Friday, July 17, 2020 - Country Acres • Page 3
A treasury of family farms
by Diane Leukam
We have a special keepsake section for you in this edition, highlighting Century Farms from our seven-county Country Acres area. We also have Benton County, where we publish the Benton Ag pages in our Sauk Rapids Herald and Benton County News. When the idea was broached for this project just two months ago, none of us imagined it would take off quite like it did. We are proud to bring
you one feature story from each of these counties, selected from the farms recognized in 2020. Each county also features a comprehensive list of Century Farms, courtesy of our friends at the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. To be recognized as a Century Farm, there must be a minimum of 100 years’ ownership within one family. All told, there are more than 1,300 farm names on these county lists, including many sesquicentennial farms, meaning they are in the same family for at least 150 years. I was a bit shocked to see those numbers, but I shouldn’t have been. A couple of years ago, I interviewed Ashley Huhn from Steffes Auction Company out of Litchfield. He told me there are times it happens when a piece of
land comes up for sale outside the family just once in a lifetime. You could say our special section backs up that statement quite nicely. Congratulations to all these farmers on their generations of hard work, ingenuity and endurance. As you read through these lists, you are sure to recognize many of the names. Speaking of lists, many – not all – of you will notice a colored sheet of paper and an addressed envelope inserted in your Country Acres. Please do not ignore this; it is basically your opportunity to continue receiving the paper for free within our expanded coverage area. Simply fill out and return it to us, so we know you really do want the paper. We will be updating our mailing list before the Sept. 18 issue. (If you get Coun-
try Acres in the Star Shopper, you DO NOT need to fill out a form and will continue receiving the paper.) Finally, those of you who read my column in the Sauk Centre Herald last week were expecting to see a photo of turkeys in this paper. For the rest of you, this is a family of wild turkeys that roams our neighborhood; to shorten the story dramatically, my husband, Don, and I watched these birds from our deck one evening. We thought
we scared the mother hen as she suddenly flew very high – 40 feet or so – into a large tree in our backyard. The babies took their turns, one by one, and followed. It was quite the commotion, but after they settled in, we realized they were just roosting for the night. Using a zoom lens, I was able to capture the image from below. You will see that mama turkey has her wings around some of them, and if you look closely, you can count her 12 ba-
bies. We see the birds in our yard quite often and they have nearly doubled in size in just the last two weeks; it is unreal how quickly they grow. I hope your crops and gardens are growing as well as these turkeys. The last I heard, some of you are still waiting for those million-dollar rains; may they fall for you very soon. Enjoy this issue of Country Acres, and we’ll see you again Aug. 14!
We drill wells year round. Winter, spring, summer or fall, our drill rigs are hard at work. We’re committed to providing the best possible water supply, no matter what time of year it is!
PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM
A wild turkey hen roosts 8 with her 12 poults in early July at the home of Don and Diane Leukam in Sauk Centre.
320-251-5090 141 28th Ave. S. Waite Park, MN trautcompanies.com
CAJuly17-1B-WS
Don’t wait, give us a call today.
Quality Construction...
Built to Handle Our Midwest Weather!
We offer Site prep, Drainage Tile, Land Clearing, Excavation, Pump Stations and So Much More!
320.351.2436
512 Main Street S, Ste 2 Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM • Appointments available at anytime
Fast & Economical!
CA-July17-WS
What types of risks does your insurance policy cover? Find out with a free review and rate quote. We offer expansive coverage and affordable premiums to put peace of mind in your reach.
Custom Built to Any Size CA-July17-1B-MT
What If?
FOR ALL YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS: • Farm/Home • Business • Auto • Life • Health • Rec Vehicle ... and more!
24x24x10 ........$7,500 30x40x10 ......$11,000 36x48x10 ......$14,000 40x64x12 ......$18,000
Subject to local building codes, snow-load requirements, delivery & crew travel in some areas. Prices subject to change without notice.
Ask Abou Concretet Prices!
Fully Insured #BC574944
320.492.6364
j.austinconstruction@yahoo.com
EFFECTIVE DRAINAGE PROFESSIONAL DESIGN. REASONABLE RATES.
Brad Herickhoff, Owner 320-351-4872
