Friday, January 15, 2022 | Country Acres • Page 1
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legacy
Friday, January 15, 2022
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Volume 9, Edition 36
Carrying on a
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
Commercial, Black Angus and Charolais cattle are pictured in early January on the Smith farm near Benson, where Sue Smith farms with her children, Dylan and Jenna.
Smiths keep farming as circle of life continues
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BY DIANE LEUKAM | STAFF WRITER
ENSON – On farmland near Benson, the Smith family carries on the legacy of the family farm, growing corn, soybeans and alfalfa on their 640 acres, along with their growing cow/calf operation. They work side by side as so many farmers do. Dylan, 24, is a graduate of Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota, and does a lot of the day-to-day operations on the farm such as tillage, planting, combining and grain hauling – that is, when he finishes his day working at Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co. in Benson. Jenna, 22, is a senior at SDSU Brookings and will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership with a leadership specialization. Whenever possible, she is back home on the farm where she does whatever needs to be done, like helping with planting and harvesting and working in the alfalfa field in the summer. She also works with cattle throughout the year. Sue works full time at Glacial
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Publications bli ti The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
Plains Cooperative in DeGraff and works on the farm in the evenings and on weekends. The Smith family was chosen as the Minnesota Farm Family of the Year for 2021 for Swift County. Sue, Dylan and Jenna received that award without their husband/father, Scott. They have been carrying on the family farm by themselves since Scott died in an accident on Oct. 24, 2020. Since that day, the road has not been easy, but they feel it is important for them to continue. Scott would have wanted it that way. “The three of us knew we wanted to keep Scott’s legacy alive as much for him as for us,” Sue said. “We love the farm life and wouldn’t change that for anything.” They often sense his presence. “It’s a feeling we get day to day that we can sense Scott is with us,” Sue said. “We have felt Scott’s presence by seeing a bald eagle in the field the first day Dylan started planting corn.” Even though Dylan had worked on
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This month in the
COUNTRY: Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on Feb. 19, 2022
Jenna (from left), Sue and Dylan Smith pause for a photo on their farm near Benson. They have been farming as a trio since their husband/father, Scott, died in an accident on Oct. 24, 2020. 5
A different start in the industry Browerville
15 The lodge on Grandpa’s farm Staples
22 Controlling Buckthorn Nancy Leasman column
7
A thousand words Diane Leukam column
19 What’s this?
23 Canine genetics the focus at Floden Wendell
10 Brush with a butterfly Dassel/Cokato
21 Country cooking Hillman
