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FIELDS OF FALL

PHOTO BY BRETT DAVELAAR, BD PHOTOGRAPHY

IOWA FAMILIES - 2022

THE HAWKINS FAMILY

Plymouth County, May 2022

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

THE HOOGENDOORN FAMILY

Lyon County, May 2022

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.”