The Farming Families of Iowa—December 2022

Photo by Brett Davelaar, BD Photography

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THE MOGLER FAMILY

A culture focused on life-long learning, family, community and faith keeps the Mogler farm and agribusiness enterprise near Lester growing and prosperous.

Brothers Rodney, Brian and Dwight lead the 3rd generation of the Mogler family in Lyon County. Three of their children – cousins Ross, Chet and Janae – are on the management team. Additional family members from the 3rd, 4th and 5th generations are part of Pig Hill Farm and Mogler Farms. Family patriarch Howard and his wife, Lillian, started farming in 1956. They raised a family of 5 boys and 2 girls; and have more than 60 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Family members have served in leadership positions in many local, state and national ag and community groups.

Howard’s pathway to growth was feeding cattle. To make room for his children, he diversified by adding hogs. Moglers were early adopters of “modern pork production,” building their first indoor gestation, shower-in facilities in the mid-1970s.

THE BEYER FAMILY

Jeff and Melissa Beyer live south of Boyden and have a traditional farrow-to-finish hog operation, plus grow corn and soybeans. Daughter Caitlyn is an education major at UNI and son Colton attends Boyden-Hull.

Melissa helps load pigs and Jeff helps in her business, Beyer Catering, which prepares meals for 1 to 300 people. The secret ingredient to their success? “Hot food is really the key. We love to hear from folks that the food is just as hot for the last person as the first person who went through,” Melissa said. “We take everything in electric roasters and get them plugged in as soon as we arrive there ahead of time.”

Beyer Catering isn’t the place to call if you’re looking for a gourmet meal – instead, the company specializes in “home cooking” to please the meat and potatoes crowd. She makes everything from cupcakes, buns and ham balls to individual casseroles to full-on buffet meals for weddings and family reunions. “We always make plenty of food so people can come back for seconds. I don’t ever want to run out of food. Jeff smokes brisket and that’s one of the things we’re known for,” she said.

Melissa and Jeff Beyer.

Sioux County, January 2022

Lyon County, January 2022

The management team at Pig Hill Co.: Chet and Brian Mogler; Vance Metzger; Ross Mogler; Janae Metzger; and Dwight, Kent and Rodney Mogler.

THE SCHRICK FAMILY

When Dennis Schrick of George, Iowa, left home for military service in 1964, he figured he’d had his fill of the farm. Likewise, when Gracia Bonnema left her parents’ farm at Steen, Minn., to attend Northwestern College, she thought she’d put farm life behind her, too.

“I always said I wouldn’t marry a farmer, but God has a sense of humor,” Gracia said. Dennis said, “When I went into the service, I was kind of sick of the farm. But it didn’t take long to figure out I wanted to be back here.” Gracia taught 5th grade in Sioux Falls for a year and then 6th grade in George for 7 years. Teaching helped pay the bills those first years – especially when they harvested 31-bushel corn in 1968, the year they got married.

Schricks had a farrow-to-finish hog operation for many years and had stock cows until 2013. “We worked hard. Looking back, I don’t know how I did it all,” he said. Gracia said, “We never went crazy with buying things. We were conservative when it came to that.”

THE SCHMIDT FAMILY

Russ and Donna Schmidt live on the west edge of Craig where they farm with their twin sons, Adam and Andy, who represent the farm’s 5th generation. In addition to growing corn and soybeans, they also finish cattle. While the weather and the markets are often unpredictable and uncontrollable, Adam said, “Control your controllables and don’t stress about the things you can’t control.” And, Andy added, “Let the good Lord take care of the rest.”

Schmidts purchase Western yearlings from SD, MT and ND. Cattle are tracked with the Performance Beef System.

Russ and Adam are full-time on the farm. In addition to farm work and helping Donna with bookwork, Andy works full-time at American Bank in Le Mars. Donna has been very active helping out wherever she is needed, from scraping cattle yards to making lunch for 3-5 guys every day. Andy said, “Mom and Dad have learned to relax a little bit and not work all the time. While the kids enjoy coming out here working side-by-side with them, they also enjoy the fun side of Grandpa and Grandma.”

Andy, Russell, Donna and Adam Schmidt.

Plymouth County, January 2022

Lyon County, February 2022

Gracia and Dennis Schrick

THE POPKEN FAMILY

Todd and Tammy Popken have been farming northwest of Le Mars since 1988. In May 1996 all was calm … the couple had 1 son, were renting a small amount of cropland, had minimal debt, and had older, empty hog buildings. By February 1997, they had a 2nd son, had gone deeply into debt with not 1 but 2 major loans, had purchased the land they were renting, doubled their crop ground by renting more land, and built a nursery where they would soon be caring for thousands of pigs.

Tammy enjoys being a pork producer: “The little pigs are always very happy to see you – they don’t complain and they don’t talk back.” In addition, she handles the farm’s finance and bookkeeping side of the farm business.

Both of their sons have jobs that provide enough flexibility to help with the farm. Oldest son, Alex, works full-time for Plymouth Dairy and Perry Creek Dairy. Younger son, Austin bought into Brock Auction Co. in January 2020.

THE TENTINGER FAMILY

Diversification and a little bit of luck help the Tentinger family succeed on their farm southwest of Remsen.

“We feed cattle, we custom-feed hogs and we sell some grain. It’s a little bit of everything. So when something goes wrong, you’ve still got a check coming from somewhere else,” said Travis Tentinger who farms with his wife, Kelly, and son, Hunter. “We background some calves and finish some cattle. We converted a lot of the dairy buildings over for cattle. I still custom-feed some hogs, too. It’s a nice steady income, you know what’s coming.” Tentingers grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa in collaboration with his uncle, Bill Tentinger.

Travis is the sixth generation of the family on the farm which was founded in 1882 by his Luxembourg-immigrant ancestors. “Right out of high school, I started farming while attending Western Iowa Tech’s agri-business program. I’ve worked for neighbors, taken care of hog barns, did a little bit of trucking and I worked at the elevator briefly.”

Travis, Kelly and Torey Tentinger; Travis and Samantha Huizenga; Tia and Hunter Tentinger.

Plymouth County, February 2022

Plymouth County, March 2022

Austin, Tammy, Todd and Alex Popken.

THE HANSEN FAMILY JIM BLANKESPOOR

Sioux County, March 2022

John and Rahkel Hansen farm with their son, Andy, and his wife, Sarah, southwest of Granville. In addition to growing corn and soybeans, Hansens feed cattle and custom-feed hogs.

John is also an EMT and licensed paramedic. He and Rahkel became first responders more than 30 years ago. Both became EMTs, as did their son, Andy, and daughter, Jessica. Every season on the farm brings its own set of risks: grain bin entrapments; exposure to anhydrous ammonia, chemicals and pit gases; tractor rollovers and ATV accidents; and auger, PTO and combine accidents. John has 2 questions for his fellow farmers: “Is this a safe thing you’re going to do? Are you going to be able to come home tonight?”

With a hint of emotion, he said, “People come up to you after you’ve saved their life. When I’ve done CPR on somebody and they come back to thank me, it means a lot.”

Lyon County, March 2022

For 62 years, Jim Blankespoor of Doon has been working on tractors and equipment for farmers from Lyon and Sioux Counties. “The first tractor I overhauled in this building (back in 1974) was a 1942 or ’44 M Farmall. We had that tractor back in here last summer and it’s still running today. It purrs like a tomcat in a creamery.”

Even at age 82, Jim’s energy seems boundless. However, macular degeneration is beginning to steal his sight. Today, he wears magnifying glasses similar to the ones jewelers wear. The powerful eyewear helps him continue to work in the shop on old M tractors.

So far, diminished vision hasn’t limited Jim’s ability to spot the trucks, tractors and vintage equipment which he overhauls and jump-starts to a new life. Touring his garages and sheds is like discovering a hidden stash of tractors, trucks and motorcycles which have been perfectly preserved – and are now ready to roll onto the show floor.

The Hansen family: Andy, John, Sarah holding Natalie, and Rahkel. Jim Blankespoor

SPRAYER CONTROLS • SPRAY TIPS • PLASTIC FITTINGS • AND MORE

THE JOHNSON FAMILY

In the world of show cattle and breeding cattle, you used to buy a product, but today you’re buying service, said Matt Johnson. His brother Brad agreed: “We take a lot of pride in helping our customers.”

MPJ Cattle Co. has 3 sites spread over 2 states. Brad and their mom, Pam, are in charge of calving at their Maurice farm. Then the cattle are pastured and the calves are weaned near Hinton. Subsequently, the calves are trucked north to the family’s site near Garretson, S.D. Based there, Matt and his wife, Melissa, focus on marketing as well as communications with their customers. Melissa said they each play to their strengths.

The target customer for their calf crop is junior exhibitors. Matt said, “The day we sell the calves is just the beginning of our job. The families do the day-to-day stuff, but we’re basically with them at every show; helping them make breeding decisions; helping them sell the calves they get out of those cows; and everything else in between.”

The Johnson family: Matt, Melissa, Sawyer, Harper, Pam and Brad.

Sioux County, April 2022

THE KOCK FAMILY

Lyon County, April 2022

The past 5 years have been a whirlwind for Mark and Heidi Kock. They went from custom-feeding cattle and hogs at Inwood to working in Sioux Falls to feeding pigs near Rock Rapids. In the midst of it all, Mark joined the SD Air National Guard and they built a hog finishing barn west of the Newton Hills.

“The first pigs came in 2 weeks before he left for boot camp,” Heidi said. She was on her own. “I figured out that stinkin’ barn and all the fancy buttons. Those pigs became my little friends. The kids had my back and did so much without me even needing to ask. They were my backbone and the Lord was my rock.”

After Mark’s basic training in 2019 and deployment to Qatar in 2020, they moved back to Lyon County. They purchased an acreage near Rock Rapids which includes 2 hog buildings. “The kids help vaccinate the pigs at both sites. “They can vaccinate a barn in about 40 minutes,” Mark said. In addition to feeding pigs, he works in construction for Horst Builders & Design and Heidi works for Premier Bank in Rock Rapids.

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The Kock family: Mark and Heidi with their children, Eva, Ella, Marcus, Payton and Landan.

THE KOOIMA FAMILY

Sioux County, May 2022

Ken and Ruth Kooima farm and feed cattle just south of Rock Valley with their son, Kurt, and his wife, Megan. Kurt is also a partner in D&K Repair and Megan is the principal at Ireton Christian School. In addition, Kurt is a partner and one of the drivers of the Red Rock tractor pulling team, which has been the Super Farm Class points champion several times on the Outlaw circuit.

In addition to her 40-year nursing career, Ruth was always at Ken’s side working hogs and cattle. One time sorting cattle Ruth got kicked in the chest and was thrown several feet. According to Ken, “I said just the wrong thing: ‘Are you going to get up or are you just going to lay there?’” Ruth replied with some spitfire: “Boy, I got up and I went right to the house. That was the end of that!” “So I had to finish by myself,” Ken said.

CRAIG & NANCY ANDERSON

Plymouth County, April 2022

Craig and Nancy Anderson met while attending SDSU in the 1970s. He planned to go to law school. She had an animal science degree and was South Dakota’s first female county extension agent. There was no plan to feed cattle and farm.

Even when Craig came home to help plant corn, he was determined not to stay. Nonetheless, he did stay and a few years later the couple married. Their honeymoon was canceled when they got 1,000 head of cattle to custom-feed. The morning after their wedding, the couple went out to do chores together. Craig said, “I got Nancy a pair of overshoes and had her walk pens. I thought we’d put that animal science knowledge to good use.” She walked the pens every day until they stopped feeding 2 years ago.

“If we couldn’t pay for it, we didn’t build it or buy it,” he said. “We went without a lot that would have made our lives easier until we could pay for them.” Both are active in local civic activities. Craig is a 17-year country supervisor and Nancy is a 20-year SWCD commissioner.

Craig and Nancy Anderson

The Kooima family. Front: Sophia, Kensley and Isabella. Back row: Kurt, Megan, Ruth and Ken.

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FIELDS OF FALL

PHOTO BY BRETT DAVELAAR, BD PHOTOGRAPHY

THE HAWKINS FAMILY

Complementary backgrounds have helped create a successful sheep operation for Travis and Kaylene Hawkins of Akron. Travis knows animal genetics, veterinary medicine and business. In the U.S. Army, Kaylene learned nurturing skills while teaching ROTC cadets and when she was a rear detachment commander caring for the families of deployed personnel. She’s applied her military training in security, personnel, project planning, maintenance and supplies to the logistics of running a sheep farm.

Travis’ parents, Roger and Kathleen Hawkins, live on the family home place north of Le Mars. Travis does the crop farming on Hawkins’ land and on land with roots in his mother’s Muth and Benson families. While their cattle and hog feeding operations are long gone, Roger and Kathleen are still active on the crop side.

Roger said, “Farmers never give up … other than when our health gets to the point we can’t farm anymore, we stick around.” Kathleen emulated her mom by purchasing her own farm land and by working in the field. “I’ve been on tractors all my life,” she said.

THE HOOGENDOORN FAMILY

Brent Hoogendoorn manages his Polypay flock to be self-sufficient. “They’ve got to be a good, sound ewe – deep chested, good legs, good feet. The most important trait is they’ve got to be self-sufficient. Because I’ve got quite a bit going on, I can’t be here babying them.”

He’s adopted accelerated lambing production. “The ewes lamb three times in two years, February, September, and the following May. It adds about 3040 percent to the bottom line.”

He and his wife, Vanessa, have been married since 2015. She is a therapist at Sprout Play Therapy in Sioux Falls. “I took a city girl and moved her out to the country. She has no interest in the sheep, but is glad her boys are growing up on the farm,” Brent said. Brentley, Lincoln, Jaxon and Garrett love the outdoors. “We try to go fishing at the Rock River as much as we can. I think the boys like to throw rocks in the river as much as they do fishing, but that’s fine with me.”

The Hawkins family: Roger and Kathleen; Travis and Kaylene with their sons, Richard and John.

Plymouth County, May 2022

Lyon County, May 2022

The Hoogendoorn family: Vanessa and Brent with their sons, Jaxon, Garrett, Lincoln and Brentley.

THE DE GROOT & POSTMA FAMILIES

Lyon County, July 2022

Whether it’s showing livestock or displaying photography, being involved in 4-H projects is a positive, character-building activity. “Maybe I’m old school, but a lot of it boils down to the parents being involved helping to get the kids off their phones,” said Wes DeGroot, president of the Lyon County Fair Board of Directors.

The DeGroot family practices what they preach. Both Wes and his wife, Hester, are on the Lyon County Fair Board. Their children and grandchildren have participated in 4-H and FFA. And their daughter, Jill Postma, helped take the family to a new level of fair involvement when she went to work for the ISU Extension Service in Lyon County 15 years ago. As county youth coordinator, she helps coordinate 4-H fair activities with leaders and participants.

Jill said, “People are so very invested in the Lyon County Fair. It brings the whole county together. There are no town or school boundaries when it comes to the fair – we all become one community that week.”

Jill Postma and Wes De Groot.

THE ROZEBOOM FAMILY

Sioux County, July 2022

Glenn and Betty Rozeboom have enjoyed life with their family. Married for 56 years, they have three sons, 10 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. After meeting in Omaha in the 1960s, they moved to his family’s farm north of Carmel several years later and started a 50-cow dairy.

Sons Brian and Steve run the show today at Dry Creek Farms. In his mid-70s, Glenn was still going strong until last year when his trailer and cab rolled. Glenn broke his back and recovery is taking a long time. “I go out every week or every-other-week to try to work, but I just can’t do it anymore.”

Steve said, “We raise our own calves and heifers; we feed out all of our steers and we have dairy beef.” In addition to their own grain crop and forage acres, they do some custom chopping and planting. The biggest challenge is keeping a quality work force in place and wondering if and when the time will be right to employ robotic milking. Robots or no robots, “Number one, the cows always, always, always come first,” Brian said.

TIRES

Steve, Glenn, Betty and Brian Rozeboom.

Service is Our Business

JADE MORET

Sioux County, August 2022

According to Holland Flower Farm owner-operator Jade Moret, “Success has nothing to do with the amount of land we have. It's about being really smart, knowing what are our best grossing flowers. For example, with a dahlia, I can plant the tuber, I can sell the flower and, finally, I can sell the tuber. Or I can get three successions of plantings out of the same space in a year because it goes from tulips to ranunculus to spring annuals. Sometimes you can even get an additional succession,” Jade said.

Holland Flower Farm’s seasonal and fresh blooms are sold through farmers markets, weddings, and buckets of blooms for special events. Jade grows 400 different varieties of flowers. Undergirding the farm is a CSA model wherein individuals or companies buy a share of the farm’s production before each growing season. The farm delivers weekly or monthly fresh or dried flower bouquets to 40 subscribers.

Jade’s daughter, Cecelia, is picking up on the passion for plants. Cecelia picks the seeds or plants she wants to grow, then waters and weeds.

Katy Timmer, Alysa Reitsma, and Jade, Cecelia and Sue Moret at Holland Flower Farm.

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THE SCHNEPF FAMILY

Plymouth County, August 2022

Loren and Sandy Schnepf farm north of Oyens with their son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Angie. Loren feeds cattle and Matt feeds hogs. They’ve also been trucking livestock for 20 years. When they’re not working, the whole family is involved, one way or another, in the Plymouth County Fair.

Loren said Plymouth County is an agricultural sweet spot. “No matter how bad it is here, you can always find it worse someplace else. It gets cold here, but it's a lot colder north of here. It gets hot here, but it's a lot hotter south of here. You know, some years are better than others, but we always get a crop here.” Their grandsons are all part of the operation – sorting hogs, power washing barns, washing trucks, vaccinating cattle and running grain carts.

Matt said, “There's a lot of people who just strictly grain farm. To me, I'd be bored the rest of the year if that's all I did. Still, I live for spring and fall. I love to plant; I love to see the corn come up; I love to harvest.”

The Schnepf family: Loren, Sandy, Mick, Max, Angie, Matt and Mitchell.

THE KOEDAM FAMILY

Lyon County, August 2022

The region’s livestock producers and the Howard and Wanita Koedam family of Larchwood have formed strong bonds over the last 40-plus years. He and Wanita purchased and began operating Midwest Livestock Service in the fall of 1979, just a few months after the feed and veterinary supplies business opened. Their son Brian joined the business in 1990s and son Daren joined in 2010.

“We’ve done this a lot of years and we’ve got some of the same customers we started with. We dealt with their dads and now we’re dealing with their sons,” Howard said. Wanita added, “You're helping them build a better business on the farm and they're helping us just as much to build our business. So it's a give and take thing.”

When they bought the business, the couple were in their mid-20s. Howard said, “The biggest obstacle early on was just our age. One guy told me ‘That’s quite a bit of stuff for a young buck like you to know.’ When you were trying to give advice to farmers older than you, that was probably the toughest part to get through.”

Howard, Wanita, Daren and Brian Koedam.

THE SCHLESSER FAMILY

Plymouth County, September 2022

Chris O’Hare Schlesser is happy his parents gave him the middle name O’Hare because it represents the ancestral family who homesteaded the land where he lives and farms today. Chris and his wife, Lindsey, built their house in 2017-18 on the exact spot where the O’Hare family had lived and where his father grew up.

His brother, Ben, and his wife, Kris, live on the other side of Iowa, but are partners with Chris and Lindsey in a Red Angus herd of cows. Kris is a large animal veterinarian who AI’s the cows and does embryo transfers. Most of the stock is registered and bulls are sold in a cooperator program.

Off the farm, Chris is a territory manager for Landoll Corp., a manufacturer of equipment such as field cultivators. Lindsey is VP of human resources at Primebank. The couple shares a love for Iowa State University athletics, especially football. While Lindsey went to UNI, she grew up in a strong ISU family and Chris graduated from ISU with a degree in Ag Systems Technology.

Lindsey and Chris Schlesser with their daughters, Elizabeth and Margo.

THE McKENNEY FAMILY

Lyon County, September 2022

A lot of young farmers keep adding irons to the fire: More equipment, more land, more livestock. Of course, too many irons in the fire and you risk flaming out. For Ethan and Angela McKenney, a long absence last year helped them decide to pull a few irons out this year.

Angela was deployed to southwest Asia last year with the Air National Guard. That left Ethan home with a farm and trucking company to run, cows to wrangle, cattle to feed, custom baling, custom chopping – and, most importantly, 3 young children to care for. Irons he’s pulled out of the fire right now are the custom baling and his small cow-calf and cattle feeding operations.

Ethan started his trucking business about 5 years ago, hauling grain, bean meal, distiller’s ingredients plus hogs and cattle. Converting his old barn into a shop made trucking easier. “I’ve got space now to work on the trucks. And in the wintertime I can bring all three trucks inside pretty easily.”

THE KELLEN FAMILY

Tony and Gina Kellen and Rick and Gwen Kellen farm near Alton. Together they grow corn and soybeans plus feed hogs and cattle. In addition, alfalfa is a significant crop for them.

“We just like hay. It’s a fun crop to harvest and put up. It's challenging. It's a good cash crop and it's good for the soil,” said Tony. Their hay customers include dairies, horse farms and feedlots. Beginning about 20 years ago, they took their expertise in hay further by custom seeding alfalfa and by custom mowing and baling.

One thing led to another very quickly. “We were one of the first custom guys around here with net wrap,” Rick said. They started selling it the next year when many producers were upgrading to balers with net wrap. The resulting business was The Fine Twine Co. which the family operates on the east edge of Alton. Tony said, “We sell product into about 15-16 states. We buy product from about seven different countries throughout the world.”

The McKenney family: Ethan and Angela with their children, Macy, Jaden and Brody

Sioux County, September 2022

The Kellen family. Adults: Gwen, Rick, Tony, Gina, Ciara and Lucas. Kids: Jack, Oliva, Kody, Masie, and Caroline.

THE LAUGHTON FAMILY

Plymouth County, October 2022

Dave Laughton’s sheep flock today is a “4-H project gone wild.” “Whether it’s 100, 600 or 900 ewes, a guy’s got to get up to do chores anyway, right? It's not hard for me to get out of bed and go farm because I enjoy it.” The Laughtons also grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa; and have some grass fields.

The Laughton century farm is straight north of Le Mars. Dave and his wife, Angie, live in the house built in 1936 by his grandfather. Angie owns Zenergy Skin & Soul Studio in Le Mars. Their son, Cody, works part-time at the farm and full-time at AgriVision as a diesel technician.

Dave’s parents, George and Mary Laughton, have been married 61 years. George said when he was growing up the farm had hogs, chickens, cow-calf pairs and a beef feedlot. He attended a nearby country school house through the 8th grade. That was the end of his formal education. “He had farming to do,” Mary said. Years later, George moved the school house to their farmstead and used it as a combine shed.

The Laughton family: Mary and George; Cody and Abbey; and Angie and Dave.

THE VAN GROUW FAMILY

Sioux County, October 2022

Curt Van Grouw was in the right place at the right time in 2019 when he decided to open a butcher shop. Demand for custom meat processing was high, but no one knew the demand would skyrocket when Covid clogged up the country’s supply chain. Curt thinks it’s more than a lucky break that he decided to start Old Parlor Meat Company east of Rock Valley. “In 2019, I got a seed planted in my head. And I can’t explain it other than the Lord put it there.”

His wife, Emily, is a full-time nurse in Rock Valley. She’s a Chicago city girl and has learned a lot during the past 4 years in Northwest Iowa.

Curt grew up on his parent’s dairy farm and, in fact, his small processing facility sits where the milk parlor used to be – thus the name “Old Parlor Meat Company.” “I feel like we've survived the initial challenges of the business start-up process.” His future plans include selling some retail meat, which he’ll purchase from distributors and cut into steaks, roasts and ground products.

THE VANDER ZEE FAMILY

Eight years ago, Reece, Liam, Ayda and Blake Vander Zee started making and selling ice cream sandwiches. Ice cream bookended by 2 homemade cookies proved to be popular in Rock Rapids. “We just did it for fun,” said Reece, the oldest sibling. Their 2nd year goal was to sell 300 treats. Leapfrog to today and the Vander Zee kids, under the name Carroll Street Treats, have cumulatively baked over 50,000 cookies as part of selling 25,000 ice cream sandwiches. Two new siblings, Nora and Evan, have since joined the business.

Parents Joe and Meredith Vander Zee have been supportive and lent a helping hand to their children’s enterprise. “We think business can be a great avenue for the Gospel. We're trying to show the kids what a Christian business looks like,” Joe said. He’s the former executive of the ministry Justice For All. He recently joined Meredith’s 2-year-old business called Soul Strong which provides spiritual coaching in a place of mental and emotional support. Joe is adding men’s ministry, discipleship and leadership development.

Curt and Emily Van Grouw with their son, Waylon.

Lyon County, October 2022

The Vander Zee family. Meredith and Joe Vander Zee with their children, Blake, Ayda, Nora, Liam, Reece and Evan.

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BRAD CAVE

Plymouth County, November 2022

Brad Cave is an ag/commercial banker at Northwest Bank in Le Mars. He’s a graduate of MMCRU High School and Northwestern College. He was raised and is still involved at the family farm west of Marcus. His wife, Sarah, is a library teacher and para-educator at Le Mars Gehlen Catholic School, which is attended by all their children.

Some of his fondest memories from youth are simply doing the daily farm activities such as baling hay, walking beans, mowing and cattle chores. He credited Orv Otten, his Northwestern football coach, for pushing him to be his best and give it his all.

After working for Farm Bureau Financial Services and Titan Machinery, Brad was recruited into banking. “Being a lender allows me to help people achieve their dreams

PROTECTION IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.

Brad Cave, his wife, Sarah, and their children, Parker, Lawson, Cutler, and Emmerson.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water

• 3¾ cup sugar

• 1¼ cup light corn syrup

• 1 teaspoon red food coloring (Optional)

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon candy oil (2 tsp. for spicy)

• 1½ powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Butter a 15 inch x 10 inch x 1 inch rimmed metal sheet pan.

2. Line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment paper, making sure the edges of the parchment paper are well buttered to prevent the candy from seeping underneath. Do not use wax paper as it won't hold up to the high temperature of the candy being poured.

3. In a large deep sauce pan combine water, sugar, corn syrup, and food coloring. Mix over medium high heat until sugar starts to dissolve. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan making sure it does not touch the bottom of pan for an accurate temperature.

4. Continue to boil until sugar mixture reaches 300 degrees (hard crack stage) about 20 minutes. Watch closely, if mixture starts to boil to close to the edge of pan remove from heat, and stir until bubbles subside. Then return to medium high heat. It's better to slightly be over 300°F than under for candy to set properly.

5. Once mixture reaches 300 degrees remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon oil, working quickly. Keep face away from the mixture as it is extremely strong, and keep area well ventilated.

6. Pour immediately into prepared pan. Allow to cool for 4 hours.

7. After 4 hours dust the top of candy with powdered sugar. Flip candy over onto a large cutting board or cookie sheet, and remove parchment paper. Return candy to the pan and use the tip of a sharp knife to break candy into bite size pieces. Dust with more powdered sugar and store in a airtight container.

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