PAGE 1B
Serving rural Benton County, Morrison, Mille Lacs & Kanabec Counties.
BENTON AG Plus
Sauk Rapids Herald
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017
Ambition revitalizes family farm Bekius begins milking in parents’ barn BY JENNIFER COYNE STAFF WRITER
MILACA – At 22 years old, Ken Bekius’ life has come full circle, from riding his bicycle down the alleyway of his family’s dairy barn to now walking down that very alleyway, milking his own herd. This past summer, Bekius purchased a herd of 42 registered cattle from a retiring dairy producer near Thief River Falls, and on Oct. 15, 2016, he began milking in his parents’ – Curt and Jackie’s – 75-stall tiestall barn near Milaca, “This barn sat empty for Àve years. In two weeks, it went from a barn of cobwebs to a barn of cows,” said Bekius, who is currently milking 60 Holsteins and Brown Swiss, as well as one Milking Shorthorn and Jersey. While Bekius’ parents continue to custom raise dairy heifers and beef cattle, they sold their milking
PHOTO BY JENNIFER COYNE
Ken Bekius milks 60 cows on his parents’ farm near Milaca. After the barn sat empty for Àve years, Bekius updated the facility and began milking Oct. 15, 2016.
herd in 2011, when Bekius was 16. Soon after, Bekius found other opportunities to stay involved in the industry, working for neighboring dairy producers and heifer raisers. Then in 2015, after milking in a stall barn, Bekius decided to repair his family’s barn. “Honestly, I didn’t see a future
in dairy until that moment. Then, I thought I could do this for a lifetime,” Bekius said. “I started saving my pennies.” Bekius’ father was eager to help his son become established in the industry. “When Kenny said he wanted to farm, I was hopeful,” he said. “I
did this for 20 years, and I know the battles and struggles that are a part of dairy farming; but it’s a job that you get to wake up and enjoy what you’re doing.” Together, Bekius and his family prepared the barn by replacing the wooden walls with steel, installing new light Àxtures and up-
dating the milk house. Bekius was able to save his parents’ milking units, but had to purchase a bulk tank and cleaning system. Then come last summer, Bekius’ father saw an advertisement for the herd dispersal of Leonard Bekius: page 2B
Revitalizing Benton County’s dairy princess program Fleck encourages young women to apply BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE – When Kristy Fleck left her family’s dairy farm for military basic training last week, she had hoped the Benton County American Dairy Association’s decision to increase the applicant pool for the dairy princess program would help. “I really want Benton County’s program to be revived,” said Kristy daughter of Fred and Joan Fleck, of Rice. “I put my time in, and I would feel better about leaving if I knew someone was supporting the industry back home.” Kristy, along with her younger sister Mary and four others – Cassie Scapanski, Abby Scapanski, Katie Seppelt and Brittany (Brower) ScoÀeld – were the last reigning dairy princesses for the county in 2014. Since that time, Benton County has been without interest or applicants from the young women eligible to participate in the program. “The program never went
away, but it hasn’t had any applicants for the last two years. Previous princesses have had other commitments and no one has applied,” said Joan, who is also the president of the Benton County ADA. The association has decided to open its program to include any female county residents between the ages of 16 and 23, who want to promote the dairy industry. The applicants need not work or live on dairy farms, as speciÀed in the Princess Kay of the Milky Way rules, but will also not be eligible to advance to that title. Current Princess Kay of the Milky Way rules restrict candidates to being 17- to 23-yearold unmarried women with no children, who have completed their high school education, and parents, guardians, or siblings are actively involved in the production of dairy. Applications to compete in the Princess Kay competition are due to the Benton County PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Kristy Fleck, 23, held the title of Benton County Dairy ambassador or princess for four years through 2014. She hopes the program will attract applicants after being inactive for two years.
Fleck: page 3B