The Farming Families of Iowa—May 2023

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OUR WAY OF LIFE AND WE LOVE IT’

By Bob Fitch

According to Christopher Fischer, “I always put it in perspective by telling people: ‘Go to the casino and, at the roulette table, put half a million dollars down on black or red and see which one is going to hit.’ That’s about what you got in farming – a 50/50 chance of either making something this year or not. You never know what weather you’ll get in any given season. Everything can look great and then you’re hit with a hailstorm in August or face several years of drought followed by a year with flooding.”

He's not complaining, just trying to share some reality with folks. His family and friends know Christopher as “Pher” and his older brother, Jeremy, as “J.” Christopher’s grandmother nicknamed him “Pher” because it made it easier for her to yell for him. His nephew was 14 when he discovered Pher was actually short for “Christopher.”

Jeremy and Christopher farm northwest of Hinton with their parents, Tom and Bette Fischer. To offset some of the roulette-wheelrisk inherent in farming, the brothers have diversified into several areas. Besides growing corn, soybeans and oats, they do a small amount of custom farming and run a small cowcalf herd. “We always work in a few other things like seed sales, trucking, and fertilizer sales and application –not big business, just enough to kind of help out the neighbors and give us something to do.”

A lot of people don’t understand the risks involved in farming and think that it’s easy money these days.

The Fischer family. On the left are Carie and Bette; on the ladder from top down are DJ, Colton and Tom; on the right are Christopher (“Pher”); Brianna holding Beckett; and Jeremy (“J”).

‘IT’S

J and Pher are very much opposites. J likes to stay home on the farm, working the cattle and spending time in his shop. Pher is completely different. “I'm an entrepreneur. Everybody's tells me ‘You're not afraid to start something.’ I’m very social and love interacting with people. So I sell all the seed. I enjoy having lunch with farmers and hearing their stories.” They sell Wyffel’s and Stine hybrid seeds. He enjoys learning about new products and practices by attending meetings about the seed, fertilizer and chemicals they sell. “Farming’s a job where you learn every day. I like that there’s always something new out there.”

While they complement each other today, the pair didn’t get along when they were younger and couldn’t work side-by-side. “Yet we became business partners. We might not see each other every day, but we talk nearly every day and work together on putting together the game plan,” Pher said.

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

The skill sets needed in agriculture today are different than decades ago. “Everybody thinks, ‘Oh, it's easy, just get in the tractor. But you're in a $400,000 piece of equipment, pulling another $400,000 piece of equipment. All the technology that goes along with it, you have to know what's going on.”

Pher hopes the technology side of farming proves to be a strong enough attraction to bring J’s son, Dale J. (“DJ”), back to the farm. DJ is a senior at Britton-Hecla High School (Britton, S.D.). He plans to major in ag business and economics at Morningside College. “He’s a straight A student. I’ve always pictured him being a programmer or going to MIT to become an electrical engineer. But he loves it here and loves working outside. He likes the interaction with the livestock and really wants to do a lot more with cattle.”

Working with the cattle and taking over the farm’s data collection and analysis and the prescription planting is a combination Uncle Pher is hopeful his nephew enjoys. “I hope he carries on the name and the legacy of this farm.”

The brothers do a lot of their own research on practices such as bean row spacing, fungicides, lime and starter fertilizers. “The market is flooded with different options, but we do our own little studies on what works here,” Pher said. “Everybody wants to be the star who has the highest yield around. There are guys who baby their corn, side-dressing it with two or

Tom and Bette Fischer.

three applications of fertilizers and fungicides; and running foliager through their irrigation systems. And, you know, they're getting 340-bushel corn down on the river bottoms. Okay, great. But what did it cost you to do all that? If I’m not doing all that work, but still getting 220-bushel corn and it didn’t cost me as much, is that the way to go?”

FISCHER BROTHERS

Jeremy and Christopher are not the original Fischer Brothers. That would be their dad, Tom, and his three brothers, who had a cattle feedlot adjacent to Highway 75. Tom and his brother, Ron, partnered until about 2008. At that time, the two Fischer Brothers still farming

divided their holdings to help make it easier for Tom to transition his side of the operations to Jeremy and Christopher.

Around that time, Tom and Bette started spending winters in Mission, Texas, where Tom’s parents had spent many winters. “Mom and Dad leave for Texas by Thanksgiving, come hell or high water. If there's a snowstorm coming and it's right around Thanksgiving time, he literally just says ‘I’m leaving.’ And the car is gone.” Tom and Bette’s daughter, Carie, lives in Merrill and works at Mid-Step Services in Sioux City.

When Tom isn’t in Texas, “He’s still here working seven days a week,” Pher said. “My dad (age 71) and my uncle (age 80) are always busy doing something. They’ve got to stay busy. They talk about when they started with an old 730 and a two-row corn picker; and then moved up to a combine with no cab. Then they got a cab and they thought they were in luxury.”

The original four Fischer Brothers had a reputation of being pretty wild in their younger days. “I asked my grandma once, ‘How did you keep up with those boys?’ She said, ‘They stressed me out every day growing up.’ My dad’s sister just retired from being a nurse. She always had to keep an eye on her brothers. She always tells stories about how they got hurt or did something stupid.”

Christopher’s wife, Brianna, works in the cath lab at Mercy Hospital in Sioux City. “It’s nice to have a nurse on call when you need one. She hasn't had to take care of me yet, but she's helped Dad a couple of times. He’s a stubborn old man who would just sit there and bleed rather than asking for help. He goes 100-miles-an-hour wherever he goes because there's not enough time in the day. We got to work, work work.”

J and DJ Fischer.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

Brianna persevered through the worst of the Covid crisis, often coming home miserable and crying because they were overworked and understaffed. Pher praised nurses, doctors, firefighters, law enforcement and EMTs for their efforts through the crisis. Likewise, a lot of other people never stopped – tradespeople such as electricians and plumbers; linemen; truck drivers and farmers. “We never stopped growing people’s food. We fed the cattle and raised the crops so people could keep eating; and the truckers kept everything moving across the country.”

Brianna is from Cushing, Iowa, where her parents do a little bit of farming and her dad delivers cattle feed. Her mom is a nurse, both her sisters are nurses, and her brother-in-law is a nurse. During Christmas and other get-togethers, Pher joked that all the nurses are in discussion on one side of the room while he, Brianna’s dad, and her other brother-in-law are talking about farming on the other side of the room.

Brianna delivered a baby boy named Beckett on Feb. 22. Christopher also has a nine-year-old son named Colton from a previous relationship. Colton lives in Illinois, but spends four weeks of the summer, plus time at Thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break with his dad.

A WAY OF LIFE

The Fischers have four employees from outside the family. Finding and keeping good employees can be challenging,

Brianna and Pher Fischer with Beckett and Colton.

Beckett was born Feb. 22.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING BURN VICTIMS

Jeremy and Christopher Fischer and Ryan Baldwin have provided many years of community service as volunteer firefighters. Jeremy recently retired after 21 years and Ryan retired after 13 years. Pher has served for 20 years. “It used to be if we got a call in the fall, we’d leave Dad here all by himself. The rest of us left to go to the fire. Ninety percent of the time we're going to these calls in the rural area. We know who it is. It's your neighbors, your friend, your best friend's dad,” Pher said. He once considered a career in fire fighting, but decided farming is his way of life.

Pher is active with the St. Florian Fire & Burn Foundation, an organization founded in 1993 through the efforts of nurses at the St. Luke’s Burn Center and the Sioux City Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local #7. In addition to other activities, St. Florian partners with Camp Foster YMCA on East Lake Okoboji to hold Miracle Burn Camp, a camp supporting pediatric burn survivors from Iowa and nearby.

“These kids have been scarred for life for a lot of reasons, but they shouldn’t be scarred because of their looks. The camp helps build their confidence level so they can enjoy life and not live in fear because they have a scar. The stories some of the kids tell will break down the toughest man.” Mid-week during the camp, the campers eagerly await the arrival of firefighters from the region who drive in on fire trucks and motorcycles.

especially because crop farming is so seasonal. “That’s why we’ve got the livestock, the trucking, seed sales, the custom acres and other things – so we can keep our crew busy all year to keep them happy. It affects your margins, but you have to adapt or die in the world.”

Pher’s friend since high school, Ryan Baldwin, has been with them for six years and is the right-hand man, taking a lead role in driving truck and running other equipment.

Pher also gets some “help” from the daughters of a close friend and the daughter of a distant cousin. “Those little girls love coming over because I give them ice cream and everything they want. Every time I see any of those girls, they come running across the room to me. It’s fun. I never miss a birthday party even if it's planting season. They like to ride in the tractor and the combine with me. But I’ve got one rule: If you ride with me, you’ve got to bring me snacks. Most of the time, though, they eat all the snacks.”

Christopher said farming is not a job to him, Jeremy and Ryan. “It’s our way of life and we love it. I love sitting in the planter and the combine. Yeah, I'll be crabby after being in it for all those days; and you’re happy to go in and go to sleep. But a week later, you think, ‘Is there any more out there, did we forget anything?’ Likewise, I love calving. Yeah, it’s long hours; cold and freezing your hands off. But then you’ve got that baby calf there and you’re just so happy.”

Three generations of Fischer farm men. J, DJ, Tom, Colton, and Pher holding Beckett.

TRAPPERS BRAVED THE PERILS OF LYON COUNTY

Editor’s note: Some of the phrases used in this article are quoted from source books more than 100 years old. It includes language and commentary used during that time period which would not be culturally appropriate today.

Going back into the 1500s, the first white trailblazers into the interior of North America were most often trappers. Three hundred years later, the first white men into Lyon County were also trappers.

Starting with the French in eastern Canada in the early 1500s and spurred by consumer fashion demand in Europe, intrepid trappers made their living by harvesting beaver and other fur-bearing animals such as fox, marten and mink. As they searched for the richest trapping areas, the trappers would note the landmarks of the vast continent, providing vital information to future explorers of fame and serving as guides to the first settlers.

The North American fur trade had been in decline for more than 60 years by the time the first non-Indigenous people began to push into northwestern Iowa. Even so, trappers were the first whites to make their mark in Lyon County. The first to have his name noted for history was Daniel McLaren, who built a cabin on the Big Sioux River at the mouth of the creek that now bears his name. “‘Uncle Dan,’ as he was commonly called … (was) fortunate enough to retain his scalp in the presence of the none-too-friendly Sioux warriors, and always have a full storehouse of buffalo, elk, deer and beaver skins,” said the book, History, Reminiscence and Biography of Lyon County, Iowa.

The book continued with a vivid description of the area at the time: “The streams of Lyon County abound with many varieties of fish, and up to the rapid growth of the county, the valleys were inhabited by elk, deer, beaver, otter and other game, and by flocks of wild geese, cranes, ducks, swan and other less valuable wild fowls which afforded a fine opportunity for sportsmen … Here and there throughout the county may be found small prairie lakes, which differ materially from those farther to the east in Iowa, as they are fed by never-failing springs and always retain a supply of clear cold water.”

A writer describing the area in 1870 said, “From April

to October, there is one vast sea of green, varied in hue with myriads of wild, sweetly perfumed flowers. Away, as far as the eye can reach, stretches a boundless expanse of rolling prairie, till fading imperceptibly into the distant horizon.”

DEATH IN THE WILD

An article at historycolorado.org said the trappers and mountain men in Western history are shrouded in myth, but “stripped of its romanticism, the fur trade was a hard business, and its labor force was as overworked, underpaid, and subject to hardships as any other nineteenth century occupation. Bent over by the strains of their livelihood, few trappers remained in the business past the age of 40.”

The “strains of their livelihood” included the elements and Indigenous peoples. While Dan McClaren was apparently able to leave Lyon County alive, the next trapper was not so lucky. “A character known as ‘Old Tom’ was the next to come upon the scene. He built his cabin home at the mouth of what was later styled ‘Tom Creek,’ near the present city of Rock Rapids. But with the advantages of implements possessed by the whites, and his wonderful skill as a hunter and trapper, he could take more beaver than the Sioux, so they ruthlessly shot him through the heart with an arrow one morning, while engaged in setting his traps.”

Both History and Reminiscence and Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa describe the fates of the next

Frontier trapper Old Bill Williams. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

group to brave Lyon County: “The names of three other daring adventurers were Roy McGregor, George Clark and Thomas Lockhart, young men from Massachusetts, who were here in the summer of 1862.” The trio was chasing elk and succeeded in bringing down a huge buck. As they prepared to carry the venison to camp, “They were suddenly attacked by a band of Santee-Sioux Indians from Minnesota, who had been following the elk. The savages first fired upon them with bow and arrow, from which McGregor received a shot in the side, and then charged upon them with unearthly yells.”

The white men returned fire, retreated downstream and then were able to keep the Santee at bay with rifles. Lockhart extracted the arrow from McGregor’s side and asked him if he was much hurt. He replied “‘Oh no,’ but soon began sinking and died in the bank of the stream.” The remaining pair stayed and “continued hunting and trapping until the following spring. Their cabin was fitted up with great taste, being lined on the inside with wolf skins, and it became a favorite resort for hunters throughout this region.” However, in March 1863, Clark was drowned in spring flooding. “Lockhart, after many narrow escapes, returned to civilization.”

Even as civilization stretched into Lyon County, game remained abundant for a time. An article in the Le Mars Sentinel in December 1871 said a load of elk and deer had arrived to town from Lyon County. “The largest elk weighed 398 pounds, a fine animal, with small but perfect horns; the others weighed 349 and 360 pounds; the deer 128 pounds, but this large deer looked small beside his big cousins.” But within two years, elk were no longer found in the vicinity and the deer herds were vastly diminished.

TRAPPERS AND ECOSYSTEMS WERE EXPENDABLE

Historian Randall Parrish bemoaned the lack of respect trappers and frontier fur-traders received. “The fur companies regarded those hunters as mere tools by which they could acquire the peltry to be found in unsettled districts, and, when they became no longer serviceable by disease or death, they were cast aside. In many cases, their bodies were left unburied on the prairie.”

While the fur trade was an important economic driver in Canada and the United States for almost 300 years, European style trends and the companies who profited the most either didn’t know, understand or care about the ecosystems in the North American frontier which were damaged from excess trapping, said montanatrappers.org Historycolorado.org concurred: “This attitude of short-term exploitation flourished during the fur trade and persisted after 1840, as the focus shifted from furs to minerals, timber, grass, land, and water.”

Sources

History, Reminiscence and Biography of Lyon County, Iowa. Published under the auspices of the Pioneer Association of Lyon County. Published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. of Chicago, 1901-1906.

• Via iagenweb.org: A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875.

• Via LegendsofAmerica.com: “Trappers, Traders & Pathfinders,” a chapter from The Great Plains: The Romance of American Exploration, Warfare and Settlement, 1527-1870, by Randall Parrish, 1907, A.C. McClurg & Co.

• Wikipedia “North American Fur Trade.”

• MontanaTrappers.org.

• HistoryColorado.org.

A marker in the park on the west side of Rock Rapids. It says: “Old Tom, trapper and first white man in this locality lived in a cabin on this spot. He was killed by the Indians about 1853. Erected by Rose Standish Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1926.”

The American beaver is the largest rodent in the U.S. growing from two to three feet long, not including the tail. Beavers have webbed feet and their dark brown fur is waterproof. Beaver teeth grow continuously throughout their lives; gnawing on trees keeps the teeth from getting too long.

Frontier trapper and hunter John Garrison a/k/a “LiverEating Johnson.” Photo from Montana Historical Society.

Photo by Enel Lepik, CreativeCommons.org license via Wikimedia Commons.

The Northern Lights put on a brilliant display on March 23rd over the old twin elevators in Esmond Township, S.D., which is about 55 miles west of Brookings.

AURORA BOREALIS

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN BEGEMAN.

STEWARDS OF THE LORD’S CREATION

By Bob Fitch

Reflecting on their life in the past, present and future, Mike and Pearl Schouten frequently invoke the word “blessing.” They recognize their many blessings as gifts bestowed upon them by God.

The Sioux Center couple feels blessed by a long marriage, their six children, their 19 grandchildren, and a fruitful career at Dordt University where they have helped prepare hundreds of students to go into God's kingdom and be His citizens to make a difference in the world.

Mike is nearing the 40-year mark working for the Agricultural Stewardship Center at Dordt University. He helps train and supervise ag majors in the handson portion of their studies. Mike is quick to share credit with Pearl. “I couldn't do this job without my loving wife right here. She's been very supportive and, in times when students aren't available, she's been out there helping me.

SIOUX COUNTY FAMILY

Pearl and Mike Schouten in the shop area at Dordt University’s Agricultural Stewardship Center.

Scripture at the entrance to Dordt’s Ag Stewardship Center.

The large tumor in the brain was removed. Five subsequent radiation treatments helped shrink four smaller tumors in the brain. She’s also been taking chemo pills twice a day which is shrinking a tumor deep in the middle of her brain. The tumor in her lung has been shrunk by half and tumors on her lymph nodes and adrenal gland are virtually gone. “We're very grateful,” she said.

According to Mike, when the troubles started, “We didn't say ‘Why God?’, but rather ‘Okay God, now use us.’ You’ve still got to find joy in every day that you have. You got to praise God and give thanks for every day. There's been prayerful support from all over the country. Students and parents of

students pray for us and it's just been incredible. We don't know the future, but we know who holds the future.”

A FARM FAMILY

Dordt has been a blessing since the very beginning of their relationship. They entered college at the same time as freshmen and both were education majors. Mike grew up on a farm on the South Dakota side of the Sioux River near

Hawarden. His childhood farm consisted of corn, soybeans, cattle and pigs. During his elementary years, he attended Alcester schools and then went to Unity Christian in Orange City for high school. Pearl had a little further to travel. She grew up in Ripon, California, a Dutch community in San Joaquin County near Modesto.

After two years, Pearl switched from studying at Dordt to working at Dordt in the media center. They were married between Mike’s

junior and senior year. After graduating, he taught 6th and 7th grade at Ireton Christian School for three years. In 1984, he joined Dordt College as an employee.

They have six children and, Mike joked, “They’re all boys except for five of them.”

Their oldest daughter Bobbi and her husband, Eric Kroese, live in Hull and have seven children.

“It doesn't take long to get to 19 grandchildren when the oldest has seven,” Mike laughed. Son Micah and his wife, Karen, live across the road from Mike and Pearl on the Middleburg road outside of Sioux Center. They have three children. Their daughter Coby and her husband, Chris Vander Kooy, live in Lennox, and have five children. Daughter Kiley and her husband, Sean Coon, live in Winchester, California. They have three children. Daughter Jill and her husband, Adam Heyen, live in Byron, Minnesota, about eight miles west of Rochester. They have one child

Their youngest daughter, Jena, is single and lives in Sheldon. She was recently honored as one of the “20 Under 40” by the Northwest Iowa Review. She is the housing director and activities director

Pearl and Mike Schouten (seated) with their family. Front: Logan, Katelyn, Kees, Koen, Dirk, Opal, Pearl and Mike, Maisie, Shea, Julia, Emma, Hannah, Olivia, Noah and Sophia. Back: Caryn, Alexa, son Micah, daughter Coby holding Olli, Kris, Adam holding Obadiah, daughter Jill, daughter Kiley, Sean holding Fern, Eric holding Judah, daughter Bobbie and daughter Jena.

for Northwest Iowa Community College. Her duties with students are many, but Pearl believes she is “very influential for Christ.”

‘DIRT UNDER YOUR FINGERNAILS AND MANURE ON YOUR SHOES’

Mike’s move from teaching school to becoming a farm steward

for the Dordt ag program was a perfect homecoming for him. According to Pearl, “You can take the boy off the farm, but you can never take the farmer out of the boy.” Mike said, “Working on the university’s farm has been such a blessing to Pearl and me. We had the opportunity to raise our family

on a farm even though we really couldn't afford to farm otherwise.” (They do own a small piece of ground and rent some acres from neighbors.)

“In all my years at Dordt, the thing that I’ve enjoyed the most is working with students,” he said. “It’s fun to see students come in as freshmen at age 18. At 22, they’re graduating and getting jobs. You get to see them grow academically and also spiritually. They're ready to go out into God's kingdom and be his citizens to make a difference in this world.”

“We try to make things as handson and as student-run as possible. I usually tell prospective students we're going to get dirt under your fingernails and manure on your shoes while you're here,” Mike said. There have been many changes over 38+ years. He worked in the program’s swine and dairy operations. But because those facilities were aging and because of the amount of labor involved, Dordt’s applied experience evolved.

Tough times for farmers in the 1980s and during other periods also meant tough decisions had to be made by the college.

“Change can always be hard. When you’re in the midst of change, you can see dimly at first where you might be heading. However, you get a few years down the road and then you can see that, yeah, God's plan was in this. It was the right decision.”

Recent years have seen exciting additions. Mike said, “We have a president and a board and constituents out there who are very supportive of our ag programs.” The new Agriculture Stewardship Center opened four years ago north of Sioux Center. The modern facility is part classroom, part lab and part meeting space, with most of the hands-on facilities adjacent. Within

Mike demonstrates the best method for docking lambs’ tails to Dordt students, Gladys Anderson of Atlantic, Penn., and Megan Kroon of Farmington, Calif.

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Skilled

Pearl and Mike Schouten with their grandchildren. Front row: Dirk holding hands with Olli with Kees behind her; Katelyn with the braid with Opal in front of her; Judah on Pearl’s lap, Hannah on Mike’s lap, Julia, Shea (in the striped shirt) holding hands with Fern who is holding hands with Maisie. Back row: Alexa holding Obadiah, Koen, Logan, Sophia, Emma, Noah and Olivia.

technician who comes in to do the breeding, but our students are active giving shots and doing the preg-testing under the supervision of a vet.”

The other half of the mono-slope building has 33 Angus cows that Dordt owns. The cows are overwintered in the mono-slope and are calved in it before going to pasture in the summertime. Calves from those beef cows are fed out at the facility.

educational purposes. Most of the acres are corn and soybeans, but there is also hay ground, small grains and pasture. At their older facility down the road, freshmen get to “use the ewes” from a local producer for hands-on lambing experience. Also at the old facility, freshmen work with dairy-cross bottle calves.

“We have students out here on the farm site every day. I have student feeders who are mixing the rations and laying down the feed for the animals. We have students out here today who are doing the cleaning and the bedding,” he said. “On the crop side, students are running the planter, putting in plots, scouting for insects and disease, running the combine, digging up roots and doing yield estimations.”

“In the mono-slope, half the building is dairy heifers, which we are custom-raising for a large dairy in the area. There’s a professional

Counting acreages and land that Dordt owns and rents, students have access to 340 acres for

Mike concluded: “Our program comes from the standpoint that we're stewards of this creation –we’re caretakers. So our students are going to be taught from a Biblically-sound perspective. None of what we have is ours. It’s all the Lord’s. It's a gift given to us. It's our responsibility to take care of this gift, to take care of the land and the livestock to the best of our ability.”

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the last year, a lot of new facilities have come online: Greenhouse, commodity shed, and an 80 x 350-foot mono-slope cattle facility. Future plans include a new lambing / bottle calf raising facility and a new machine shed with a heated shop and a wash bay. “Those are things to come, but we're a private institution, so funds have to be raised first. I'm very thankful for what we have right now.”

POWERLIFTING ‘A PIECE OF CAKE’ COMPARED TO SORTING CATTLE IN A HOT CORRAL

By Garrett Gross

Almost five years ago, the Jona and Michelle Leo family hit the “reset button.” In the summer of 2018, the couple and their three children moved from the west side of Sioux Falls to rural Lennox. The move returned Jona and Michelle to roots similar to their own childhood experiences. Jona was raised on a beef ranch in Dannebrog, Neb., while Michelle grew up on a farm in Estelline, S.D.

Jona’s family operation revolved purely around the seed stock cattle industry and everything it entails. “Growing up, we had registered Herefords until 1985 before we switched to Salers. Now my father raises Simmental and SimAngus,” he said. “The majority of my summers were spent dragging a string of show cattle throughout the United States, and winter break consisted of working on animals for the Denver Stock Show.” His brother, Joel, had a deep passion for developing the show calves. Jona followed his brother’s lead which, in turn, led them to the winner's spot at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Nebraska State Fair, and Salers Junior Nationals.

The rest of the time growing up, Jona spent his summers fencing, putting up hay, checking pastures and working calves, tasks which seemed like an eternity to him as a kid.

Meanwhile, Michelle’s background was a completely different experience. At the Jongeling farm, they grew corn and soybeans plus

FRIENDS FROM SOUTH DAKOTA

Michelle and Jona Leo with their children Liberty, Lennox and Lyncoln.

had dairy cattle, stock cattle and laying hens. She spent more time inside the tractor cab, milk barn, and henhouse than Jona did. Their backgrounds are different, but both appreciated the benefits of being raised in the multifaceted ag industry.

Both Jona and Michelle pursued careers outside of the ag industry. Jona has been active in the training and fitness industry since 2000. He owns Liberty Barbell, a gym located off the Tea exit near Thornton Flooring. He does personal training for clients, both at his gym and remotely. Michelle owns and operates Renew Therapeutic Massage in Sioux Falls.

To say that Jona is active in the fitness industry is accurate – but also an understatement. He is literally one of the strongest people on earth. Maybe all the hay he put up on his family’s ranch as a kid helped prepare him for

the international powerlifting competitions he’s participated in as an adult. His accolades and victories are as impressive as anybody in the world in powerlifting. There are not many people who can say they have bench pressed greater than 800 pounds and claim the title of “World Champion.”

Jona said a big part of his success is the lessons he learned growing up on the family ranch. “Being raised on the ranch molded me and played a critical role in my powerlifting success. The mundane tasks of doing chores and preparing for the next project are easily transferable to training for whatever athletic endeavor you might pursue. After sorting cattle in a hot corral for 12 hours, showing up for a workout in a climatecontrolled gym is a piece of cake,” he said.

“Honestly, between the mindsets

Jona Leo in his element – a powerlifting competition. He has bench-pressed more than 800 pounds.

Jona Leo at the 1997 National Salers Junior Show.

of my father and brother it is pretty easy to draw a parallel to my powerlifting success. My dad always takes on more and more projects. Meanwhile, Joel is very detail-oriented and methodical. Just like my father, I take on more and more whether it's opening a gym, taking more clients in the coaching business, directing another powerlifting meet, or training for a competition. Then I follow the lessons from the show barn with Joel – his methodical and detail-oriented approach can be seen in my preparation for each world championship and in my professional life.”

With the positive farm and ranch life experiences in their childhoods, the decision to move south of Lennox was an obvious choice for Jona and Michelle. The move enabled them to share rural life lessons with their children: Lyncoln, 15, Lennox, 12, and Liberty, 9. Their goal was to get into a smaller community while creating life experiences different than what metro Sioux Falls could offer. Their children have the luxury of often visiting both sets of grandparents and their aunt and uncles, so they routinely see the larger perspective of the ag industry.

“We fall into the category of ‘hobby’ farm, but each year we have grown in the direction of creating our own unique experience,” Jona said. “For example, year one was planting shelterbelts, lawn and pasture, and general land development. We have eased into the farming responsibilities with the chicken coop filled with laying hens, a couple head of show cattle, and gardening. The next goal is to develop a small CSA (community-supported agriculture) that's exclusively offered to clients of Renew Therapeutic Massage, LeoStrength and Liberty Barbell members.”

The children have learned to connect with their animals by reading their personalities and working with them appropriately and, of course, the responsibilities of daily care.

The process of developing bare land into a homestead has been unique as well. “I remember vaguely my parents building their home and the ensuing outdoor projects. We moved in 2018, but we already we’re looking back at the changes to the acreage. I hope each project will create a memory for my children, even the 14 tons of river rock we scooped summer before last, aided by a skid steer of course,” he joked.

While agriculture is not the livelihood of the Leo family, the experiences on their acreage are teaching their children the same sort of life lessons Jona and Michelle learned growing up. So far, the move to the country has been fantastic. “Our neighbors have been great in helping us get settled in –whether it's giving our boy, Lennox, a John Deere wagon to pull with the ATV, the periodic borrowing of a skid steer, or even mowing down our weeds the first month we arrived in Lennox. It's all been lessons on how great rural living is,” Jona said.

Liberty lays a little loving on her calf.

Lennox exiting the show ring with a smile.

This story was originally published in the South Dakota edition of The Farming Families.

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TIRE REPAIR

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FROM THE KITCHEN

GARDEN HERB STRIP STEAKS

From the South Dakota Beef Industry Council

Melissa Baker, M.A., CCC-A, FAAA

Hear

Elizabeth “Libby” Benson, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA

INGREDIENTS

Beef

• 2 beef Strip Steaks Boneless, cut 1 inch thick (about 10 ounces each)

• Salt

Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine Seasoning ingredients in small bowl; reserve 2 teaspoons for garnish. Press remaining seasoning evenly onto beef steaks.

2. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 11 to 14 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 11 to 15 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.

Hours: Mon-Thurs 9am-5pm • Fri 9am-12pm 429 W 69th St • Sioux Falls, SD (Southwest Corner of 69th St. and Minnesota Ave.) 22-23 WINNER 605.610.2886 • siouxfallshearing.com

712-753-4800

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