The Farming Families of Hutchinson County (SD)—March 2021

March 2021 | www.AgeMedia.pub

Faith / Family / Friends / Farming

Meet the

of Hutchinson County

FERGEN FAMILY Chrissy, Isaac, Hailey with Charlotte in front of her, Brady holding Callie, Alana and Chris Fergen. Story on page 30.

Photo by Elizabeth Massey, Elizabeth Rose Photography.

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | March 2021

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LINCOLN COUNTY FAMILY

‘THE BEST THING EVER!’

By Bob Fitch

“It’s just the best thing ever when you walk into a ring and you think ‘Yeah, I’ve got this!’” said Jada Severson, a junior at Lennox High School. She said showing livestock competitively “is the best. It’s such an adrenaline rush.”

Jada Severson and Oliva Newell at Lennox High School.

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | March 2021

LHS sophomore Olivia Newell agreed: “You want to do better every single show you go to. Every time we come back from a show, I’m working the lambs harder and harder.”

Jada and Olivia are “city kids” from Lennox who never would have had the chance to show livestock without visionary leadership to create the state’s first Agriscience Learning Lab, which provides a truly hands-on educational experience in an outdoor classroom.

The Agriscience Learning Lab has a hightunnel greenhouse and raised garden beds, a wildlife and habitat ecosystem nature path, soil structure demo area, landscape construction area and more.

For Olivia and Jada, the centerpiece is the 40 x 60-foot hoop house where Jada raises goats and Olivia raises sheep during the summer in anticipation of fairs and other livestock competitions.

Jada and Olivia are pumped up about summer 2021, which will be their third summer of livestock competitions. Olivia said, “Once show season is over and you sell your animals, you’re right away looking at new animals and different breeders.”

Jada said, “I like when the breeders come up to talk to us; and it’s fun to have breeders who are excited to have you show their livestock. I didn’t realize how competitive it was and how much energy it would take and how big an impact on my life it would be. It’s taught me about responsibility and meeting new people and having new experiences at shows. I’m very competitive and that’s what drives me.” Each show provides incentive to “better yourself.”

Both young women said it’s stressful getting animals ready. “But once you’re in the ring, you’re calm. It’s a cool experience,” Olivia said. Shows they participated in last year included Lincoln County Achievement Days, the Sioux Empire Fair, the Turner County Jackpot, Spotlight at the State Fairgrounds, and the Showdown of Champions in Salem.

They’re adding the South Dakota Royal in Brookings this year.

They had success at many of the shows, capturing several championships and being recognized in the showmanship contests. Olivia said the pair “kicked butt” at the Lincoln County Achievement Day. She credited former ag instructor Jim Wilson for teaching them most of their show skills. In addition to tips from breeders, “We had some of our peers come in and help us, too. Some of the parents come up and give us tips during the shows. It’s like a big family,” Jada said.

Jada Severson last summer at the Showdown of Champions.

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Brady Duxbury, ag instructor at Lennox High School and Lennox-Sundstrom FFA adviser, said the lab was the culmination of a dream of his predecessor, Jim Wilson, who retired at the end of last school year. A Workforce Education Grant from the state of South Dakota helped get the effort off the ground. Duxbury said, “The funds required a dollar-for-dollar match and, because this community truly believes in and supports its FFA chapter, area companies and people pitched in even more than the 50 percent required by the state grant.”

Duxbury said the biggest highlight of the project is the hoop barn. “Students are fully responsible for the animals in the building. The lab allows us to provide a true hands-on education covering animal husbandry and competitive show skills.

Being able to feed, water, practice, clean and care for sheep and goats has truly been an awesome, even life-changing experience for students.”

Olivia Newell last summer at the Showdown of Champions.

Olivia said, “It teaches really good responsibility because you have an Whether you’r seekin animal yours.eNobody gelse livthat a skilled, ass ing iscoonly m m u ist nit y abletakes fo r of it unless there’s a medical y These town kids appreciate the opportunity the Agriscience thingcare o u rs e s lf is o a r se fo n r se a w love of that e’re numbissue. warm feeding lamb Learning Lab is providing. Olivia said, “I’ve been in 4-H my whole th ato er oneYou’re ndbecothe . mfort. Let T best potential it can be.” life so I’ve been around the livestock projects my friends had. I’ve always wanted to show, but I live in the city. When the opportunity Jada’s favorite experience was doing opened up, I was looking forward to it.” Same story for Jada: “My round robin. “I loved the experience of friends who grew up on a farm have livestock. So when Mr. Wilson showing pigs and cattle and dairy cattle. showed us this opportunity, I really wanted to show goats.”

Olivia agreed, saying “everyone helps everyone.”

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Oliva Newell and Jada Severson in the hoop house which is part of the Agriscience Learning Lab at Lennox High School.

Showing cattle is really fun – it’s a whole different thing. I would never show pigs, though. I don’t have the patience for them.” Olivia said, “That’s how I feel about goats.”

Jada has found it’s rewarding when a show experience affirms that she’s done a good job. “You see some animals who haven’t been worked right, where people haven’t put as much effort in, and you can tell the difference between your animal and theirs.” Olivia agreed: “If you weren’t feeding your animal right or not exercising them properly, you can tell.”

Besides showing livestock, Olivia has appreciated learning the ability to judge livestock by being around the show ring. “You learn what you want in your animal. I learned so much my first summer, going from literally knowing nothing,” said Olivia, daughter of Brenda and Chad Newell.

Jada has also “learned to judge the stock and put the animals in their right place most of the time.”

She’s the daughter of Jill and Dan Severson. She had the chance to go to the Rapid City Stock Show in January and was able to pick out the best animals at a yearling bull sale.

Lennox High School ag instructor Brady Duxbury and former instructor Jim Wilson.

Both Jada and Olivia are excited for the upcoming season. What changes are they planning for this summer? They answered in unison: “Spend more money on animals!”

The young women both think they’ll pursue careers in agriculture and attend South Dakota State University. Jada said, “My dream job is to be an ag teacher. I want to get more kids into FFA and learn what it’s about. It’s not just farming, there are so many other competitions. And you have so much fun at state.”

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KEEPING LOCAL HISTORY ALIVE

Viborg-Hurley High School senior Chase Mason

HURLEY BASEBALL STARS FROM YESTERYEAR AND TODAY

By Garrett Gross

Viborg-Hurley High School senior Chase Mason has been making headlines on various athletic fields of play the past few years.

Mason, a Hurley native, has excelled on the basketball court, football field and on the baseball diamond. His current plans are to play baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers when he starts college in the fall. He has also caught the eye of many Major League Baseball teams and it will be interesting to see where he gets selected in the MLB Draft this July. Wherever Mason ends up – either professionally or collegiately – it’s doubtful his baseball journey will be more interesting than another Hurley native, Allen Benson.

Allen Benson was born in Spring Valley Township of Turner County in March 1905, and grew up on his family farm west of Hurley. Through his life and playing career he was known by nicknames such as “Bullet Ben” and “The Human Mulberry Bush.” In the Hurley area, he was

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | March 2021

known by almost everybody as “Stuffy,” a nickname he got as a four-year-old child when he stuffed his pockets full of cookies at a neighbor’s house.

During Benson’s baseball career he played for the hometown Hurley Cowboys, but he also played eight years professionally for various teams including one major league team, the Washington Senators; two “AA” level minor league teams, the Albany Senators and the Minneapolis Millers; two “A” teams, the Dallas Steers and the Harrisburg (PA) Senators; one “B” team, the Akron Tyrites; one “C” team, the Charleroi Babes; and one independent minor league team, the Sioux City Stockyards.

Benson was a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher who was able to start his professional career barnstorming for the House of David team as a 22-year old pitcher in 1927. Following the ‘27 season with the House of David, he played for the Dallas Steers where he developed a life-long friendship with teammate and future MLB Hall of Fame pitcher, Dizzy Dean. For many years after both players retired, Dean would come to South Dakota to visit his old teammate and to hunt pheasants.

The most interesting team Benson played for was without question, the House of David. The simplest way to describe that squad was they were like the Harlem Globetrotters, but for baseball. According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Israelite House of David was established in 1903 as a religious community in Benton Harbor, Mich. However, baseball historians remember the name House of David as part of baseball’s barnstorming heyday. The Baseball Hall of Fame says House of David founder Benjamin Purnell was an active sports enthusiast and encouraged his members to participate. Their religious doctrine emphasized celibacy and a strict devotion to God. One of their central tenets was it was a sin to allow a razor to cut a man’s hair, both facial hair and on the top of the head.

The House of David team traveled the country from 1915 into the 1950s. The team would usually have one or two players who weren’t members of the church and Benson was one of them. The House of David has been credited with inventing the game “Pepper” and their shows became legendary for athleticism and baseball skill. They would travel the country playing local town teams and often showcased their talents with and against Negro League Baseball teams like the Kansas City Monarchs and Homestead Greys.

Scan this code to see a video about the House of David on YouTube.

Allen Benson in his Washington Senators uniform.

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During Benson’s second stint with the House of David in 1933 and 1934, he had the opportunity to pitch many times against Negro League legend and Hall of Famer Satchel Paige. Benson even faced the Sultan of Swat himself, Babe Ruth, in an exhibition game where he struck out the Babe. Benson also played with perhaps the greatest female athlete of all time, Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

She excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, and track and field; and was a fan favorite with House of David (although she didn’t have to sport a beard).

House of David, Team Pic

Benson was signed by the Washington Senators of the American League late in the 1934 season. He faced the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 27th, and pitched into the eighth inning. The Senators lost the game 9-8. At the time, it was against the rules for a Major Leaguer to play a game with a beard. But owner Clark Griffith had signed

Allen Benson of Hurley with his “House of David” beard during his brief stint with the Washington Senators in 1934.

In an exhibition game, Hurley native Allen Benson once struck out Babe Ruth, shown here sporting a faux House of David beard.

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | March 2021

The day two future major leaguers faced each other in Viborg: Allen Benson would play for the for the Washington Senators and Emmett Nelson of Viborg would play for the Cincinnati Reds.

Babe Ditrikson Zaharius

Famous MLB player Dizzy Dean, the tall man on the right, was a good friend of Allen Benson.

Dean often visited South Dakota to hunt pheasants. Benson's son, Don is the little boy with Dean's arm on his shoulder

Associated Press report on Allen Benson’s first appearance in the Major Leagues.

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Benson figuring his House of David look would sell some tickets. This event marked the first time in over 50 years that a Major Leaguer played a game with a beard. Five days later, the Senators played the St. Louis Browns and Benson pitched two innings, giving up seven runs. That was his last Major League appearance. The next day, Benson was sent to the Senators minor league team in Albany, N.Y., but instead returned home to Hurley to farm.

In 1935, Benson pitched in 27 games for the Albany and Harrisburg (PA) Senators. His professional career ended after he suffered a back injury in a collision at home plate. Benson returned to Hurley where he and his wife, Mary, farmed west of town and raised their 3 children. Stuffy Benson died Nov. 16, 1999, at Pioneer Hospital in Viborg and he is buried at Hurley Cemetery.

The baseball career path of Allen Benson will likely not be mirrored by Chase Mason. However, if Chase is ever in a slump or needs some luck, he should consider growing out his beard or letting his hair grow a little longer in homage to fellow Hurley ballplayer, Allen “Bullet Ben” Benson.

Chase Mason of Hurley will attend the University of Nebraska and play baseball.

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March 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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TURNER COUNTY FAMILY

Jesse and Bruce Ebbesen operate Turkey Ridge Oil southwest of Hurley.

THE BOSS SITS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT, BUT FAMILY AND FRIENDS GET THEM THROUGH LIFE’S FLAMES

By Bob Fitch

Father and son Bruce and Jesse Ebbesen are proud they can honestly say “the boss still sits in the driver’s seat” at Turkey Ridge Oil, a bulk fuel delivery company servicing farmers and others from their Highway 18 location in Turner County.

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“Between the two of us, with a little bit of thinking, we can probably tell you where every one of our customers’ fuel tanks are, what kind of cap it has on the tank, or how you get in that basement,” said Bruce.

“We’ve ruffled a few feathers over the years.

We’re bumping heads with the big companies all the time. What we strive for in our business

is what the other people don’t – we sell personal service. You call, we haul. We don’t quit at 5 and we don’t go home until we’re done,” Bruce said.

A long career in farming, sales and service gives Bruce insight into the expectations of their customers.

He started farming when he graduated from Hurley High School in 1974. “I took off into farming cold turkey. I liked working for the neighbors and I liked farming. My dad was disabled, but he had some acres I farmed plus I rented some land right off the bat. A little later Jeremy and Laura Nettifee, Becky and Bruce Ebbesen, and Allison and Jesse Ebbesen. Family photos by I was able to buy land and actually Holly Richards of H Photography have some of my own.” He’s lived in the same place east of Turkey Ridge his whole life.

Bruce said, “We ran Turkey Ridge Store over here for 26 years.

Back then it was a small country store – Zip Feed is what paid the bills. Everybody who had livestock needed feed, and we sold tires and I did a lot of ag spraying. When the big hog operations came around, that pretty much shut off the feed business. The older guys moved to town and there was no more livestock at a lot of places. It just died over night, you might say.”

the duration of the Highway 18 reconstruction project. The Highway 18 job and the continued rise in demand for fuel by farmers who have larger equipment is driving growth in the company.

Jesse said, “Two years ago, our main truck was a 2,000-gallon truck. Now we have a truck on the

About 20 years ago the previous owner of Turkey Ridge Oil was ready to get out of it. Bruce and a friend purchased the business. “It wasn’t much when we bought it. But we figured we’d stick our necks out.” Jesse said, “You started out with just a handful of customers and a truck with no lights on it.”

Bruce agreed. “Just a handful is right. You could count the number of customers on two hands; and I got some calls from people telling me ‘You know you don’t have any taillights on your truck.’ But the taillights weren’t our first priority because we didn’t have to haul at night back then.

One load was a big day for us.

“We were told we’d never make it out here, competing with the big guys. I’m just the kind of a person if you tell me that I can’t do something, I’ll try to prove you wrong.” Eventually his business partner moved back to Canada, sold his part of the business to Bruce, and they parted on good terms. That put the Ebbesen family all-in on the success of bulk fuel delivery.

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Jesse’s role in the company started in his early teens. “He was raised on a farm and he knew how to drive so we put him on a truck,” Bruce said. Legally or otherwise, Jesse has been driving farm or fuel trucks since he was 13.

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road that hauls 10,500 gallons.

We couldn’t even begin to keep up today with a 2,000-gallon truck.

There’s a smaller pool of farmer customers out there, but they’re all getting bigger.”

Fewer farmers also translates into more miles in a larger territory.

Their customer base is a big circle stretching from Clayton to the north almost to Vermillion in the south. Larger jobs in a bigger geographic area also affects Bruce’s wife, Becky. “My wife is a huge player in this thing,” Bruce said. “She does bookwork including invoicing, statements, contracts and deposits. She also babysits Jesse’s girls five days a week. I’m lucky. I get to see my grandkids whenever I want, but can also go outside whenever I want to.”

Bruce and Becky’s daughter, Laura Nettifee, is a first grade school teacher for the Tea School District.

She lives near Chancellor and is married to Jeremy Nettifee who works for Furniture Mart USA as facilities and services manager.

Laura also does bookwork for the “Old 19” Convenience Store in Hurley which the Ebbesen family purchased in 2015. At home, Jeremy and Laura have provided care for foster children for several years.

They’re expecting a child of their own in June.

Jesse’s wife, Allison, is a construction coordinator in the facilities department at Avera. The couple has two daughters, Blake, 4, and Nora, 1½.

This strength of the bond within the family and the strength of their bond within the community was tested by fire, literally, on Sunday, July 24, 2016.

On that afternoon, Bruce was working on a project for a small side business. “I was cutting 55-gallon barrels in half. I carried that barrel into my shop, shut the door, hooked up my air hose and plasma cutter. I can remember pulling the trigger on my plasma cutter – and that’s the last thing I remember basically for 43 days.”

“We don’t know exactly what happened, but it laid me out in

Becky and Bruce Ebbesen.

a pool of fire. It burned me quite severely.” He was flown first to Sioux Falls and then to the burn center at Region’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minn. He was there for 66 days, healing, having skin grafts and therapy to restore the use of his legs.

Bruce said when an accident occurs, it’s not just the victim who is impacted. After coming out of

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the initial shock, he was still not fully cognizant of everything others were doing for him. While being

by Bruce’s side all day, Becky was still processing bills and doing other administrative tasks for the company (often in the back of her car or sometimes in the hospital); 25-year-old Jesse was managing daily operations; and countless neighbors helped with the hay crop and organized a combine bee to take out the corn crop.

“But I had two of the best therapists there ever was. They pushed me and pushed me and pushed me. They made me try to do things I couldn’t do. But each day, I tried to do a little better.

I was scared to death I’d never walk again. Today, I have a hard time getting up without leaning on something, but otherwise I can pretty much do everything I could before. Everything is healed up and sealed up.”

When he first arrived in St. Paul, doctors estimated it would be a year before he could do anything, or would want to do anything. They decided to do a total skin graft on the bottom half of Bruce’s body. “It was either that or die. Thankfully, the skin graft took. Then therapy started. I was a terrible patient.

When I started therapy, I couldn’t stand up at all. I couldn’t do anything. It was terrible.

Bruce said the experience taught him patience. “Learning to walk again was so slow, just one step at a time. It wasn’t any fun, but it wasn’t any fun for my family either.”

Many parts of the family’s life were put on hold and many parts were modified. Bruce and Becky’s daughter went ahead with her Aug. 6, 2016, wedding to Jeremy at his home church. Bruce said, “Their

honeymoon had been bought and paid for, and, in our family, you don’t go on the honeymoon until you’re married.” They held a second ceremony in Bruce’s hospital room.

Finally, on Jan. 7, 2017, Laura and Jeremy repeated the ceremony a third time at Ebbesen’s home church, Freeman Missionary Church. This time, Bruce walked Laura down the aisle. Less than six months after nearly being burned to death, he was back on his feet.

His ensuing recovery wasn’t easy.

He needed help getting out of his recliner. But with determination, he slowly pushed himself from using a walker to just a cane to walking freely. “I don’t run anymore. But my wife says ‘You never did run.’”

He showed his stubborn determination again at the sixmonth mark after the accident.

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On a Friday, Bruce received notice Turkey Ridge Oil got a bid on a semiload of fuel for the Hurley school. But they needed the first load the next day and Jesse was headed out on a snowmobile trip. “He needed to get away. I couldn’t tell him to stay home, so I didn’t tell him about the order and decided to haul it myself. I took my time, and I didn’t have any trouble until I got home and hit a post. But I got it done – one day short of six months since the accident occurred.”

Jesse, Becky and Laura were all ticked off at him for doing something so foolish. Jesse listed off all the damage to the truck from hitting the post, but Bruce responded, “It didn’t matter what the damage was. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do, but I just had to prove to myself I could do it.”

Allison and Jesse Ebbesen with their daughters Blake and Nora.

Through it all, Bruce’s family and friends stood by him. “People have been so good to us. When I got hurt, I was so out of it. I didn’t even

know people were taking care of my crops. I didn’t really comprehend Jesse had taken over managing the company. Jesse is more of a people person than I am. He’s good with people and a wonderful asset to the company from that aspect. He’s done a great job.” Jesse studied business at South Dakota State University and Southeast Tech.

A benefit for the Ebbesen family was held at Wieman Land & Auction where 850 people showed up. “I didn’t know I even knew that many people,” Bruce said.

“That’s just the way a community is. I’ve always found it interesting when a land sale comes up, you’ll get neighbors bidding against neighbors that can cause hard feelings. But when somebody gets hurt or there’s a death in the family, boy, people are right there to pitch in and give of their time and money.”

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MINNEHAHA COUNTY FAMILY

The Hanisch family: Jared and Nicole Hanisch, Jeff Karr, Tiffany Hanisch, Caden Hanisch, Brooke Opitz, Dylan Hagerty, Abigail Hanisch, Kylie Hagerty and Bella.

LIVE IN THE PRESENT AND ENJOY LIFE Q&A with the Jared Hanisch, Hanisch Farms of Humboldt

BACKGROUND AND FAMILY MEMBERS Jared and Nicole Hanisch of Humboldt raise vegetables, chicken, lamb, beef, pork, duck and goose to sell at farmer’s markets. Receipts are divided about evenly between vegetable and meat sales. They also grow hay, corn and soybeans.

Nicole also works off-the-farm for Wells Fargo Bank. Son Caden, 19, works full-time on the farm and at the markets, plus is taking on a management role. Youngest daughter Abigail, 5, contributes wholeheartedly in the garden when she’s not attending school at West Central. Daughters Tiffany and Kylie both live in Pierre. Tiffany works for the state of South Dakota and manages marketing for Hanisch Farms. Kylie is a physical therapist assistant. Both are seasonally active at the farm and farmer’s markets.

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The Hanisch family harvest on sale at a farmer’s market last summer.

Jared and Nicole’s youngest daughter Abigail with green top onions she picked.

WHAT DOES A WORK YEAR LOOK LIKE? Each family member plays an important role on the farm throughout the year. We all work together to make sure everything gets done properly.

Each season brings different tasks. Late winter and early spring are spent organizing seeds and plans for the upcoming farmer’s market season. We also spend time going over things that went well or not so well from the year before to try to improve our practices. When spring arrives, many hours are spent preparing the ground for field crops as well as garden areas. After the ground is prepped, the garden and field crops are planted.

Summer brings about the busiest season on the farm.

Vegetables are continuously harvested and replanted so that we can provide a variety of items to our customers for the entirety of the season. Our garden takes up around 20 acres of our land. The rest of our land is farmed to raise hay, corn and soybeans. We also have enough pasture ground for our animals to graze throughout the summer.

We sell produce, meat products and eggs farmer’s market in Sioux Falls at Lake Lorraine, as well as other farmer’s markets throughout the state. We only sell products to our customers that we ourselves would eat and enjoy. Every member of our family attends and helps sell the product at one of the farmer’s markets around the state.

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WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FARMING AS YOUR CAREER? We chose farming as a career not only to support our own family, but to provide support to families around our area. We take pride in providing quality product to others. We love being vendors at the farmer’s market because we are able to interact with the people who consume our products.

Farming allows us to do something different every day and learn life-long skills that are beneficial in all aspects of life. It’s not just a hobby playing in the dirt – farming is a well-rounded occupation using mathematics, veterinary skills and having a willingness to adapt and learn each day to provide the best care to the land and our animals.

Caden and I work full-time on the farm. Farming is not something that is part-time – it’s a way of life. My wife and older daughters have jobs off the farm, but everyone is available to help whenever they’re needed.

Everyone helps plant in the spring and finish harvest in the fall before the frost hits.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR FARM LOOKS LIKE IN 10 OR 20 YEARS?

Kylie, Caden and Jared planting green beans.

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF YOUR FARM? Currently, our family resides on the original homestead. My grandfather, Carl Hanisch, started the farm in 1892. A small part of original house built on the homestead is still standing in the house today. Part of our current basement is the rock from the root cellar from the original house. My father, Lewis, was born in this house to a family of 14 children. He and my mom, Deanna, farmed here for many years. Dad was raised on this farm and we continue to value the land today.

HOW HAS THE FARM CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? When I first moved back to the homestead in 1988 after high school, the only source of water available was powered via a windmill located down by the lake.

The windmill pumped the water to the cistern, then had gravity flow to the house. In 1992 we got a force pump. We then used a well and traveled to Humboldt weekly with a 5,000 gallon tank to bring water to our home. Finally, in 2010 we were able to get rural water.

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My biggest hope for our farm is to have it still in the family, and to have my kids working hard to continue practicing the values and traditions the farm was built upon since 1892. We want to preserve our farmland and continue to work hard building productive soils without the use of any harmful chemicals.

We want to expand our customer base at farmer’s markets and show people the importance of buying local foods. Healthy food is more important than fast food. Hanisch Farms also demonstrates to people what hard work can achieve.

WHAT ARE SOME KEYS TO LIVING A GOOD LIFE? Surround yourself with people you love and who will support you. Have a positive outlook on life, even when things go wrong. Losing your temper and not taking things in stride wears on you. Sit back and enjoy the simple things in life. Enjoy the rainbow, look at the lake, breathe in the fresh air.

A farmer’s work is never done, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy life every day. Work hard to notice at least one thing positive each and every day. For example, although a foggy day is gloomy, it usually means rain is coming in 90 days and a red sunset means warmer days are ahead.

WHO HAS HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE? My father, Lewis, had the biggest influence on how I live my life and raised my family. He was always showing us what the simple life was about, not about technology and rushing through things. He made a point to teach us to sit back and enjoy life and that’s one of the most precious things you can do.

Our family strives to do this at the farmer’s market with our customers – trying to make our customers realize the importance of what they are doing day-today; and that it’s ok to slow down and not rush through life. Live in the present, not always looking forward to the future.

WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY DO FOR FUN? We look forward to having family time no matter what we are doing together, including simple things like just listening to the sights and sounds of the farm and taking it all in. We enjoy sitting outside and watching the stars on a clear night, and enjoying the fresh air.

We have bonfire nights and make s’mores; and make a big deal out of holiday and birthday celebrations – including homemade ice cream.

Our family likes to hunt, fish, camp, go to local sporting events and attend farmer’s markets. We enjoy fresh vegetables right off the plant out of our garden. We like to can and preserve the foods that we spend all summer growing.

Jared and Caden Hanisch with lambs born earlier that morning.

March 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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TURNER COUNTY FAMILY

‘SUCCESSFULNESS IN MY LIFE IS MY FAMILY’

By Bob Fitch

Chris Fergen said he is “one of those guys who started out almost from scratch. That was a challenge.”

His maternal grandfather loaned him enough money to buy six open heifers in 1996. “I still haven’t paid him back and he’s been gone a few years. I remember after the first year, we sat down and he said, ‘You know, if you’ve got other things to pay, we can wait on this one.’”

Chris’ dad, Bill Fergen, and his grandfather, Edwin Aisenbrey, both were raised on farms. However, they were both grocers in Menno when Chris was growing up. Edwin bought an acreage one mile north of Menno as a hobby farm where he usually had five or six cows and a dozen sheep. Chris now owns the acreage and was eventually able to purchase the adjacent land. Chris’ grandmother, Nora Aisenbrey, is nearly 102 and still lives in her own house on the acreage. His mother, Audrey Fergen, lives in a third house there.

In his youth, the highlight of the summer for Chris was going to the Dimock area farm of his other grandparents, Francis and Celine Fergen, during small grain harvest. Francis and Celine live in Parkston today.

Chrissy and Chris Fergen farmand north ofOlson Menno.

Sue Don on their farm near Colton. Photo by Bob Fitch.

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For many years, Chris worked for other farmers in the area. Today, his cropland base is still small and he rents some hay ground and pasture for his commercial cow-calf herd. He provides labor to a couple fellow farmers in exchange for the use of some equipment. “You kind of keep track of things, but it’s not very often where we actually

exchange any money back or forth. Everybody I’ve ever worked for or with over the years has been great.” He’s also an independent crop adjuster and picks up other part-time work. “Once in a while, all these part-time jobs pile up on you at once. But all-in-all we make it work.”

He met his future wife, Chrissy, in 1996. She was a nursing student at the University of South Dakota and college classmates of hers who were from Menno set the two of them up on a blind date. They married in 1998.

Chris said back then he would have been telling people about the big goals he had for his professional operation, especially the cow herd. While some of those goals have come true, “Successfulness in my life is my family,” he said. “Being a dad and a husband is more important than being a farmer.

Sometimes your priorities get in line as you get older – the career now comes second or probably third.”

Between March 2000 and December 2005, the couple had four children. Their oldest, Hailey, is 20 and a junior at Augustana University in Sioux Falls where she majors in nursing. Brady, 18, is a senior at Menno High School and planning to attend Dordt University in Sioux Center to pursue a career in some aspect of the medical field. Alana, 16, is a sophomore and Isaac, 15, is a freshman.

Brady, Alana and Isaac are all involved in sports. Brady is president of the FFA chapter where he and Alana are involved in parliamentary procedure. All four have been in band over the years, although Isaac is the only one still active.

Age Media Qtr Page Color 7-12-19.pdf 1 7/12/2019 11:22:43 AM

Five of the six Fergen children: Charlotte, Alana, Callie, Brady and Isaac.

They like the size of Menno High School. Alana said, “Being in a small school, it’s nice because everybody knows everyone there.” Brady added, “And you have the opportunity to be in multiple activities, instead of just focusing on one sport.”

Brady, Alana and Isaac replied in unison “oh yeah” when asked if they help with chores. Chris said, “Isaac is the one who usually gets stuck helping me most of the time. But they all help when it comes to working calves and moving livestock and work like that. They help with moving hay.”

And, Chrissy said, “Whoever’s not helping with chores or in the field has to babysit.”

Babysit?

“We never dreamed we would have more kids after we had four kids in about five-and-a-half years,” Chris said. His brother has eight children, half of whom are adopted. So, even though their youngest, Isaac, was already about 10 years old, Chris and Chrissy started looking at the potential of adopting.

“You know, if you’ve ever felt you were called to do something

by God, that was certainly the case here. The typical wait for a family going through the adoption process is 1-2 years, March 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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Chrissy said, “We were in no position financially to take on something like that. But when people who are thinking about adoptions come to talk to us, I say ‘Don’t let the money part scare you, because if it’s truly meant to be, God will position everything in its place. There are ways to do it.’”

Chris said, “People give us a lot of credit for adopting these two little girls, and they’re definitely in a better place than they would have been otherwise. But I think we get too much credit. For a young mother and father to give up a child to someone else, that is truly an act of love. We definitely have respect for birth parents who choose that avenue.”

Charlotte and Callie Fergen.

and ours was under a year for Charlotte. The ways things worked out, it was truly amazing,” Chris said. They adopted Charlotte in 2016; and a couple years later, her birth sister Callie came along and was adopted, too.

Chris said, “A lot of people thought we were nuts when we adopted when I was 40 years old.”

When Charlotte was adopted, they had a long time to plan for her arrival. But they only had 10 days’ notice before Callie arrived at their door – and they’d given away all of Charlotte’s baby things. They were blessed with help from many people in the Menno community.

Chrissy said her mother-in-law in particular has been a blessing, always around to help with the little ones.

The family’s adoption experience inspired the direction of Brady’s

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senior capstone experience project. “I wanted to do something for adoptive families,” said Brady.

“So we took up a collection of baby items at our local churches in Menno and at my school. The response was overwhelming!” His grandmother helped him transport all the items to New Horizons Adoption Agency in Blue Earth, Minn. “New Horizons assisted our family with both adoptions and were excellent in helping us bring Callie home as soon as possible. Some of the items we collected were possibly going to Liberia, where New Horizons has an orphanage that is in desperate need of items especially since COVID,” he said.

Even though their teenaged children are busy with various activities, Chris and Chrissy said having teenagers and little kids is a good combination because they have built-in babysitters. Hailey also comes home from college more often than she otherwise might if the little girls weren’t there.

Chris is making a point to spend more time with Charlotte and Callie than he did when his first four were little when he often worked from sun-up to sun-down. “Once upon a time, it would have bugged me to

no end to not be working outside and have to come inside in the middle of the day and take care of kids. Now I do it all the time – maybe not as much as I brag about – but compared to before, it’s a lot. The work is always there, but I like to spend some time with these two little girls. At this point, we couldn’t imagine our lives without them. It was truly miraculous the ways things all worked out in these adoptions.”

The couple is striving to bestow to their children an ethic of hard work. Even though the kids may not always want to help with the cows, calves or field work, Chrissy said, “They always do a good job. And afterwards they’re always telling stories like ‘Oh, remember the time the bull was chasing after us?’”

Brady Fergen collected baby items for other families who are adopting children. The project was for his senior capstone experience at Menno High School.

Chrissy is originally from Gillette, Wyo., and didn’t have any experience with farm life growing up. Chris said, “She chases cattle, cuts hay, gives shots and moves bales. Whatever needs done, she’ll do it.” Chrissy said, “I enjoy it.

I enjoy our family being able to do it all together.”

She loves the small-town atmosphere in Menno.

“I would never raise my kids any different. I love the small school and all the things they can be a part of and experience.”

In addition to the family’s ethic of hard work, “The other thing that’s always been very important in our lives, especially as we moved along and faced little struggles, is church and putting God first,” Chris said. “That’s way more important than anything else as far as raising our kids.”

Chrissy said, “Chris and I are youth group leaders at church. We’re trying to set that standard to be very involved in the church and have God at the center of our lives.” Chris added, “It’s pretty rewarding to see how the older kids are turning out. It’s not all due to us, but you like to think we did something right along the way. We don’t want them to follow the crowd – we want them to do what’s right.” The family attends Grace Lutheran Church in Menno.

Chris and the older kids also are musically inclined, occasionally leading the worship music at church or a Fellowship of Christian Athletes event. “I really enjoy that. The two boys are drummers – you don’t need two drummers, but they take turns. Alana plays guitar, Hailey likes to sing, and I can play a little piano and sing,” he said. “To be able do it with my kids has always been really special. I look forward to those

The Fergen family in December 2020. Seated are Chris and Chrissy with Callie and Charlotte. Standing: Brady, Isaac, Hailey and Alana.

Sundays in church when we lead music for the day.”

The three oldest children also share an interest in their mom’s career. Chrissy works part-time in the office and as a nurse at Menno-Olivet Care Center. Hailey and Brady are certified nursing assistants (CNAs) there, and Alana is training to become a CNA. “The three of them have a passion for the healthcare field,” Chrissy said. “It makes me really proud because I really enjoy it. I’ve seen our kids mature and learn compassion and respect for life in the CNA role. I enjoy working with the elderly. I’ve worked with that population my whole career.”

Chris said, “The other thing we hope our kids take away from growing up on a farm is when they get something, they’re probably going to appreciate it since you have to work pretty hard to get what you have.”

March 2021 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

33

FROM THE KITCHEN

PORK TENDERLOIN FAJITAS From www.tasteofhome.com

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INGREDIENTS: • 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

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• 1 medium green pepper, julienned

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 pork tenderloin (1 pound), thinly sliced • 1 tablespoon canola oil • 1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings • 4 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed • Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, optional

DIRECTIONS: •

In a small bowl, combine cilantro, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin; set aside. In a large skillet, saute pork in oil until no longer pink. Add onion and green pepper; cook until crisp-tender.

• Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; toss to coat.

Spoon onto tortillas; serve with cheese and sour cream if desired.

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | March 2021

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