Iowa State Bank

Kelsey and Dylan McCarty with their children, Weston and Raelyn; Dylan’s grandparents, Jerry and Lavonne Snyders; and Brooklyn McCarty, Dylan’s sister.

HAPPY TO LIVE ‘OUT WEST’

By Bob Fitch

As she went down for a nap on a recent day, two-year-old Raelyn McCarty asked, “Wake up and go farm?” Raelyn and her four-month-old brother, Weston, live with their parents, Dylan and Kelsey, high on a hill overlooking the pastures and farm fields just southwest of Granite.

Raelyn loves the farm and doesn’t want anyone to do her jobs. Kelsey said, “Yesterday, she asked ‘Daddy feeding the chickens and the kitties?’ I told her I was sure Daddy was saving that job for her.” Dylan added, “She loves to see the cows and ride the ‘wheeler.’”

Dylan has taken over running the farm from his maternal grandparents, Jerry and Lavonne Snyders. “We run a 100-head cow-calf operation,” said Dylan. “My grandpa had three daughters, so I started out helping him real young.” Dylan’s parents, Don and Jackie, also farmed, but Don died in a car accident on his way home from work in Sioux Falls when Dylan was only five years old. “I definitely love the farm. I can’t ever foresee myself doing anything else. I’m just thankful to be able to do it. It’s very nice to be your own boss and have this lifestyle. There’s something different every day.” When he was little, his Grandpa Snyders worked in town as a carpenter and laying carpet. “So Grandma took care of the farm for the most part. She did the chores, did the tillage and took care of the animals. I remember falling asleep in the tractor with Grandma.”

In addition to the cow-calf herd, he grows corn and soybeans and has some alfalfa. “I also sell a decent amount of grass hay. I’d like to get a few more cows and not cut quite as much grass. But the hay has been a pretty good market.” He backgrounds the calves and typically sells them at 750-850 pounds. “Calving was pretty calm this year, it was pretty nice weather.”