The Farming Families of South Dakota—October 2022

Gail and Dave Strasser operate “The Harvest” at Lennox. Story begins on page 6.

LINCOLN COUNTY

MINNEHAHA COUNTY

Hutchinson | Lincoln | Minnehaha | Turner

Faith / Family / Friends / Farming

of Sioux County

PUBLISHERS

Garrett and Mindy Gross, AGE Media (605) 690-4071

EDITOR

Bob Fitch, AGE Media (712) 551-4123

ADVERTISING SALES

Garrett Gross, AGE Media (515) 231-9367 garrett@agemedia.pub

© The Farming Families, Age Media & Promotion

The Farming Families is distributed free exclusively to the farmers, ranchers and producers in rural southeastern South Dakota. 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 Families and Age Media & Promotion.

ADVERTISERS

Baker Audiology 28

Benco 10

Complete Benefits 27

DeKam Construction 11 DeSmet Farm Mutual 13

Dimock Cheese 30

Equipment Blades 27

Farmers Cooperative Society 31

First Class Dental Care 2

Flyboy Donuts 31

Flyger Concrete 27

Grosz Sand & Gravel 20

Heritage Pharmacy 32

Hofer Roofing 3

Jensen Electric 28

Mark Kasten State Farm 22

Merchants State Bank 3

Midwest Livestock Service 7

Minnehaha Funeral Home 25

NuGen 15

Oak Street Station 8

Parsons Insurance 9 Reliabank 9

RiversEdge Bank 23

Roto Rooter 30

Stryker Mako 5

Tieszen Memorial Home 21

Tri-States Grain Conditioning 19

Wieman Land & Auction 4

Take control of your joint pain

Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology, the latest in total hip, partial knee and total knee replacement, is now available in

area.

All surgery carries risk. See your orthopaedic surgeon to discuss your potential benefits and risks. Not all patients will have the same post-operative recovery and activity level. Individual results vary.

SWEET CORN, PUMPKINS –AND FUN!

By Bob Fitch

During the growing season, Dave and Gail Strasser jump in the UTV and circle their acreage on most Sunday mornings before church. “We like to drive around and see what the Lord has blessed us with and see how things have changed in a week. You see things from a different perspective when you slow down,” Gail said.

Dave and Gail operate a business called “The Harvest.” They grow sweet corn, vegetables and pumpkins which they sell at their farm on the north edge of Lennox. “We started with our boys selling sweet corn out of the back of the pickup at the end of the driveway. That was when they were in grade school 30-some years ago. Over time, people started asking us if we grew tomatoes and cucumbers, so we decided we could do that, too.”

The couple graduated from Lennox High School in 1970. They got married in 1973 and purchased their acreage in 1976. Dave worked for Sioux International in Sioux Falls for 44 years, retiring as parts manager 5½ years ago. Gail was a home economics teacher for the Sioux Falls Public School District. In 2007, she retired early from her 24-year teaching career in order to stay home and babysit their grandchildren. According to Dave, “My mom babysat our kids and

Dave and Gail Strasser grow pumpkins, gourds, produce and more at their acreage on the north edge of Lennox.

we knew how well that worked for us and how important it was for our family. So we made the decision to have Gail do that, too.”

At the same time, “We also started to work this business up and have it blossom more,” Gail said. “We grew up on farms in Turner County and we both were in 4-H and had big gardens growing up. We both like to grow things. We’re just 2 old people having fun. One of the joys is seeing exactly what’s grown once the leaves go down and it’s like ‘Wow, that's what was hiding under there.’”

Dave said, “We pride ourselves on sweet corn. We’ve built a really large following. We usually plant five varieties and we’re known for our sweet sweet corn.” Sales start in mid-July and continue through the end of Turner County Fair.

EVERY COLOR, SHAPE AND SIZE

When sweet corn sales wrap up, they shut down for three weeks to decorate for the fall season of selling pumpkins, gourds, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, potatoes, beets and a sweet “candy onion.” The couple grows more than 50 varieties of gourds and pumpkins in all colors, shapes and sizes.

They started the pumpkin patch when Gail was still teaching. “We’d just put a few in front of the barn. People came in, picked out a pumpkin and put the money in an ice cream bucket. When we came home, if some pumpkins were gone and there was money in the bucket, it was a good thing,” she said.

A sample of the pumpkins at The Harvest.

There’s still a strong element of trust between the Strassers and their customers. Upon arriving, customers follow the signage to the “start here” table where they get a pencil and paper to keep track of what they load in a wagon. Their purchases are rung up based on what they’ve written down. “We accept whatever they’ve written – you give people a chance to be honest. I'm sure there's a gourd or two that gets out of here without us knowing about it,” Dave said. Furthermore, they recognize the financial limitations families face – they have sections of pumpkins and gourds with price tags of $1-$3.

Just like any farmer, they battle pests – for them, the worst ones are deer, raccoons and squirrels. “We take some of the rotten pumpkins and some of the chewed-on ones and put them back there in the trees so the squirrels will stay where they're supposed to be and not mess with my product. Naughty little things!” Gail said. Pumpkins are troublesome in and of themselves because it’s not always apparent when there’s a rotten spot or have been too long in the sun. “Pumpkins need to have a turkey timer in them so that when they're done with their life it’s pops up so I can find them more easily to throw them away,” she said.

WORK ETHIC

They use every corner of their 21 acres to grow crops in 11 different patches. Dave said, “Originally it was a lot of pasture because the kids had 4-H calves and cows.”

Decorative gourds in an endless array of shapes and colors are available at The Harvest.

The Strasser’s selection of squash.

The candy onions are popular.

Hidden throughout the farmyard every year, they have “scarecrows” representing all 9 of their grandchildren. Many visitors go on a hunt every year to try to find all 9.

Sioux Falls | Colton | Hartford | Humboldt | Tea | Estelline | Hayti | Hazel | Watertown

Gail Strasser inside the barn where seasonal décor is for sale.

Dave Strasser in “the man cave” where vintage tools and other collectibles are for sale.

Dave babies the big pumpkins. He pulls some of the blossoms off early and then uses more fertilizer and more water because the kids like the big ones so much. Some parents buy big pumpkins, carve them out, and set their baby in it for a photo.

He believes their sons learned a lot of their work ethic via the 4-H projects. “Our son, Nathan, has an acreage about 2 miles west of here and he's got some cattle now. He said he got the cattle because of his kids – he wants them to learn the same ethic that he learned here. He told me, ‘You know, I probably won't make any money with these cattle, but it's all done for the kids, for them to learn.’”

Nathan is a captain with the Sioux Falls Fire Department. His wife, Michele, is the clinical manager of radiology and anticoagulation services at Sanford USD Medical Center. They have three sons, Austin, Tyler and Carson.

Son Timothy owns Strasser Design and Consulting LLC, an architectural engineering firm. His wife, Katy, is a middle school physical education teacher. They live in Strasburg, Colo., with their three daughters, Dakota, Kyla and Hallie.

Micah is registered invasive cardio vascular specialist at Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls. His wife, Katelyn, is a maternal child health epidemiologist for the state of South Dakota. They reside in Lennox and have two sons, Landon and Levi, and one daughter, Lainey.

The Strasser children aren’t the only ones who learned a work ethic at The Harvest. According to Gail, “Parents of town kids will come to us and say ‘Do you have a job that my kids can do? We want them to learn to work.’ So we have had very supportive parents. The kids maybe don't necessarily enjoy a lot of the job – that'd be a nice way of putting it. But they don’t realize at the time they're learning to work and work hard when they’re hoeing all day long.”

She said the hard manual labor gives her a chance to tell the young workers: “Well, now you know that you don't necessarily want to pick green beans all your life, so you better get an education.” But she laughed and said: “I had an education and now I’m picking green beans. You have to really love what you do.”

Dave said their grandson, Carson, loves growing things, too. "He will sit here after school and just open up a gourd. He saves the seeds and wants to go home and plant things all the time. But he’s too young to be taking over.” Gail added: “I tell Carson he needs to be an agronomist. Sometimes he plants the vegetable seeds in my flower beds or flower pots just as a joke.”

EDUCATION, LAUGHING AND FUN

Gail continues to make use of her teaching skills. Daycares and preschools from Lennox, Tea and Sioux Falls have field trips to The Harvest. She sets up a small classroom in the back of the barn and provides a lesson on growing plants. She brings in a pumpkin and cuts it open to show the seeds. “I talk about when we plant them and how they flower and how important bees are, as well as sun and water.”

The couple is not sure how much longer they’ll run at full tilt. “It comes to this point where everything is laid out, why would we ever want to quit? But we’re going to transition a bit. We’ve got to back off some,” Dave said. Harvesting large quantities of vegetables takes a toll on a person’s joints and back. “You have to think about your health and we need to give up something,” Gail said.

Yet every Saturday in the fall is a treasure, she said. “When the little kids get here, they fly out of the car and they run to the wagons. We sit in our chairs and watch all of this taking place. That's fun. And you see people in family groups, and they're laughing and talking and taking pictures.”

farm drain tile and general contract work in South Dakota

DELL RAPIDS CORN HUSKING CONTEST WAS A NATIONAL SPORTS SPECTACLE

By Peggy Sanders

In the past century, the advancement of corn as a crop is almost mind-boggling.

Corn was domesticated 9,000 years ago in southern Mexico and the ear liest plants had ears that were only an inch long and there was only one ear per plant. In the post-Civil War era in the United States, corn yielded about 26 bushels to the acre and remained at that level for the next 65-70 years. With the introduc tion and adoption of hybrid variet ies in the 1930s, the average yield doubled to 50 bushels an acre by the mid-1950s; doubled again to 100 bushels an acre by 1980; and climbed to an average of 180 bush els an acre today.

Paralleling the increase in yields the past 100 years is the ability to har vest the crop. In the 1920s, an aver age farmer could husk about 300 ears of corn in 80 minutes. In 1935, the national corn husking cham

pion was celebrated for harvesting 41½ bushels in 80 minutes. Today’s combine, in a high yielding field, can harvest more than 7,000 bushels of corn in an hour. That’s a phenome nal increase in productivity in less than a century.

The adoption of new farming meth ods and machinery – including the automated combine – was actually accelerated through the glorifica tion of traditional hand harvest ing in the period between the two World Wars. The glorification came in the form of the National Corn

KEEPING LOCAL HISTORY ALIVE

Ancient Mesoamerican relief of maize, National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico.

Husking corn. North Scott Press.

Officials estimated that 125,000 people attended the National Corn Husking Contest in Dell Rapids in 1938. Sioux Falls Argus Leader via newspapers.com, Nov. 3, 1938.

Husking Contest in which farmers from about 10 Midwestern states competed in the years 1924-1941.

Promoted at times as “the fastest growing sporting spectacle in the world,” the battles helped buoy the spirits of farmers and small communities in the midst of the Great Depression. Values like individualism, determination, work ethic, and selfsufficiency were highlighted. Starting from 800 attendees in 1924, attendance skyrocketed to more than 100,000 each year from 1935-1941.

The corn husking contests existed as part of a larger contest culture which encouraged farmers to improve their farming meth ods and increase production, according to “The Organized Corn Husking Contests” by Denise Lorraine Dial. A variety of agricul tural contests played an integral role in the rural Midwest's absorption of industrial cul ture by giving farmers the opportunity to experiment with emerging innovations.

While the huge crowds at the National Corn Husking Contest gathered to watch a test of masculinity via traditional hand-husking, the event grounds included large displays of machinery to entice farmers with the latest modern equipment from companies such as International Harvester, Allis Chalmers and Firestone Tire. The corn husking contests united the contest culture of pro

duction agriculture with a culture of fairs, town celebrations, and harvest festivals.

THOUSANDS CAME TO DELL RAPIDS

The National Corn Husking Contest moved to a different location every year from Ohio in the eastern corn belt to Kansas in the western corn belt. In its first decade, the closest sites to this region were Fremont, Neb., in 1926; West Point, Neb., in 1933; and Fairmont, Minn., in 1934. Finally, it arrived to the intersection of South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota when Dell Rapids, S.D., was the host in 1938.

Thousands of people arrived at the Jim and Nellie Jensen farm northeast of Dell Rap ids on Nov. 3, 1938, a damp, windy and cold day. According to the book “From Dell Rap ids’ Attic,” officials parked 35,000 cars and estimated the crowd at 125,000 – the largest gather ing of people ever recorded in South Dakota. It took five pastures covering 1,300 acres and 800

The winner of the 1938 National Corn Husking Contest was Ted Balko of Redwood Falls, Minn. Sioux Falls Argus Leader via newspapers.com, Nov. 4, 1938.

Annual U.S. Corn Grain Yields and Historical Trends Since 1866. Purdue University, data derived from USDA-NASS Crop Production Reports.

For over 105 years, De Smet Farm Mutual has been helping to protect what we all love about South Dakota.

To find an agent in your area or to get a quote, visit:

www.DeSmetFarmMutual.com

Call: (605) 854-3337

volunteer traffic directors to han dle the parking.

There were 48 concession stands housed under a tent stretch ing four city blocks. Tents were needed for the numerous exhibi tions, the temporary fire depart ment, post office, food stands, and the emergency hospital and its

corps of physicians. Ten to 12 wells were sunk to provide the neces sary water supply.

The huge exhibit of farm machin ery was the biggest ever seen at a corn husking contest. The NBC radio network carried a live "bang by bang" description of the national contest. (The contest was

sometimes called the “Battle of the Bangboards” because ears tossed by contestants would crash into a raised board on the far side of the wagon.)

A GRIND FROM START TO FINISH

Contestants used a steel peg or hook strapped to their hand to tear the shucks open on the corn. Many huskers wore gloves but some shucked barehanded. The method mostly used in husk ing was to grip an ear with the left hand, yank off the husk with the right hand, twist the ear from the stalk with the right hand and throw the ear into the wagon with the right hand.

PRAIRIE SANCTUARIES 2023 CALENDAR

South Dakota is dotted with picturesque and historic country churches from one corner to the other. Christian Begeman has chosen his favorite twelve images for a new 2023 calendar. Look for it while supplies last at

Because the ground was muck from the rain, the contest at Dell Rapids was a grind from start to finish. During the 80-minute con test, there were no time-outs for rest and no stops for water. The huskers were tough – some would finish the competition with knuck les bleeding and fingers raw. Many contestants had callouses as big and hard as a quarter.

Ted Balko of Redwood Falls, Minn., won the contest at Dell Rapids by husking a gross of 1,620 pounds of corn and a net of 22.64 bushels. Balko previously won the champi onship in 1934.

The Lillie corn husker consisted of a metal hook riveted to a formed piece of leather that straps around the hand and wrist. History Nebraska.

Corn husking pegs were a precursor to tools like the corn hook.

The advent of World War II ended the National Corn Husking Contest and it was not revived after the war because most farmers had moved to machine harvesters and farming was at full speed as the U.S. worked to feed much of the world. Mecha nized combines moved quickly from horse-drawn to tractor-drawn and ultimately to self-propelled units.

Farming’s culture of competition supported a belief that acceptance of change, participation in the pro cess of change and change in work technology would make a farmer more competitive and increase the chances of economic reward.

Winners of the National Corn Husking Contest became idolized heroes who were sought after by national media for interviews, paid to endorse products, and received proposals of marriage from female fans, according to the documentary “When Farmers Were Heroes: The

Era of National Corn Husking Contests.”

An historical marker in Minnehaha County identifies the location of the 1938 National Corn Husking Contest when Dell Rapids basked in its oppor tunity for national notoriety.

scan the QR code to see video from the 1938 National Corn Husking Contest on YouTube.

SOURCES / RECOMMENDED VIEWING & READING

• “From Dell Rapids Attic” by Dale Nighbert. bit.ly/Dell_Rapids

• “The Organized Corn Husking Contests: Conduits of Industrial Culture in the Rural Midwest,” by Denise Lorraine Dial. Iowa State University, 1998.

• Wessels Living History Farms. bit.ly/OldStylePicking

• History Nebraska. bit.ly/LillieCornHusker

• Sioux Falls Argus Leader via newspapers.com.

• Newsreel of 1938 Corn Husking Contest. bit.ly/HuskingNewsReel

• ”When Farmers Were Heroes,” Heritage Documentaries Inc. bit.ly/FarmerHeroes

• Corn Husking Tools photo. bit.ly/CornHook

• National Museum of Anthropology. bit.ly/MaizeRelief

CORN HARVEST

PHOTO BY MAGGIE MAE, CREATIVE CO.

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES HIGHLIGHT AG CAREERS: CATTLE, PLANTS, TRACTORS, VET MEDICINE

Morgan Ackerman is now into her fourth year as the agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Parkston High School. “I don't think I could have started at a better school than Parkston. Admin has been terrific, my co-workers are really supportive, and the parents and our community always step up to help,” she said. FFA membership has grown to 55. “It's exciting to have lots of things growing and changing. They have lots of opportunities. We've made updates to the greenhouse and offer lots of hands-on classes.”

She said Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) allow students to research and explore career opportunities within the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) industry. Students are expected to learn and grow in the skill sets of responsibility, communication, innovation, critical thinking, collaboration and budgeting.

STRONG BREEDING HERD

The SAE project of senior Preston Mattheis is to strengthen his breeding herd. “My dad and I have a herd of 60 Hereford cows in a cow-calf operation. We have 15 registered cows that we A.I. every year to get replacement heifers. We're starting to think about keeping a couple bulls

Parkston High School students Reid Leischner, Preston Mattheis, Ashlyn Tapio and Emily Walz; and ag instructor/FFA advisor Morgan Ackerman.

By Bob Fitch

back. After the first 15 registered cows are A.I.’d, then we just put black bulls on the rest of them to get the F1 baldies to sell.”

Preston enjoys working the cattle and his dad favors crop work, so there’s a pretty clear division of labor. “Dad says the main reason we even have cows on the farm is because of me. He pretty much handed me the reins of the cattle manager. Each year we just focus on better genetics and better herd quality. Right now, our 15 registered cows are bred to the number two Hereford sire in America. So we’re getting some pretty top genetics in our herd.”

Preston is learning artificial insemination techniques from a professional and has improved the quality and timing of cattle vaccinations. “We hired a nutritionist who is helping us improve what we feed and when

we feed. So our herd is definitely on the upswing right now.” Livestock judging in FFA has helped him pick out the better cows and how to read the EPDs.

After studying animal science at either SDSU or Mitchell Technical College, “I hope to come home to the farm and my main goal is to have my own purebred Hereford bull operation down the road.” Preston’s parents are Mike

succulents and houseplants. She wants to add another 30-40

There is nothing more important than protecting your grain harvest.

Tri-States Grain Conditioning systems will help you remotely monitor your grain, save on energy costs and improve your overall grain storage.

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE CONNECTED TO YOUR GRAIN STORAGE.

MONITORS YOUR GRAIN FROM THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. SIMPLE AND ACCURATE. FREE TECH SUPPORT FOR LIFE.

712.336.0199

Preston Mattheis is building a strong breeding herd of Herefords.

Emily said, “I've always loved plants – my room is full of them. For reproduction, I use cuttings of leaves and stems, although for some succulents, it's easier to do division. The variety ‘hens and chicks’ grow their own babies, so you don't have to do as much propagation with cuttings. You can just divide them.”

She also has a small greenhouse in her parents’ basement. It includes a grow light, humidifier and heater to help keep optimum growing conditions. She plans to someday

own a greenhouse and floral shop. Her parents are Jim and Karissa Walz.

OLD TRACTOR REHAB; NEW DIESEL TECHNOLOGY

Senior Reid Leischner farms with his parents, Matt and Jessica Leischner. For his SAE, he is restoring an early 1950s Farmall Super M purchased from his grandfather, Tim Leischner. Reid said, “I just tore the motor apart; re-did the head gasket and rings and all that on the pistons. I put

that all together and redid the carburetor – and got that to run. Now I’ve taken it back apart so I can sandblast it to get ready for painting. I’m having trouble finding tires and rims because the rims are a little rusted. It's been very good experience.”

Reid is planning to study diesel technology at Lake Area Community College in Watertown. “I’m excited to learn all the new tech stuff. My big goal is to bring those skills back to the farm so we don’t have to run our tractors back to the dealer as much.” In addition to growing corn and soybeans, he also raises and shows meat goats. Reid is also part of the FFA poultry team which finished second at the 2019 and 2022 state contest. Individually, he finished second in poultry judging as a sophomore.

PROFESSIONAL ANIMAL CARE

Senior Ashlyn Tapio has an internship at Northwest Veterinary & Supply for her SAE. She helps out wherever there’s a need and has the opportunity to shadow the veterinarians. Her part-time schedule includes some school time, plus evenings and weekends. Her hands-on experience is preparing her to major in pre-vet

Emily Walz grows succulents and houseplants at home and in the school greenhouse.

at Chadron State in Nebraska.

Ashlyn also has an interest in horse judging which she’s carried over from 4-H to FFA. Horses are evaluated and ranked based on breed characteristics, conformation and performance. In the team CDE contest, students solve problems related to everything from the nutrition and reproduction of horses to the tack/equipment and feed used to care for horses. Ashlyn’s parents are Nate and Elsa Tapio.

GOOD SKILLS FOR LIFE AND WORK

According to Miss Ackerman, “Ashlyn, Reid and Preston were freshmen when I started. So it's fun to see how they’ve progressed. I’m really proud of their growth. Ashlyn was one of the first kids to take part in our internship program and helped to solidify it.” She said it's fun to watch her students / FFA advisees take what they’ve learned in class and then apply it to their SAE or CDE projects. “Likewise, it’s great they come into class to share the experiences and learning they’ve had out there.”

Ashlyn is president of the Parkston FFA and Preston is vice president. The chapter’s main fundraiser

is selling fruit and Dimock cheese in late October. Other chapter activities include an ag Olympics, a teacher appreciation breakfast, a petting zoo for the elementary kids and a member appreciation ice cream social.

Ashlyn said, “FFA helps us gain a lot of good life skills through the different competitions. Being an officer has taught me leadership skills.” Preston added, “The ag classes set you up for the more advanced ones at college.”

Reid Leischner with the bare bones of the Farmall Super M he is restoring.

Ashlyn Tapio has an internship at Northwest Veterinary & Supply and plans to become a veterinarian.

BECKSTRAND

Justin Beckstrand grew up in Sioux Falls but spent many weekends and summers at his grandparents’ farm northeast of Marion. Justin is vice president of lending at Rivers Edge Bank in Marion.

FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY

One day when I was younger, a golden retriever showed up at the farm. She looked pretty tough and my grandmother gave her some food and water and she stuck around. She named her Penny “because she wasn’t worth a nickel,” according to Grandma. She was one of the best dogs I have ever had.

LESSONS FOR LIFE

My grandfather, Luverne Langerock, had a profound effect on my life and career. He always taught me to work hard and appreciate what you have. We spent a lot of time together in the field and on the golf course.

FAMILY

My wife, Lindsey, and I have been married for 17 years. She is the director of surgery at Ophthalmology Limited in Sioux Falls and a small business owner. We have two outgoing kids, Kinley is 8 and in 3rd grade and Jeb is 6 and in kindergarten. Both attend school in Marion. My mother, Valarie, lives in town and is a huge help with the kiddos.

CAREER

In addition to my position at Rivers Edge Bank in Marion, I am also a certified crop insurance agent. I mainly work on the agricultural and commercial side of lending. I am very fortunate to be able to work in a great community bank in a great small town. It is a good feeling to know the majority of folks that walk thru the door.

Lindsey and Justin Beckstrand of Marion with their children, Kinley and Jeb.

A SUCCESSFUL LIFE

I think everyone has a different idea of what success is. If you can set and meet your goals, have a lot of determination while also enjoying what you do on a daily basis, I believe those are some pretty good indicators of a good life. You are the only person that can make your life successful, with some help along the way.

FAMILY FUN

Our family enjoys being outside, camping in our State Parks, going to the beach at Lake Vermillion, golfing at ParMar and other local courses, swimming at the Marion Pool and having snowball fights in the winter.

FAMILY FARMERS

My wife and I both grew up in farming families. We have a Red Angus cow-calf herd and a row crop operation of corn and soybeans on my grandparents’ old farm northeast of Marion. My wife opened a boutique in town two years ago.

BRIDGEWATER 605-729-2582

CANOVA 605-523-2221 HAWARDEN, IA 712-551-1005

605-772-4561

Justin Beckstrand is vice president of Lending at Rivers Edge Bank in Marion.

A POWERHOUSE OF INNOVATION HIDDEN IN DOWNTOWN HUMBOLDT

By Bob Fitch

The toy models got this writer in the door. But there is a much more important story to tell than just the cool, miniature models of everything from horses and chickens to mailboxes and parking meters.

All Scale Miniatures produces scale models for time-honored American hobbies such as model railroading and model farms.

Utilizing advanced technology and some of the best brains from rural South Dakota, All Scale is part of Primary Manufacturing, a powerhouse of innovation hidden in plain sight in downtown Humboldt. Primary Manufacturing specializes in additive manufacturing using 3D printing technology.

The company makes specialty parts from materials such as steel, stainless steel, rigid polyurethane and rigid plastic – all on the world’s most advanced 3D printers. Additive manufacturing builds parts or objects from materials deposited, joined or solidified layer-by-layer under computer control.

“Our clientele is somebody who doesn't want to spend $60,000 on an injection mold, mostly because they don't want to produce a million of something. What we do is called bridge manufacturing, which comes into play when it's more cost effective to make 1 to 1,000 items rather than manufacture 10,000 items,” said Ladd McCluskey, founder and president of Primary Manufacturing.

Complex shapes that might be impossible

to construct by hand can be created via 3D printing.

For residents of rural communities, the most important part of this story is that extremely high-technology businesses can thrive in a small town. Instead of exporting some of South Dakota’s brightest minds out of state or sending technically-skilled people down the road to Sioux Falls, companies such as Primary Manufacturing provide options for the growing number of people who want the benefits of small-town living.

“People underestimate the number of really bright,

intelligent people who live here. And, for everything said about our school systems, our schools in this part of the country are still really amazing and producing some really, really good talent,” he said. When Ladd was writing the business plan for what would become Primary Manufacturing, he thought about his own experience of leaving South Dakota for larger communities which had better career prospects. “But we came back when our kids were 3 and 6 because we wanted to raise them here.”

By starting and successfully operating Primary Manufacturing in Humboldt,

Primary Manufacturing’s Ladd McCluskey and his brother-in-law, Steve.

Ladd is putting a dent in the notion that small town employment prospects can only be found in a narrow scope of low-tech positions.

For example, the company’s lead engineer Jacob is a South Dakota native who graduated as a mechanical engineer from the School of Mines & Technology.

For the past 4 years, he’s utilized his engineering expertise in a groundbreaking field while enjoying the benefits of living in the small city of Hartford.

“Primary Manufacturing offered me the invaluable experience of getting in on the ground floor of a new, innovative business. I’ve learned everything from design to engineering management to customer relations. Primary is the perfect place for me to grow my career as a young professional in engineering.”

Allison is the lead artist and designer for All Scale Miniatures. She graduated from Dakota State University with a degree in animation. “I was always interested in art. In high school, I really got into computers and games and animated films. So I thought ‘Why not do art with computers?’ When I went to DSU, I really liked the 3D design and the photography and digital printing. So this job really fit

into my wheelhouse even better than I expected.”

Often starting from a photo found online, Allison designs a basic model of an animal, human or object.

As part of the design, she does “rigging” – for an animal or human, that essentially means starting with a base “skeleton” which she can adjust to any pose needed. For

example, she might create a base model of a scuba diver – and then rig the basic diver into any pose, such as standing, treading water or swimming.

Finished objects include most anything under the sun: air compressors, ice machines, fire extinguishers, stacked suitcases, air conditioners, hose reels, picnic

The team at Primary Manufacturing: Susan, Carrie and Jacob.

tables, elk, pallets … and list goes on and on. Such scale objects have typically been produced by creating an expensive injection mold and produced by the thousands or millions. But All Scale Miniatures keeps a modest inventory of any one thing because it’s easy to pull up the digital model and produce 5 more or 500 more in a few minutes or hours.

Ladd launched Primary Manufacturing about 5½ years ago in 1 rented room. The company added another room, then an office and another; then purchased the entire building and eventually added on to the building.

The 3D printers produce objects similar to how a CT scan views the body. A CT scanner is, in essence, taking cross-sectional images (known as “slices”) of an internal part of a human body. The slices are digitally stacked to give doctors a detailed look at the body part. The 3D printers at Primary Manufacturing also view digitally created or designed objects as “slices” – and the objects are built slice-by-slice on the printer.

All Scale Models lead designer Allison with one of her many computer designs created with a 3D printer.

A few of the dozens of scale models available to purchase for a model railroad, farm or town: 3 scales of outhouses; two tiny jack o’lanterns; and a cooler, picnic table and canoe. The 3D printing technology allows scale models to be created at tiny sizes while maintaining details.

Making small models for model railroaders is just the tip of the iceberg. Additive manufacturing has made inroads in the aviation industry because of the demand for light-weight and fuel-efficient parts which are also incredibly strong. Today, some production airplane parts can’t be made any other way. Primary is producing parts for a number of industries including the agricultural market (see sidebar story).

Ladd said Primary Manufacturing is a high-tech company with old-school values: Producing the highest quality, Americanmade products. “Materials and machines are important, but our greatest assets are our people. We hire good people and let them do their job and have fun doing it. We have an absolutely amazing team,” Ladd said.

Benson,

The bighorn sheep model on Allison’s computer monitor and a finished set in various poses.

THE NEXT BIG THING IN AG SPRAYING IS BEING DEVELOPED ON MAIN STREET IN HUMBOLDT

McCluskey is part of a team introducing Merlin IC System, a device to optimize the application of crop protection chemicals using valves with built-in pulse wave modulation valves and ultrasonic flow meters.

The Merlin IC System is the brainchild of Bob Beggs and Kurt Kamin, two long-time experts in limiting off-target spraying and reducing drift on ag sprayers. Beggs and Kamin are from Wisconsin and owned DRT (Drift Reduction Technologies). They have a million acres of spraying experience under their belts. The new South Dakota-based company formed when McCluskey joined the team is called Latitude-Ag.

Unique to the market, the Merlin IC System is capable of multiport-chemical injection allowing applicators and farmers to monitor multiple flow rates and precisely control the application of each chemical in every section of the boom. The system replaces section flush valves or end caps with 180 degree sweeps and aggressively returns the solution to the section feed. By eliminating dead ends and continuously circulating the chemicals, the Merlin IC System expedites the cleanout process, reduces operator exposure, and limits environmental contamination.

Designed to be an aftermarket add-on to any sprayer, applicators and farmers can get more precise application and faster clean-outs without purchasing new equipment. With an aggressive recirculation system, clean-out takes less than 5 minutes.

Beggs and Kamin came to McCluskey with a pencil sketch of what they wanted. They even had a 3D-printed model, but it was printed on a hobby machine. McCluskey’s engineering team refined the design and produced it on their advanced 3D printers out of Nylon-12, a super durable product. Successful testing of the Merlin IC System has been ongoing for three years.

The Merlin IC System device.

“We wanted it super quick, super easy to change. And it will allow you to spray two chemicals at once and not have to modify anything on the sprayer. It's not going to affect your warranty – you don't have to cut into any hoses, no pipes, no nothing,” McCluskey said. The system is also ISOBUS compatible with existing displays in tractor cabs.

The highly-efficient and cost-effective system can start and stop injected product in any section – making it ideal for buffer zone management, variable rate mapping prescriptions and boundary management.

Latitude-Ag plans to sell Merlin IC through equipment dealerships. Additional testing is ongoing with the University of Nebraska and Latitude-Ag plans to have the product ready in spring 2023.

Development of a product such as this is typically a 10-year process. But McCluskey, an expert in rapid prototyping via his advanced 3D printing technologies, took this project from conception to market in just 10 months. The speed of iteration is also due in large part to the freedom he provides to the company’s skilled engineers and talented production specialists.

The innovation in Ladd McCluskey’s lab on Humboldt’s Main Street isn’t limited to scale miniatures. The company’s engineering and production expertise is also poised to make a big impact on environmental protection, water resource conservation, spray-time efficiency, and farmer safety.

SPICY DR PEPPER SHREDDED PORK

From

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole large onion

• 1 whole pork shoulder ("pork butt"), 5 to 7 pounds salt and freshly ground black pepper

• One 11-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

• 2 cans Dr Pepper

• 2 tbsp. brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Lay them in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan. Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce). Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper. Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in.

2. Place lid tightly on pot, then set pot in the oven. Cook for at least six hours, turning roast two or three times during the cooking process. Check meat after six hours; it should be absolutely falling apart (use two forks to test.) If it's not falling apart, return to the oven for another hour.

3. Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve. (You can also refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it's cold. Then heat up the liquid on the stovetop and return the meat to the liquid to warm up.

Serve on warm flour tortillas or hamburger buns. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, avocado slices, salsa, and whatever else you'd like.