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Braden family pleased with 2020 harvest progress
Prices Good October 8th - 21st
By Michelle Boswell mboswell@thepaperofmiami.com
Harvest 2020 is underway in Miami County and one local family is pleased with the progress so far. Kent Braden, a Miami County farmer, has been running corn and beans alongside his father, Steve Braden. “We are ahead of schedule this year compared to normal years. I don’t even think we started last year until we were into October and ended around the seventh or eighth of November,” Kent said. “We were fortunate we finished beans yesterday (Friday, Oct. 9) but we’ve got a way to go on the corn yet,” he added. As far as how the crops turned out this year, Kent said he thought they did surprisingly well. “Rain was well below average, but even though that has been the case, the crops did really well. The most challenging part of farming is that you don’t control every aspect of it. The weather determines what we end up getting at the end of the day,” he said. Kent predicts they have about another two or three weeks before they are finished for the season. The Braden family has been a part of the farming community in Miami County for many years. Kent, along with his wife, Angie, live near Kent’s parents, Steve and Janet.
Kent Braden watches corn pour out of a trailer bed into an auger. Braden is one of many farmers in Miami County bringing in the harvest for 2020. Photo by Michelle Boswell Kent joined his father as a full-time farmer in 2011. He had been employed at North Central Co-op for many years. “His busy season was our busy season, but he still helped out a lot,” Steve said of Kent while running the combine. Kent said it’s really good to work with his dad full-time. “I get to spend time
with him every day. When I was working my other job, I didn’t get to talk to him any more than I did my customers. We are very like-minded. We can discuss something, and he can decide to do his things a certain way and I can decide to do mine differently and that’s ok. There’s no headbutting,” he shared. Braden, a
Maconaquah graduate, attended Purdue and earned a degree in Agricultural Mechanization and that is where he met his wife. “She was one of the few ladies in Agriculture, although that has changed dramatically over the years. We were attending a lot of the same functions.” he said. Kent and Angie raised
three daughters. All attended Maconaquah and Purdue as well. Because the Bradens are ahead of schedule this fall, that will give them a chance to prepare for their other business which is snow removal known as K and A Braden Enterprises. “It’s usually a mad rush to try to get all that stuff ready to go when harvest is over. It tickles
me that we are early this year. That will give us time,” Kent said. It appears most farmers in the area are experiencing an early harvest. Just drive down a country road in Miami County and you will see the fields humming with equipment, just like the Bradens, bringing home a Miami County harvest.
Obituaries on Pages 2, 3 and 4. Local varsity football photos, Page 5.
October 14, 2020
Proudly Serving Miami County
Vol. 1, No. 36