The Farming Families IA. Jan. 2021 by AGE Media and Promotion

January 2021 | www.AgeMedia.pub

Faith / Family / Friends / Farming

Revisiting some of your favorite stories.

Photo by Brett Davelaar, BD Photography

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

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© The Farming Families, Age Media & Promotion The Farming Families is distributed free exclusively to the farmers, ranchers and producers in rural Sioux, Plymouth and Lyon Counties. All rights reserved. Content in this magazine should not be copied in any way without the written permission of the publisher. The Farming Families assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Content in articles, editorial and advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by The Farming Families and Age Media & Promotion.

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FROM THE EDITOR

AN OASIS OF POSITIVITY By Bob Fitch

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends at AGE Media and Farming Families magazine! Like most of you, I’m happy to put the year 2020 in my rearview mirror. Between the pandemic and politics, it just wasn’t a year most of us would like to relive. Nonetheless, we hope you found Farming Families magazine to be an oasis of positivity. We pride ourselves on telling stories that are family-focused and community-building. We enjoy spotlighting the good things in the lives of area families, youth and agribusinesses. The history stories remind us of the good ol’ days or reveal forgotten tales of pioneer times. With these thoughts in mind, this issue offers you a digest version of your favorite stories from 2020. Thanks to all of the families who were willing to share their stories. If you know a family or person in agriculture with a good story to tell, send me their name and contact information. You can reach me via email at bob@agemedia.pub or via phone/text at 712-551-4123. Thanks to all of you in Lyon, Plymouth and Sioux counties for supporting Farming Families magazine and our advertisers. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2021.

Bob Fitch, Editor

Happy New Year! As we look forward to a new year, we remember how blessed we are to serve our customers & communities! We truly appreciate your support, & we look forward to serving you in 2021!

We hope you have a blessed New Year!

peoples-ebank.com January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

THE STAAB FAMILY Jim Staab likes every part of farm work. “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.” Jim and his wife Rosie farm with their son, Nick, and grandson, RJ, east of Remsen in Plymouth County. Rosie’s family is one of the nation’s longest continually operating dealers of DeKalb seed. Her maternal uncle, Albert Schmitz Sr., started with DeKalb in 1938. Albert passed the business on to Rosie’s parents in 1940; and the Staabs operate it today. 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, and 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.” Nick, Rosie, Jim and RJ Staab.

THE KLAASSEN FAMILY

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

Through the past 30 years, brothers Darwin, Rick and Brad Klaassen have each developed their 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-hands-on-deck during the busy spring and fall. “All hands” now includes the next generation of the family. Brad said, “(Our sons are) are 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.” Dad is 77-year-old Harlan who started farming when he was 17 and married his wife, Virginia, when they were 18. Virginia has been editor of the Little Rock Freelance newspaper for 40 years. 6

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

THE VAN WYHE FAMILY Ireton’s Zack and Rhonda Van Wyhe – and their children Beau, Kasen and Raelyn – all love farm life and each is ready to do their part. 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.

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

Zack grew up on the farm and officially joined his dad, Terry, in 2004. 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.” Over time, Zack has changed his definition of success, focusing now 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.”

THE REHDER FAMILY Orville Rehder has been retired for a long time and his brother, George, passed away earlier this year. But the pair still serve as guiding stars to Orville’s sons, Steve, Jeff and Kevin Rehder; and Steve’s son, Trent. Jeff said, “A lot of people don’t have a father and we were lucky enough to have two with George being around all the time. We got to see the example of how Dad and George got along. Even when there were conflicts, they’d always get through it.” Steve concurred: “The example was set by our two dads – when you get yourselves into a situation where you’re a little upset, we need to try to remember that we’re a family and we work together. That’s always been an inspiration to me.” The family has farrow-to-finish hog operation, a cattle feedlot, and grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Family members are also deeply involved in agricultural organizations and in their church. Jeff said, “There’s always something going on. If you’ve run out of work, you’ve quit looking.” Steve, Jeff, Orville, Kevin, George and Trent Rehder; and farm business partner Tim Schmidt.

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IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

BRAD & CHRIS HARVEY Brad and Chris Harvey enjoy farming and the tight-knit community. Brad said, “A farm community is so nice. You know, you have those times when your cattle might get out and you wonder how you’re going to round them all up. And then – boom! – all your neighbors show up with their 4-wheelers and know just what to do to help.” Brad and his dad used to have dairy and hog operations. Today, Brad raises Holstein-Black Angus calves. They farm ground in Plymouth County and across the river in Union County, S.D. Chris recently retired from a teaching career at Akron-Westfield. She plans to help out more on the farm – but her higher priority is to be able to travel to see her grandchildren more frequently.

Chris and Brad Harvey.

Brad said, “I get up in the morning and I might not even know what day it is – I just enjoy getting up to do my work. Not every day on the farm is a good day, but we try to make it so. Farming is not necessarily going to make you rich, but it’s a rich life.”

The Ranschau family: Dave, grandsons Ashton (at the wheel) and Mason, Becky and daughter Renae.

THE RANSCHAU FAMILY Lyon County farmer Dave Ranschau came back to the farm at age 62 to help his dad after his brother, Norman, was killed in a 4-wheeler accident. Dave was a long-haul trucker for more than 40 years. His wife, Becky said, “He knew how to farm (crops) but he didn’t know how to take care of the cow herd. The cattle kind of beat the tar out of us at first. But the neighbors just gathered around and helped Dave out. Right away – good neighbors, good farm community.” Dave said, “The Bible says there were miracles – turning the water into wine, calming the sea. Some think those miracles don’t happen anymore. But miracles happen every day – you’ve just got to recognize them. I mean that.” 8

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

Troy and Michelle Altena and their sons, Tyson, Jacob, Ethan and Levi.

THE ALTENA FAMILY Troy and Michelle Altena started with virtually nothing. Troy said, “When I got out of college, I owed my brother a thousand bucks and all I had was just the clothes on my back. When I moved in with my wife, she had a mobile home in Rock Valley and I just drove up with my Monte Carlo and a brown paper sack – that’s all we had.” Two decades later, they run a successful seed business and are raising four sons on the farm. In between their spartan start and today, the couple has survived hail, fire and lean times through hard work, faith, guidance from mentors, community support, and a willingness to take risks. Troy lives every aspect of farming. “I love watching seeds come up in the row. Every year it’s a miracle to me. Watching plants thrive on fertile land free from weeds, insects, and disease is a truly rewarding occupation. I’m absolutely passionate about finding the perfect way to grow crops. It’s fun. It’s not work to me.”

January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

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DAN & LAURIE BUYERT Dan Buyert loves spring work, “getting the crop in and started” while his wife, Laurie, loves operating the combine at harvest time. She worked beside her dad on the farm for years. “I begged to go along to do chores; to check sows and count new little baby pigs just born in the straw; to feed hay to the cattle with a pitchfork; to go to the sale barn; lean on the fence and listen to all the men talk about prices and good western calves.” On an acreage where Laurie lived as a little girl and again when the couple were newlyweds, they now operate a bed and breakfast called “The North Place.” Over the years, her parents had rented out the small house which used to be there. “My mom and dad just used that little house to bless other people. My mom always had an open door and open heart.”

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

Laurie and Dan Buyert.

THE DE HOOGH FAMILY Twenty years ago, Shanna and Nate De Hoogh decided they wanted to raise their family in the country. They bought 10 acres northwest of Hospers. The acreage proved to very productive, becoming home to eight kids plus horses, goats – and now the Big Red Barn Goat Milk Soap company. “The bunch of kids led us to building a barn. We wanted them to have the experience of farm life and interaction with animals,” Shanna said. In 2017, she bought a herd of dairy goats and later began her soap business. Adding goat milk to the olive, coconut and palm oils in the soap augments the moisturizing properties. “So you don’t leave the shower feeling like the soap shrunk your skin by a size. “There are many people who want quality natural products and also want to know where their products are coming from. If they can do business with the person who is actually doing the milking and chores behind the product, that’s some validation of what’s in it. That’s the niche I’m trying to fill,” she said. Kylee, Shanna and Pablo De Hoogh.

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January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

THE BEELNER FAMILY Richard Beelner of Remsen is fanatical about his love for his “purebred” Case tractors – as in Case tractors introduced before the merger of J.I. Case with International Harvester. “I like their durability. Today’s tractors have too many electronics and too much plastic.” Besides Case tractors, the other topic that Richard is excited to talk about is his and Patricia’s daughter, Rachael. “She’s my right-hand man,” he said. Rachael is a senior at MMCRU High School where she is in her second year as president of the MMRCU FFA.

Richard, Patricia and Rachael Beelner.

Even after working a long day and into the night during planting and harvesting season, Richard will stay up late to play cards with Patricia and Rachael. “These two ladies are absolute blessings in my life.” He said he loves spending time enjoying their company and laughing with them. “A goal of mine is to make five people laugh every day. A lot of days, I get that done by 8 a.m. Life is enjoyable when you laugh.”

Craig and Kristin Hoftyzer. Mark Pottebaum

MARK POTTEBAUM “There’s a saying out there: You don’t have kids to raise livestock, you have livestock to raise kids. And it’s so true,” said Mark Pottebaum of Alton. He believes competitive livestock showing is an avenue for life lessons. “Even if you fail, get up and reflect – what did you learn?”

CRAIG & KRISTIN HOFTYZER Craig and Kristin Hoftyzer of Boyden take seriously their role of being stewards of the land and the values which have been passed down to them.

Mark is passionate about the show lambs he raises and sells. “Yes, I want to make money selling sheep, but, more importantly, it’s a way of life. I want to sell good sheep to good kids.”

“I feel extremely blessed. If it wasn’t for the generations before me making sacrifices, I wouldn’t be able to do this. I try not to take that blessing for granted,” Craig said. Kristin added, “Both sides of the family, all those previous generations, they had the same values we try to live by today.”

In addition to selling show lambs, Mark also supports youth through long-time involvement in 4-H. “You can meet kids where they’re at, you can help them get a piece of life going, and give them a place in life where they can get up every day and feel valued. I think God put us on this earth to help make someone’s else’s life better.”

Craig said, “Hopefully in our interaction with our neighbors, friends, or customers, we’re fair, honest, and do things with integrity. If you practice these, it’s nice when you meet a neighbor on the road and they wave at you – I like to think they’re generally happy to meet you.”

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

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IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

THE KNOBLOCH FAMILY The crops grown by Myron Knobloch and his sons – Brett, Clark and Darin – are not the traditional corn and soybeans of northwestern Iowa. Nevertheless, success at Knobloch’s Greenhouse of Alvord requires the same inputs as their neighboring farms: good soil, timely water, the right fertilizer, sound business decisions, and hard work. Starting with a tiny 7x16-foot greenhouse, Myron and his late wife, Beth, began their business growing strawberries and apples. Over time, it developed into a greenhouse operation focused predominantly on annual flowers. Over the course of their 11-week retail season, they typically sell 4,000 hanging baskets, all grown in their 30 greenhouses. Myron, Brett, Darin and Clark Knobloch in one of their production areas at Knobloch’s Greenhouse.

Attention to detail has helped them build an extremely loyal customer base. Darin said positive word-of-mouth about their quality plants, reasonable prices and customer service has been their primary avenue of marketing.

Daniel, John and Debra Ahlers farm south of Le Mars. Judy and Lowell Vos farm west of Kingsley and south of Le Mars.

LOWELL & JUDY VOS Lowell and Judy Vos are passionate about telling the real story of farming and food production. Lowell said, “Farmers have got to open ourselves up and have people come out and look at the cows, look at the pigs, and how we take care of them. We’ve got nothing to hide. Consumers want to know where their food comes from. They want to know the history of the animal before it’s harvested. If we have a good product, let’s show them and be proud of it.” Lowell said their son, Mike, is happily engaging with today’s rapidly-emerging technology. “Mike bought a new planter two years ago. It gets pretty bad when the manual for the monitor was thicker than the manual for the planter. “It’s probably the best place in the world to raise a family,” Lowell said. “Don’t tell everybody – because it’s getting kind of full. We’re the luckiest people in the world right here.” 14

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

THE AHLERS FAMILY John and Debra Ahlers, along with their son, Daniel, believe uncertain times compel a farmer to be conservative, to maintain a positive attitude, and be controlled and smart with big purchases. “Don’t spread yourself so thin that you can’t sleep at night,” said Debra. Maintaining open lines of communication is essential. “You have to keep the channels open, you have to talk things over. The three children who are not here, we communicate with them because they’re just as vested as the one who is here to do the work,” said Debra. She said, “You’ve got to find the blessings – healthy children, healthy grandchildren – the good life we have out here. We enjoy a lot of good sunrises and we appreciate a lot of good sunsets.” John added, “You know, during harvest, at the end of the day, if we can say nothing got broke and nobody got hurt, it was a good day.”

THE BECKER FAMILY Sticking with cattle helps in the years when yields disappoint and/or grain prices are low, said David Becker. “By keeping diversified, we’re able to handle a lot of issues. We’ve had everything from corn that didn’t pollinate to a lot of other problems where we’d take a heck of loss, but instead we can chop it and feed it through the cattle.” David and his wife, Steph, farm with his parents, Doug and Peg Becker, southeast of Hinton. Their specialty is finishing “high maintenance” cattle. In addition to the feedlot, they have a cow-calf herd, corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Doug’s dad, Gene, planted crops for 65 years. “I was 15 when I first started planting. In 1946, Dad got rid of the horse-drawn planter. He had me drive the tractor and he walked behind to see how the new planter was doing. He said ‘Well, it looks pretty good, you might as well keep going.’ And he never planted after that. I had a 30-day leave before I went to Korea and I even planted the corn that year.” Front: Alexis, Grace, Gene, Steph and Levi. Back: Peg, Doug, Jackson and David.

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January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

THE FUNK FAMILY Ryan and Khristy Funk have an up-and-coming crew who help do the hog loading – their older two sons, Keaton and Elliott. Ryan said, “You don’t have to worry about them showing up in the morning because you know where they’re sleeping.” Both Keaton and Elliott had significant health issues at birth and both of them were airlifted to Sioux Falls’ Sanford Hospital. Ryan said, “Between Khristy and the kids, we’ve had several occasions of health issues. During each event, there was a day that was the lowest point. Every time that happened, as we were driving to or from the hospital, out of nowhere, we would notice the words ‘Trust Jesus’ on something.” That visual reinforcement of their faith helped them persevere. Keaton summarized the family’s attitude agriculture. “There’s something fun about farming – about watching something you’ve worked hard on and see it progress and grow through the year and then benefit from the rewards at harvest.”

Edna area farmers Khristy and Ryan Funk, their dog Bitsi, and children Cullen, Keaton, Khoryn and Elliott.

Eden, Charlie, Nola, Ember, Jaxon, Jason and Amber Van Driessen. Photo by Amber Van Driessen.

THE VAN DRIESSEN FAMILY Charlie and Nola Van Driessen are diligent about keeping their priorities straight. “Faith, family, friends, farming – we try to keep them in that order,” said Charlie. In 2017, Charlie and Nola moved to Sioux Center from the farm northeast of Hawarden to make way for son, Jason, to take up residence on the farmstead with his wife, Amanda, and their three children, Ember, Jaxon and Eden. Another child is also on the way in February. In addition to corn and soybeans, Van Driessens custom feed cattle as well as finish their own cattle. There is also a nursery on the yard where they raise iso-wean pigs. Going forward, Jason said the primary goal on the Van Driessen farm is to continue to be good stewards. “God gave us the task to care for the land and care for the livestock. That’s something we enjoy doing, and God has given us the skills and ability to do that.” 18

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

Lee, Aaron, Adam and Stefan Maassen.

THE MAASSEN FAMILY The Maassen family of Maurice is laser-focused on the hard work of running a dairy: Milking around the clock; growing most of their own feed; raising replacement heifers and Holstein breeding bulls; and each person managing a portion of the operation. The training began early. “As kids, we grew up feeding calves in hutches,” said Adam, part of the Maassen’s fifth generation. “It was a 7-day-a-week job we started when we were 6 or 7 years old.” Adam and his brothers, Aaron and Stefan, farm with their father, Lee, who said, “I got my hard-work attitude from my dad. He was out here until his last days when he was 93 years old. Dad learned to not complain and instead to count your blessings day by day.” Aaron said, “We’ve succeeded, I think, because of our willingness to change and improve. We’ve grown steadily and, just as important, have put technology to work to get more efficient all the time.”

THE BEITELSPACHER AND RENKEN FAMILIES At Beitelspacher Land & Cattle Company, every day starts by feeding the cattle. Then Wayne Beitelspacher and his son, Luke, along with Wayne’s nephew, Scott Renken and his son, Mitch, head over to Wayne’s house where his wife, Julie, feeds breakfast to the four men and they plot out their day. The Beitelspachers and Renkens feed several thousand beef cattle plus raise corn and soybeans east of Craig. Wayne’s grandfather and Scott’s great-grandfather was Carl Beitelspacher, a German-Russian immigrant who homesteaded in Plymouth County in 1875. “When I was really young, my mom and dad had sheep, hogs, cattle, milk cows and chickens. Nobody worked harder than Mom,” Wayne said. One day, Wayne’s dad told a neighbor they had a new baby boy. The neighbor was astounded – because he’d just seen her milking a cow the day before and didn’t even realize she was pregnant. “My mom was a tough old bird,” Wayne said. Wayne Beitelspacher, Scott Renken, and Luke Beitelspacher and Mitch Renken.

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January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

THE VER STEEG AND NIEUWENDORP FAMILIES Teamwork, a conservation ethic, innovation in business and production practices, and Christian faith combine to keep the Ver Steeg farm and family strong even in challenging times. Gene, Mike and his wife Sarah, their son Cody, and Gene’s great-nephew Nathan Nieuwendorp farm together. They feed pigs wean-to-finish and raise corn and soybeans. Sarah said, “There’s lots of ingenuity and creativity that comes into play in times like this. It takes a lot of level-headedness to deal with it. These guys do a good job of encouraging each other and being there for each other and throwing ideas around.”

Ella, Mike, Sarah, Evan, Cody and Gene Ver Steeg; and Jacklyn and Nathan Nieuwendorp with their daughters Lydia and Eliza.

Mike is proud of the productivity and efficiency of American pork production. “The productivity of pigs just continues to increase. Sows are birthing more pigs, weaning more pigs, pigs are growing extremely fast, very efficient feed conversions. The U.S. pork producer is just very good at what he does.”

BENJI MOSER In addition to his full-time job with Idlenot Farms of Larchwood, Benji Moser is the owner of Farm Branded Furnishings and part-owner of Moser Brothers LLC, a small farming operation with his oldest brother, Kent. “Balancing the business, my full-time job, and starting the LLC definitely keeps me busy.” He created the company Farm Branded Furnishings in early 2017. “I’ve done a lot of end tables, dining tables and coffee tables.” Much of his work has been done using reclaimed barn wood, although he’s now doing more jobs with hard maple and ash. He said customers really appreciate quality workmanship. “I’m always conscious of that and tend to overbuild to a degree. There's still room to grow on how I build my pieces and what techniques are best for certain kinds of furniture. I want to always produce the best quality pieces I can for my great customers.” Benji Moser

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

Kevin Flammang, Mark Sneller and Verlyn Sneller.

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Verlyn, Mark and Steve Sneller, along with family friend, Kevin Flammang, are blazing a new trail in Sioux County agriculture. The grow elderberries and are developing a line of products under the West Branch Elderberries label. In addition to frozen berries, frozen juice and dried berries, West Branch has developed a tonic and a tea made of elderberry and herbs. Verlyn said, “We have lots of people who swear by the juice. They and their kids take it through cold and flu season and never get sick. The government is now doing studies on the anti-viral properties of elderberry.” Mark said, “One of the main advantages we have over other purveyors of elderberry juice is we grow them ourselves. We have complete control over the process from start to finish. We wanted to be more vertically integrated to provide a better product for people.” West Branch ships product to nearly every state in the U.S.

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January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

THE STENSLAND FAMILY When the Stensland dairy was revived in 2003, little did anyone know that the family name would become a well-known commercial brand in northwest Iowa and the Sioux Falls area less than 15 years later. Justin and Jason Stensland restarted the dairy from scratch when they were 17 as a means to earn money for college. Their parents, Doug and Mona Stensland, helped their sons acquire the funds needed and are intimately involved in dairy production and product development. They broke ground on a creamery in 2015 and sales of milk, cheese and ice cream commenced in 2016. In addition to selling Stensland-branded products through independent retailers and area restaurateurs, they’ve opened three stores in Sioux Falls. Doug said, “Our whole philosophy is we’re going to make the besttasting product. In our ice cream, we use the highest cream level possible. We always choose the high-end, quality ingredients.”

Children standing in front: Huxley, Zylex, Rainalynn, Miles, Logan, Saylor, Lilly, and Sophia. Middle and back: Chelsea, Justin, Keira, Kelton, Art, Rosie, Brian, Mona, Doug, Paige, Jason, Jovie, Leah, and Kyle.

THE THIESSEN FAMILY Allison Thiessen knows her husband pretty well. When asked how they’ve achieved success, she jumped in and said, “Troy will tell you a positive attitude. Negative people don’t get anywhere. That’s something he says all the time.” Troy concurred. “I always look at life as the glass being half full. Even when you’re on the right track to success, you’re going to get run over if you stop trying to improve. You’ve got to keep looking forward, keep doing new things, and keep looking for a better way to do everything.” Thiessens farm southwest of Rock Rapids.

Kiah, Landon, Troy and Allison Thiessen.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

Their children – daughter Kiah and son Landon – are a good reflection of their parents’ positive attitude. All of them give a share of the credit to 4-H and FFA. Kiah said, “I learned a lot about leadership and hard work in 4-H.” Landon added, “I think 4-H teaches you how to help each other out and how to work together, how to be committed.”

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January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

IOWA FAMILIES - 2020

BEN & JANELLE JOHNSON Being a voice for agriculture is an important part of their job as farmers, said Ben and Janelle Johnson, who farm west of Craig. For years, they’ve been active in Farm Bureau, pork producers, Outstanding Farmers of America, and the Plymouth County Fair. The attitude of engagement extends into Janelle’s work as an ISU Extension educator in Plymouth County. They farm with Ben’s parents, Carl and Joann Johnson. Ben’s grandfather, Norm Barker, is a local icon in soil conservation who was still working on the combine into his mid-90s. Today, after 13 years of marriage, Ben and Janelle are spending less time worrying about the weather and markets and instead are enjoying the recent adoption of their son, Noah. Janelle said, “He’s quite a blessing. It’s been a good change.” And, Ben said, “It puts things in a little different perspective. Our priorities are a little different now than a few years ago.”

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

Janelle and Ben Johnson with their son, Noah.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Q&A WITH DAN SEVERSON, BENCO PRODUCTS INC. WHAT SPECIFICALLY DOES BENCO DO FOR FARMERS IN THE AREA? We are authorized dealers of Banjo, Precision Planting, Totally Tubular and Raven. We also sell Teejet, Ace Pumps, Hypro Pumps, Shurflo Pumps, Ace Tanks, Norwesco Tanks, Wilger parts, and many other parts. We also have a service department the goes out into the field and installs and repairs on products we sell. HOW DID BENCO START? Benco started by making cables on the coffee table of our owner, Jason Benning. The company grew from humble beginnings to where we are today servicing customers around 3-4 hour radius of Tea. AS THE OPERATIONS MANAGER AT BENCO PRODUCTS IN TEA, WHAT ARE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES? With Benco being a small company, my duties are not limited. The saying “other duties as assigned” is true for me. One day I am purchasing agent, next day I am sales rep. Other days, I could be engineering a project. This is what makes this job entertaining and challenging all at the same time. WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT YOUR ROLE? Helping people, when a person says thank you and shakes your hand, it make all the hard work we have done worth it!

CAN YOU EXPLAIN A SITUATION WHERE A CUSTOMER FACED A CHALLENGE AND BENCO WAS ABLE TO HELP THIS OPERATOR? I received a frantic call from a grower who was spraying with a pull-type sprayer. The sprayer came unhooked and broke wire harness going Dan Severson, Benco Products Inc. to sprayer. I went out and replaced the wire harness connector. In that connector there were 16 different colored wires. I was able to re-pin this connector without a wire schematic. The grower said to me, “Wow, you are as good as people say!” Less than one hour later, he was back up and spraying! OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS, WHERE DO YOU SEE TECHNOLOGY GOING AND WHERE WILL BENCO FIT? Technology seems to change every day. We at Benco are keeping up with the technology by developing new products, continuing our education with our partners in the industry. This way we can help farmers in the future understand what the potentials are for this new technology. Education on this is non-stop, we have a saying here at Benco: “Try to learn three new things every day!” This helps keep us on our toes.

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Benco Products Inc Daniel Severson 27093 Katie RD, Tea, SD 57064 1-888-649-4862 | dan@bencoparts.com January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

KEEPING LOCAL HISTORY ALIVE - 2020

GUN BATTLE IN MAURICE After midnight on Jan. 5, 1923, bandits tried to rob the Sioux County Savings Bank in Maurice. The robbers were at work on the safe when a shot fired by their confederate on guard notified them that their plans had been discovered. They rushed from the bank and engaged in a gun battle which wounded Sheriff Synhorst with 17 bullets. The criminals escaped in an auto they had stolen in Sioux City. About seven miles away, they abandoned the car – its radiator having been punctured with bullets. A manhunt for the criminals was carried on by a half dozen posses and vigilance committees. A mile southwest of Ireton, the guns stolen at the Maurice hardware store were found together with a bag containing burglar’s tools, nitroglycerine, and two .38 caliber revolvers. Two of the suspects were apprehended near Hawarden, two near McNally and one near Ireton. All five of them pled guilty. Justice was quickly served in 1920’s Iowa: By Feb. 8th, the gang members had begun their prison sentence of 40 years.

The bandits tried to escape in a Chandler automobile similar to this one.

Headlines from the Alton Democrat.

BASEBALL MAJOR-LEAGUER AT AGE 36 John Niggeling was born in Remsen in 1903. Growing up, he played infield for St. Mary’s High School. He bounced around the minor leagues for a dozen years, became a pitcher by accident, and finally became a major-league regular in 1939 at the age of 36. In nine major league seasons, he finished in the top 10 in ERA three times and strikeouts twice. His one-finger knuckleball was famous, giving fits to the legendary Joe DiMaggio. On the heels of the Clipper’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941, he started working on another. But after 16 games, it came to an abrupt halt in New York on Aug. 3rd when he went 0 for 4 against Niggeling. The best year for the Remsen native was 1942 when he was 15-11 with an ERA of 2.66 for the St. Louis Browns. He was the opening day pitcher for the Senators in 1944; and, in 1945, he was one of four knuckleballers in the team’s rotation. Senators owner Clark Griffith said, “I never saw Niggeling pitch a bad game in four years.”

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

Remsen native Johnny Niggeling warming up.

A panoramic view of downtown Akron in the early 1900s.

THE EARLY DAYS OF AKRON In the 1890 book “History of the Counties of Woodbury and Plymouth, Iowa,” Akron and Portlandville Township are described: “Here one travels over the finest lay of land and the most fertile, easily tilled soil in the world. Here one beholds a rural scene which is ever a feast to the eye. Here one meets the combined industry and intelligence of both native and foreign-born citizens. Here one

sees marks of thrift and true wealth – of comfort and happiness; of moral and religious sentiment, seldom adorning any one subdivision of a county.” Akron is “charmingly situated on a level plateau of land, a part of the great valley through which flows the Big Sioux, tending toward the southwest; it furnishes a water-power seldom equaled in all Iowa.” Akron businesses in 1890 included a boot and shoe store, blacksmiths, drug store, two doctors, furniture store, three grocers, two hardware stores, a harness shop, three hotels, jeweler, lumber yard, meat market, millinery, mill, and wagon maker.

The train arrives on time at the Akron Depot.

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Serving northwest Iowa farmers and homeowners since 1886. January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

KEEPING LOCAL HISTORY ALIVE - 2020

THE GHOST TOWN OF KLONDIKE Klondike was a village in western Lyon County and home to Iowa’s only known commercial gold mining venture. The town founder was a German-born immigrant named Christian Krueger who built a dam on the Big Sioux River in 1883. His grist mill ground wheat for farmers who came from as far away as 50 miles.

The dam and mill at Klondike in 1905. The bridge is the predecessor bridge to the one below the dam used by traffic from 1915-1977.

Around 1900, Klondike was home to about 50 people. At various times it boasted a grocery store, ice house, sawmill, blacksmith shop and gas station, and tavern. The Klondike grade school included as many as 40 students. Klondike Hall was used for roller skating, wedding receptions, debates, auctions and religious services. A bridge which opened in 1915 still spans the Big Sioux River there, but it’s only open to recreational traffic.

Krueger’s oft-repaired dam at Klondike was removed for good in 2013. The dam was converted to rock arch rapids, allowing fish access to 38 more miles of river habitat; reliably maintaining levels for the rural water system; and providing safe passage for canoeists and kayakers.

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

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2 South Marion St, Remsen, IA 51050 | 712-786-2234 January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

FROM THE KITCHEN

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021

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January 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | January 2021