Harlan Ten Haken drives a 1939 John Deere B with a one-row corn picker, owned by Ken and Debbie Woelber. In the background are Todd and Ken Woelber. Story begins on page 6. Photo by Bob Fitch
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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
HARVESTING CORN – ONE ROW AT A TIME
By Bob Fitch
Most of us learn history through books, lectures, storytelling, television or movies. The lucky ones get to see history come to life. Living history was the order of the day on a Saturday in October when Ken and Debbie Woelber of Hull, along with family and friends, time-traveled to the 1940s to harvest corn with a classic John Deere tractor and a rare John Deere one-row corn picker.
Around 1950, Debbie’s father, Wallace Winter, purchased his first tractor, a 1939 John Deere B. In 1992, he purchased a one-row 1948 JD corn picker in Red Oak, Iowa, for $75. Wally only ran the tractor and picker together a few times before he died in 2003. For several years, Ken and Debbie have been eager to get the equipment back in the field on land homesteaded in 1871 by
Debbie’s great-grandfather. She and her siblings grew up there and still own the land. Zylstra Farms works the ground and they left 12 rows unharvested this fall to see if the old rig could finish the job.
Luckily, there was an expert ready and willing to help get the old equipment field-ready. Harlan Ten Haken used to be a co-owner of the John Deere dealership at Doon. He leant his expertise (and old parts) to the project to help put the tractor and picker back to work. While he’s worked on a lot of John Deere tractors, he’d never touched a picker exactly like this one before.
About 55 people gathered on October 26th to watch the old-time corn picking demonstration. Debbie said, “My dad would have been
walking on air if he had been around to see all this happening.” Ken took the rig the first go-round, then Harlan took charge for a few rounds. Later, Ken and Debbie’s sons and two of their grandsons took a hand at the wheel.
There was a hitch in the picker’s giddy-up a few times. “We joked it wasn't ready for 250 bushel-an-acre corn,” said Debbie. Ken said they had greased the picker really well –but maybe a little too well. Harlan threw some dirt in the gears and that seemed to fix the problem.
FARMING IS IN THEIR BLOOD
Ken and Debbie farmed in the early years of their marriage, but the trials of the 1980’s farm crisis forced them out. “Our parents both said
Debbie and Ken Woelber of Hull, pictured in Ken’s shop with a 1949 Chevrolet pickup which belonged to Debbie’s grandfather. Note the other antiques and memorabilia in the background.
they’d help us through it. But we decided no because we didn’t know what the outcome would be,” said Ken. Debbie added: “We didn't want them to lose what they worked so hard for.” Ken’s parents farmed in Lyon County about three miles north of Debbie’s family farm. Like the Winter farm, the Woelber homesite is recognized as a Century Farm.
In addition to the antique tractor and corn picker, they have her Grandpa Winter’s 1949 Chevrolet pickup. They also help to keep local history alive by preserving a lot of local memorabilia in Ken’s shop on the south end of Hull. They always had a lot of antiques at home, but they really expanded their collection after they built the shop in 2007.
Woelbers have antiques from both Hull and George, where Ken went to high school. The George treasures include the Charlie’s Grocery Store sign and the old George High School driver’s education sign. He helped tear out the bleachers in the Hull Community Building about seven
Grandson Brody Woelber takes a turn with the 1939 John Deere B and the old one-row corn picker. Ken is riding along.
years ago. The city said it was ok if he saved the bleacher boards, which he has put to use in multiple ways in his shop, including building a little bar. The top part of the bar is a section of the old bowling alley that was in the Hull Community Building years ago.
Debbie said, “Our kids joke that if we put any more signs up, the walls are going to cave in.”
HOG BUILDINGS AND FOREIGN CANDY
Ken worked in construction, putting up grain bins and later installing hog equipment. “I had crews installing equipment in hog buildings until about five years ago. I decided I was old enough to retire.” He didn’t take to retirement very well and returned as a sub-contractor for Ag Property Solutions, an Emmetsburg firm that does a lot of hog building work for the Pipestone System. “I do the punch-list stuff. After we start a building, I keep checking on things. Before we do the final walk-through with the owners, I go through to make sure we have everything as good as we can get it. We don't have a lot of callbacks, so I guess I’m doing my job ok.”
Scooping corn are Ken and Debbie’s oldest son, Todd; youngest son, Troy; and Brent and Brian Zylstra.
Ken was part of the team last year that worked on constructing the largest hog barn in the United States. “It’s an all steel building for 12,000 sows by De Smet, South Dakota. I got a little over-busy with it last year. This year was a lot slower, which I don't mind.”
Debbie retired from a long career at The Foreign Candy Co. in Hull. When Ken went back to work, she decided to do the same. She’s now a paraprofessional in special education at Kinsey Elementary in Sioux Center. “I’ve fallen in love with that.”
The couple has three children. Both sons live in Hull and their daughter lives at Sheldon. They have 10 grandkids and three (soon-to-be four) great grandchildren.
New meets old. Zylstra Farms current combine and the Woelber’s John Deere B and JD corn picker.
Antiques and memorabilia inside Ken Woelber’s shop in Hull.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MECHANICAL CORN PICKER
When compared with other mechanized farm implements such as binders, reapers, and combines, the invention of a successful mechanical corn picker was slow in coming, according to “Iowa Farmers and Mechanical Corn Pickers, 19001952,” by history professor Thomas Burnell Colbert.*
According to agricultural historian Keith Roe, "No invention dealing with corn in the first half of the twentieth century had so dramatic an impact on the labor of harvest as the mechanical corn pickers."
Before the development of the corn picker, corn was harvested by cutting and binding stalks into shocks and the ears subsequently removed; or stalks and ears were chopped for silage; or ears were handpicked or “husked” in the field. An experienced hand husker could pick and unload about 100 bushels of ear corn per day.
While the first mechanized corn picker was patented in 1850, workable advancements didn’t occur until after 1900. Farmers were hesitant to invest: The machinery was expensive; it shelled too much corn from the cob; and it missed downed stalks. Labor shortages during World War I caused an increase in popularity.
Ironically, the famous corn husking contests sponsored by Wallace’s Farmer in the 1920s and 1930s contributed to greater farmer acceptance. At a 1924 husking contest … “A single-row mechanical picker with a wagon attached, pulled by a tractor and operated by one man, harvested corn while the hand pickers worked. The machine proved to be three times faster than the fastest hand husker. Thus the husking tournaments provided
an opportunity for implement salesmen to display and demonstrate new farm machinery, including mechanical pickers.”
TRACTORS, PTO AND HYBRIDS
The acceptance of the mechanical corn picker did not take place in isolation. International Harvester introduced the Farmall tractor in 1924, soon followed by their competitors’ versions of all-purpose tractors. In addition, the power-take-off (PTO) shaft was developed during World War I and, in 1927, manufacturers agreed to standardize shafts, fitting sizes, and rotational speeds and direction. The wide use of tractor PTOs increased the viability of mechanical pickers.
The biggest factor driving farmers to use mechanical pickers was the dramatic increase in yields because of the rapid adoption of cross-pollinated hybrid seed corn. The use of mechanical pickers was rising rapidly in the late 1920s, but the onset of the Great Depression was a setback. Farm income plummeted and, with so many men unemployed, it again became cheaper to use hand labor for harvesting corn
“Conventional wisdom of the late 1930s was that mechanical pickers were best for big fields with large yields in which livestock could forage after the harvest. A farmer with less than 80 acres of corn could possibly rely on hand husking; 80 to 100 acres could be handled by a one-row machine; and 160 to 200
acres called for a two-row picker … by 1939 approximately 20,000 mechanical pickers were in use in Iowa. Half of them were two-row models; half were one-row.” By 1940, there were fewer mechanical glitches. “Low pressure pneumatic rubber tires on tractors increased field speed, reduced fuel use (and) reduced soil compacting.”
World War II also changed the economic equation. “Mechanization in farm production became necessary because few hired laborers were available.” After the war, when more steel was available for domestic use, numerous manufacturers hurriedly fed farmers' appetites for machinery. By 1951, 95 percent of Iowa’s corn was harvested by machine.
The era of hand-picking corn, including the cracked, bleeding and frozen hands that came with it, was over. In Wallace’s Farmer, a tongue-in-cheek article said: “Yes, corn husking is a great life! We spend one-sixth of each year at it. But, say, do you know where we might buy, rent or borrow a firstclass machine?”
In 1956, a corn head was developed for combines, which ultimately led to a decline in sales for corn pickers.
An Allis-Chalmers tractor and two-row corn picker.
Photo from Wikipedia Commons.
*This article is largely excerpted from “Iowa Farmers and Mechanical Corn Pickers, 1900-1952,” by Thomas Burnell Colbert. It was published in Agricultural History, Vol. 72 No. 2 in spring 2000. Colbert was professor of history and humanities and chairperson of the Social Science Division at Marshalltown Community College, Marshalltown, Iowa.
THE MEYER FAMILY
Lyon County, January 2024
THE VIET FAMILY
Sioux County, January 2024
To succeed in farming, a person needs to have a passion for it in all seasons, said Denis Meyer, who farms with his wife, Jill, and their sons, Tad, Jed and Sam, west of Rock Rapids. “There will be days when you wonder if you made the right choice. But don’t dwell on the challenging days. There are always some jobs and situations on the farm that you don’t necessarily like. Breakdowns and bad weather are at the top of the list. But, if you like what you do, it really isn't work.”
Farming and living in the country “… is just a good environment to raise a family. We live in a community that has good values and good morals; and it’s a safe place,” Denis said. Jill grew up in Aberdeen, S.D., the daughter of a banker. “I had no farming background; and I said I was never going to marry a farmer or a banker. But now I would never think of raising my kids anywhere else.” She is a second grade teacher at West Lyon Schools.
Denis said they never pushed their kids to farm. Their oldest son, Tad, said, “Dad always told us, ‘There's always the farm.’ Go get your education was probably the most important message. Mom was pretty good pushing that. Agriculture is what we know. If you’re happy and content working within it, then you don’t need to change it up.”
Jim and Mandy Viet started farming near Hawarden in 1989. They custom fed hogs and Jim’s town job helped pay the bills. They transitioned to become a farrow-to-finish operation. “We started farrowing with our father-in-law and selling some feeder pigs. But then hog prices just crashed. Hogs went to nine cents and corn went to five bucks. The summer of ‘94 was a pretty ugly few months,” he said.
He’d previously worked as a mechanic and decided service and repair work might help put food on the table. “If it hadn’t been for those first few who took a chance on me, it would have never taken off.” In 1997, the business incorporated as Jim’s Repair, Inc.
They got out of hogs in 2015. In 2018, their son, Travis, started farming alongside them; and, in 2021, Jim joined the team at Rivers Edge Bank in Hawarden, working in business development. He largely stepped away from the farm and the repair business. He and Mandy continue as co-owners of Jim’s Repair Inc. with partner Dylan Evenson, who now handles day-to-day shop operations.
Looking to the future, Travis hopes to grow the size of the farm if circumstances allow; maximize efficiency on current land, and add some livestock slowly. He also welcomes the chance to add custom work, plus enjoys helping on local silage crews.
Jim and Mandy Viet and Travis and Miranda Viet.
The Meyer family. Adults in the back: Kent and Elyse Moser; Sam and Nicky Meyer; Jed Meyer, Jill and Denis Meyer; Addie and Carson Wirtz; and Kendra and Tad Meyer. Children in the front: Evie, Madelyn Hayden, Nolan, Ethan and Meredith Moser; Blaire (in Nicky’s arms), Shay and Rhett Meyer; Miley, Theo and Mathis Wirtz; Abrah and Callen Meyer. Photo by Summit Photography.
THE STUEVEN FAMILY
Around 2010, Mark Stueven ’s career as a diesel mechanic was beginning to take its toll. He was developing carpal tunnel syndrome from too much “wrenching” at his shop near George. He ratcheted down his repair work and moved towards doing custom harvest work, especially baling corn stalks. When the pandemic made it difficult to find replacement parts for balers, Mark spotted a business opportunity which would put his background in mechanics together with the mechanical engineering skillset of his oldest son, Jessy, a graduate of S.D. School of Mines & Technology.
In a very short time, the Stueven family built a commercial enterprise to sell parts recovered from used John Deere balers. Starting essentially from nothing, Stueven Ag has now sold parts for John Deere balers to 400 customers in 32 states. According to Jessy, “We saw there was kind of a niche market. So Dad and I took a chance to start our own business. We recover the parts and ship them, similar to a salvage yard. One of our big selling points is that all our balers are functional when we buy them. The parts are not from balers that have been burned up.”
Mark’s wife, Becky, said it’s been a real learning experience discovering the ins-and-outs of shipping and credit card processing, plus many other logistics. She launched their national footprint by joining John Deere baler group on Facebook. “The first night I was overwhelmed with messages.”
THE WESTRA FAMILY
Mutual support is central to the farming family of Gary and Jeralyn Westra, who farm near Hull. “We're fortunate to be a close family,” said youngest son, Kyle. “When someone needs help, we just like to be right there. That’s just kind of how we've always worked.”
“We have been blessed, that's for sure,” said Gary. “There's been good times and hard times. God's always helped us get through the hard times. Thoughout the various trials we’ve had, our faith, family, friends, community and church have always been there to help,” he said. All the family attends services at Calvary Protestant Reformed Church in Hull. “So even on Sunday, we don't get a day off from each other,” joked their son, Brett. Every other Sunday after church, they all get together for a big family dinner, where they try to avoid business talk.
Gary and Jeralyn were married in 1978 and moved to the farm in 1979. He had a town job, but baling work was part of a long-term plan to move entirely to farming. Jeralyn has played a key role in the farm’s success. When they purchased a Balzer stalk chopper, she became the “stalk chopper lady.” The son, Steve said, “Mom was one of the best operators of the chopper. There were tweaks she could make – if people wanted their ground black, she could make it really nice. Mom knew all the tricks.”
Besides the field work and raising six children, Jeralyn also fed 100 head of bottle calves for 30 years.
Becky, Mark, Jessy and Kaylee Stueven.
Lyon County, February 2024
Sioux County, February 2024
The Westra family. In the back: Grayden, Jackson, Calvin, Jackson, Hannah, Whitney and Saylor. In the front: Carter, Britney holding Brennan, Brett, Teagan in Emily’s arms, Kyle, Jeralyn, Tonia, Gary, Steve, Marissa and Thomas. Inset: The newest Westra is Brennan.
THE MOLZEN FAMILY
Plymouth County, March 2024
Visiting Larry’s Auto in Merrill is like traveling through time on the roads and highways of America from the 1950s to the 1970s, the post-World War II era when the automobile became king of the country and everyone was on the move. Their three buildings in Merrill feature a plethora of memorabilia that would be the envy of many collectors.
Larry Molzen grew up on the Akron area farm of his parents, where his dad also had a mechanic and welding shop. Larry said, “Buying something new didn’t mean that much to Dad. He liked to make something out of nothing.”
Larry followed in his father’s footsteps, farming and doing repair work. He stepped away from day-to-day farming to start a repair shop in Le Mars which focused on hot rods, Corvettes and motorcycle repair. After his Le Mars shop burned down in ’69, he briefly returned to farming full-time, but soon opened a new shop focused on trucks, tractors, hot rods and race cars.
In 1981, Larry and his wife, Sharon, opened a late model used car and truck dealership on busy Highway 75. Later, their son, Tim, joined them in the business.
Today, Larry and Tim focus on buying collector cars, typically models from the 1950s to 1990s, and re-sell them to people who are likely looking for that certain special muscle car, hot rod, Corvette or older pickup. Besides doing direct sales, they also sell some of their very best cars via two internationally-recognized collector car auctions.
THE ACKERMAN FAMILY
Lyon County, March 2024
Farming comes first at the James and Ruth Ackerman farm, but their family also finds time for fun. Both were raised on Lyon County farms and met when she was helping her father install a grain bin on the Ackerman farm in 1979.
James milked cows through high school and continued when they got married, but gave up the dairy in 1991. They shut down their farrow-to-finish hog operation in 1998. Along with corn and soybeans, they’ve consistently had stock cows, starting with Herefords, then going to Black Angus and Charolais.
When their son, Dustin, graduated from SDSU, cow-calf pairs were his biggest interest. “We do a lot of feeding of our own, plus we buy light feeder calves to background them to about 1,000 pounds,” said Dustin. In addition to the cattle, he owns a hog barn and helps with chores at other local barns.
James and Ruth’s son, Bill, is an integral part of the farm operation, frequently filling in the gaps by helping in the field and working the cattle. He works full-time managing the shipping department at Sudenga Industries.
In the summertime, the Ackermans serve their neighbors a friendly beer in their licensed pub, called RiverView Barn. After remodeling the barn’s loft and adding a deck for an anniversary party, they fixed up the barn’s main floor, installed a bar and restrooms, and added a second deck overlooking the river. Operating RiverView Barn adds new meaning to diversification because the farm now hosts weddings, graduations, family and class reunions, and other parties, said Ruth.
Monti, Tim, Willie, Sharon and Larry Molzen.
The Ackerman farm family. Adults: Abbie, Bill, James, Ruth, Rachel and Dustin. Kids: Owen, Jake, Cale and Wade.
THE VAN ESSEN FAMILY
“God has a plan for us all,” according to Chris Van Essen, a cattle feeder who farms between Carmel and Rock Valley.
He believes God’s plan for him is to raise his family on the farm and to feed cattle. “It gets in your blood to feed cattle. It’s the same for me as it was for Dad and Grandpa. I enjoy custom-feeding because I’ve got good customers. Even when the markets do what they do, they're good to me.” He and his dad also haul feed for themselves and their neighbors, plus have cattle pots.
He plans to continue to add cattle feeding capacity. “I love what I do, but the risk side of it is always tough when you’re trying to feed a family and make a living and maybe get some new equipment here and there,” he said.
Chris’ father, Harold, grew up on his parent’s farm near Inwood. After service in Vietnam, he helped on his dad’s farm and worked in construction before he and his wife, LaVonne, started their own farm on a bare 80 in 1977. He built cattle feeding facilities and had a farrow-to-finish hog operation for many years.
When Chris isn’t farming, he and his wife, Whitney, take their sons camping north of Rock Valley, at Yankton or at the Newton Hills. Harold and LaVonne can now take the time to travel further afield to places such as Branson and North Carolina.
RANDY & SHELLEY STABE
Randy Stabe became an auctioneer in 1976. “Dad was a great mentor. He always had a good reputation and was as honest as anybody in the country.” Randy also farmed with his dad and he continues to grow corn and soybeans today on the ground his great grandparents purchased from the railroad in 1884.
In his early days, he squeezed two work days into one: Working the cattle alley at the Sioux City Stockyards starting at 4:30 a.m. and then working the farm from 1:00-10:00 p.m. Randy and his father, Vernon, had a cow-calf herd and a farrowto-finish hog operation. However, as the auction business grew, livestock went by the wayside.
Randy’s wife, Shelley, grew up on her family’s farm in O’Brien County. She helps on the farm by running the grain cart, running for parts and keeping Randy fed. She’s also active in Stabe Auction & Realty.
The family’s former cow pasture has been the long-time home of the Stabe Auction spring and fall consignment
sales. “We run three auction rings all day with two auctioneers in each ring. It's really grown into a good deal for the community,” Randy said. Shelley likes to market the sale as the “official start of spring in Plymouth County.” Typically, there are over 1,000 bidding numbers.
Chris and Whitney Van Essen, with the children, Baylor, Koston and Tate.
Lavonne and Harold Van Essen.
Sioux County, April 2024
Plymouth County, April 2024
Randy and Shelley Stabe.
THE KNOBLOCH FAMILY
Lance Knobloch is a big proponent of progeny testing within the Berkshire hog breed to prove their herd has excellent meat quality genetics. Lance said, “The number one reason we chose Berkshires is to provide an awesome eating experience for my family. We don’t keep animals unless they prove themselves to have great meat quality.”
The progeny-tested herd sires from Fly’n K Berkshires frequently earn awards for high meat quality. Those results help drive their breeding stock sales. According to Lance’s wife, Kristi, “You don't have to go off our word. We think the proof is in the pedigree. All of our Berkshires are registered and we’re testing those genetics.” Kristi is a native of McLean County, Illinois, where she was also raised on a hog farm.
Before the family zeroed in on breeding Berks, their journey into the purebred world started with an oldfashioned taste test at the family dinner table. “Around 2000, I sourced some Berks and some Durocs and some meat quality Chester Whites. I dabbled with a few sows,” said Lance. Their kids gobbled up the Berk pork and rejected the other.
Their son, Kelwin, works full-time as a production supervisor for Idlenot Farms. But he also is in charge of the Fly’n K commercial herd, feed mill, and manure application in the fall. Their son, Gabe, helps at Flyin’ K with machinery maintenance and repair and some of the trucking duties when he’s not at his job in North Dakota maintaining large earth and coal moving equipment.
LOREN & TERRI VANDEN BOSCH
After high school, Loren Vanden Bosch’s father gave him money to buy two sows. “He told me, ‘When you sell the hogs, pay me back. If there’s anything extra, we’ll take the feed off and the rest is yours.’ And that's how we started off. It was a no-interest loan because that’s what dads do.” Loren and his brother, Leon, farm 1,100 acres, a good part of it on a crop-share basis with an absentee landlord, an ongoing arrangement since the 1950s.
Loren’s wife, Terri, is essential in their regular hog loading routine. He said, “You tell people that and everybody says, ‘You still love each other?’ Well, it was a learning curve when we started out. But now it's so good that when we go in to sort, we barely communicate.”
Terri has been quilting for 30 years and founded Lizard Creek Quilting in 2007. In 2016, she won AccuQuilt’s national original quilt block contest. “Winning gave me confidence,” she said. Winning also gave her opportunities and contacts. Now she’s a frequent speaker at quilt guild meetings, where Loren sells her merchandise. In addition, she’s begun designing patterns for her Signature Fabric lines, four of which are being sold by Island Batik.
Many quilters follow her on social media and they’ve proven to be prayer warriors for her during cancer treatment. Terri has become more bold in sharing her faith in person and online even at the risk of having a few customers turn their back. “At my core, that’s who I am. I have to tell people about my personal relationship with Jesus.”
Terri and Loren Vanden Bosch.
Lyon County, May 2024
Kelwin, Kristi, Lance and Gabe Knobloch.
Lyon County, June 2024
BLAIR & ROBIN SMITH
Plymouth County, July 2024
Inside of every old log is a piece of art waiting to be discovered. All that’s required is a little imagination and a whole lot of skill with a chain saw. Blair Smith of Westfield has been discovering the art inside of trees for more than 20 years.
Blair is a long-time transport driver for Wells Incorporated. Using skills he learned growing up on the farm and creativity inherited from his romance novelwriting mother, he started B&R Chainsaw Sculptures. After a UPS driver bought a bear carving from him, Blair figured he could make some money at his hobby. “Not every carving that appears from a block of wood is perfect, but every carving is a work of art.”
At first, he was selling a few pieces here and there, but in 2004 was invited by Stihl chainsaw representatives to do carving demonstrations at places such as Cabela’s. As word got out, he was invited to the Woodbury County Fair to present his “Crowd Shock'n, Wood Rock'n, Show Stopp'n, High Powered, High Performance Chainsaw Art,” essentially becoming part of the fair’s entertainment package. For the past 15 years, the four carvings done each day are put on auction to benefit the fair. Several years ago, he was finally able to bring his show to the Plymouth County Fair “where he grew up.”
Blair’s wife, Robin, said her husband’s outgoing personality adds to the show. “A lot of chainsaw artists don’t talk. Blair has always had the gift of gab.” He said, “I never claimed to be the best chainsaw carver in the world. I never will be. But I am probably one of the most entertaining carvers you’ll see.”
EMILY VAN REGENMORTER
Like most young women who grew up on a farm, Emily Van Regenmorter is no stranger to hard work. Her parents, Chad and Jody Van Regenmorter, operate a farrow-to-finish hog operation east of Inwood. Emily started doing hog chores in high school and just never left. At the same time, when she’s not caring for the pigs, she’s grown her hobby of baking into a small business as a pastry chef. Cakers Kitchen By Emily sells upscale baked goods with a goal of “making people feel good through food.”
Emily’s journey into the baking world began at 11 years old when she was diagnosed with celiac disease which means her body cannot digest gluten from wheat, barley, rye or oats. “Your body can’t the get nutrients out of it and it stunts your whole digestive system.”
Not wanting to abandon bread and cake and cookies, she began experimenting with different recipes. The more time she spent baking, the more it became attractive as a career path. While still working fulltime on the farm, she enrolled in a year-long diploma program at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
Emily’s work is typically filling custom orders for high school graduation parties, family reunions and weddings. Her specialties include French macarons, cheesecakes and butter cake cookies.
She does offer products made from traditional flour products as well as her gluten free recipes. “There just isn’t enough demand in the area to do only gluten free. People who have celiac disease are nervous if they know I have a shared kitchen, because some can have bad reactions from just trace amounts of gluten. But, as someone who has celiac disease, I can truthfully say I know how to clean the kitchen to protect the gluten free products.”
Emily Van Regenmorter.
Blair and Robin Smith.
Lyon County, July 2024
THE SCHUITEMAN FAMILY
Sioux County, August 2024
Family, friends, feeding cattle and facing the turmoil of medical emergencies are all part of life for the families of brothers Joel and Paul Schuiteman of Sioux Center. Even in the midst of life’s tough times, the family is always ready for joking and laughter.
Joel’s farming and cattle feeding career began when he quit high school in 1975 at age 16. His father died unexpectedly and “I was thrown into it all by myself.” Fortunately, his dad had him working with the cattle from a young age. In the 1980s, Joel and his wife, Karen, started custom feeding cattle. “People thought we were crazy to feed for someone else. But we’re still doing it,” he said.
Their three daughters – Lindsay, Kari and Nicole – all worked on the family farm while growing up. Now Lindsay is married to a South Dakota cow-calf operator. Daughter Kari is married to a South Dakota dairy operator. Nicole works as a nurse in Sioux Center and brought her South Dakota husband, Nathan Larson, to Sioux County where he is a leader in the Schuiteman feedlot operation.
Ten years younger than his oldest brother, Paul learned farming and feeding cattle at his brother’s side. When
he was 18, he was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitisas. In 2005, he had a liver transplant. His recovery was amazing and he went back to work sooner than prescribed. “One of our customers said the cattle looked happier when I got back.”
The successful transplant allowed Paul to stick around for better things. In 2014, at a family wedding, he met Ashley Cannon. She said, “I feel like God had to use all the illness and liver transplant to grow Paul's faith to get him ready to put up with me!”
GRAIN SUCCESS STARTS HERE
Nathan and Nicole Larson, Joel and Karen Schuiteman, and Ashley and Paul Schuiteman with their children, Cannon and Mina.
THE VER BEEK FAMILY
Lyon County, September 2024
The Tim and Becky Ver Beek family of Rock Rapids exemplify the core values of Iowa family farmers. Hard work, resilience, dedication and honesty are all woven into their DNA. Tim started farming with his dad right after he finished high school in 1978. At one time, the farm included milking cows, beef cows, pigs and chickens, plus alfalfa and oats. Over time, they got out of livestock and, in 1980, became strictly grain farmers.
According to Tim, “Farming isn’t really a job. For a family, I think it’s a lifestyle. It’s not a get-rich-quick deal, but it's long term. Farming has been pretty good for us.” Today he grows corn and soybeans with his sons, Derek and Dalton, on their farm about seven miles southwest of Rock Rapids. Derek and Dalton also operate a manure hauling business. In addition, Dalton does chores at a local hog finishing unit and has a few sheep as a hobby. “Lambing keeps me busy in January, February and March,” he said. The brothers also added rental land to their crop base in 2023.
Becky has had a window blinds decorating business for 30 years; was a teacher’s aide for a special needs student at Central Lyon schools for 10 years; and drove the “pig bus” out of a sow unit for 10 years. She also helps haul grain in the fall, plus keeps the planting and harvesting crews fed.
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Derek, William and Kelsey; Lo, Tenley and Henry (on the tire); Becky and Tim; August, Dalton, Arlow and Mandi; and Kendra (seated).
MAGGERT BROTHERS
Sioux County, September 2024
Brothers Kip, Noal and Scott Maggert are fifth-generation blacksmiths operating Maggert Machine in Matlock, a village in northeastern Sioux County. Kip started the machining and blacksmith shop when he was a newlymarried 19-year-old. Both Noal and Scott worked for Kip during their summers off in high school and eventually joined him in the business. The brothers never made the jump to CNC part production, but stayed true to manual machining.
They’ve dabbled in a lot of different work. “For locals, we never say no. We do anything from fixing pots and pans to manure spreaders to pumps and air locks. For farmers, we make hydraulic hose and weld their broken parts.” Over the years, they’ve built honey wagons, grinders for plastic recycling, custom gears, parts for Waterloo Boy tractors, and hydraulic systems for old Hi-Boy sprayers allowing operators to adjust the row width from their tractor seat. Flywheels and custom replacement parts for antique tractors have been shipped from Maggert Machine to places all over the world.
“Every day is a new project. And it’s rewarding. When I'm in this building, I can make anything – anything you need or I need, we can make it here,” said Kip.
Maggert Machine is well-known across the country as an expert in restoring old 4-stroke “hit-and-miss engines,” which were made from the 1890s until the 1940s; and used to power pumps, saws, generators and farm equipment. Making flywheels and other parts for the engines, or restoring entire engines, has powered a lot of business for the brothers over the years.
RALPH & CHARLEY KRUSE
Discussing his family’s legacy in Plymouth County, Ralph Kruse turns philosophical about farm families in rural America. “Our neighborhood is no different than anybody else's neighborhood. If there was a problem, if somebody was sick or if somebody died, it's unbelievable how the people come to help. I can remember going to plowing bees, threshing bees or combining … there's always people to help. It's just the way the farming community is.”
When Ralph graduated from high school, his father was already 65 years old and had a bad hip. His siblings were gone, so Ralph stayed to help farm. He's been running a combine since he was 15 years old. “My dad had a pull type. I ran that until I burned it up around the time I graduated high school. Then Dad said, ‘If you want to combine, you go get your own.’ I bought a little 101 International combine without a cab. It had a 2-row corn head and just a 10-foot head for soybeans. In that first year, I finished combining corn on the 23rd of December, without a cab. I had two pairs of coveralls on. I froze my butt off out there.”
Ralph met Charlene (a/k/a Charley) when they were both with friends riding the loop in Sioux City. When they got married in 1973, Ralph and Charley moved into the farmhouse and his parents moved to town. Charley had her own ceramic shop for a while, then worked at Fareway in Le Mars for about 20 years.
Charley’s fun outlook on life is reflected in her enjoyment of two Ford Mustang convertibles, which serve as the couple’s equivalent of a lake home. They spend a lot of time driving with friends.
Charley and Ralph Kruse.
Kip, Noal and Scott Maggert.
Plymouth County, October 2024
OLD-FASHIONED FUDGE
By Doris Stensland, from her book Vaer saa god!
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 – 7 oz. marshmallow crème
1 – 12 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips
1 – 7 oz. dark chocolate or milk chocolate candy bar, cut up 2 – 5 oz. cans evaporated milk (1 1/3 c.)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil. Set aside.
2. Butter sides of a heavy 3-quart saucepan. In saucepan combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium high heat till mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium, continue cooking and stirring for 10 minutes. (234 degrees on candy thermometer)
3. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate chips, cut-up chocolate bar, marshmallow creme, walnuts and vanilla. Stir till chocolate melts and mixture is combined. Beat by hand for 1 minute. Spread in prepared pan.
4. Score into 1-inch squares while warm. When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan. Cut fudge into squares.
5. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. Makes about 4 pounds (96 pieces).
Note: Fudge typically isn’t firm until the next day.
