last couple years, we still got everything done and God provided. “We just keep reminding each other you’ve got to put it in God’s hands. God’s got a plan – it’ll work out. We’ve been able to serve and do God’s work for Him,” she said.

Rhonda and Zack Van Wyhe.

4 generations of Van Wyhe farmers: Bub, Kasen, Zack, Beau and Terry in 2014. 32

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

WINDSWEPT SNOW ON A NORTHWESTERN IOWA FARM. PHOTO BY BRETT DAVELAAR BD PHOTOGRAPHY

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January 2020 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

511244

BD PHOTOGRAPHY Brett Davelaar 712-470-1969

of Sioux County

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, crosspollination 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 ~

January 2020 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2020

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