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Beaver County Farm Family Award
Beaver County Farm Family Award
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Nov. 23 was a special day for the Suchy family who were presented with the Beaver County Farm Family Award during the Holden Ag Society’s annual fundraiser.
The award was handed out by Beaver County Agricultural Services Board Chair Gene Hrabec. On hand to receive the award was Otto Suchy, his son Mike and his wife Nicole and their two children.
Hrabec told attendees about the family farm, which is located a few miles from the Village of Holden. Hrabec stated that, “Otto started farming in 1979 and shortly after marrying Rita in 1981. They worked extremely hard while working with family to keep going. They then had three sons. As the boys grew up both Otto and Rita became very active in the community both very active on the Ag Society and sitting on several boards. Otto coached hockey, and Rita as you would expect, was the treasurer on multiple boards.
Otto takes great pride in his cattle herd and enjoys watching a calf go from birth to pasture and with the support of Rita working away to pay the bills the farm continued to grow through the 90’s and 2000’s.
When the boys were young they could be seen helping on the farm and learning what it takes to get every job done.
Otto enjoyed watching Mike as a kid to start running and operating everything on the farm. With the new help from the boys, the farm was again able to grow.
Otto and Rita’s community work was instilled into Mike and Nicole. So it’s no surprise that when they moved to the community in 2011 they began volunteering and picking up where Otto and Rita left off.
Unfortunately, life is full of challenges and we lost Rita in 2013.
This obviously shifted the focus onto Mike and Nicole to help fill her shoes. Mike continued to work away while still getting the crop in and off, while Otto was still able to focus on his cows.
Mike and Nicole have been on the minor hockey board since 2013, Nicole has helped judge and work with 4-H. They continue to help at the Bruce Stampede, and in the last few years most of their focus has been on the Holden Rural Academy including purchasing the basketball uniforms for the students and getting the hockey academy up and going.
Recently, Mike choose to become a fulltime farmer retiring after 20 years of being a firefighter paramedic. He can now help focus on the cattle herd. Since Mike and Nicole have been at the farm fulltime it has seen continued growth, with continued improvements in agricultural practice and land management.
Like in the past with Otto’s boys, Mike, Nicole and Otto couldn’t do it without the help of Cheyenne and Reece, they are extremely active on the farm and now starting in the community, volunteering with the Ag Society and helping at the school and Bruce Stampede.
Together this family has been through some difficult loss, but continue to work together as a family, and will continue to support this community.”
Mike was asked what the award means to him and his family. He replied, “It essentially means we’re doing the right thing in the community, putting our support behind projects that need help, and being there as much as we can.
All those years you wonder why you’re helping out or doing those things. It reaffirms that what you’re doing is the right thing.”
Mike was very happy his dad Otto was on hand for the presentation. “Without him we obviously don’t have a family farm. It all started with him and mom, and we’re just happy to continue it on. It was nice that they included him as part of the presentation.”
Referring to his 16-year-old daughter Cheyenne and 14-year-old son Reece, Mike said, “Without their help we wouldn’t do what we do. They put in hours like you wouldn’t believe.”
The family donated $500 to the Holden Rural Academy Hockey Program, which is in its second year of operation.
