The third generation of Olens (Dave, Don, Lance and Mary) continue to farm several thousands of acres of land in the area. They grow corn, soybean and wheat and also have cattle.
On the way from Minnesota to South Dakota we HAD to stop at the Largest Ball of Twine (by a single person) in Darwin Minnesota. We ended up buying a Worlds Largest Ball of Twine frisbee, playing cards and pen. We also hit a couple of detours that added some length to the trip. Karen was also excited to stop at Zestos - yet another road side stand with greasy food but 45 shake flavors. She is wondering if she will ever see a menu with a salad again...
There are several three letter acronyms that you don't want to hear in association with your children (DUI, SDT, etc). I would like add another to the list, at least for my youngest......ATV. There were 4 ATVs on the farm that were at our disposal and, as you can imagine, that consumed most of Brett's attention during our stay. Of course we have not totally lost our marbles and Brett had to be accompanied by an adult.
Here is a video of Brett being given his first riding lesson by Don.
In additon to the ATV - the kids also got to experience and ride a variety of other farm equipment (tractors, combines, etc). The combine is a half million dollar piece of equipment and runs on GPS. Even Karen got pressured into riding a tractor
This is a short video of them seeing a combine for the first time. A pretty big piece of equipment !
Here are the kids with their grandfather being given a lift by one of the many pieces of equipment on the farm.
They also recently acquired an 18-wheeler to facilitate bringing the crops to the market. Of course when they asked if anybody wanted to drive that vehicle - Brett stepped up the challenge. Doubt too many 10 years olds get to take the wheel of an 18 wheeler. Here he is coming down the road to the farm.
In addition to playing with all the awesome farm equipment - we also got to ride out and see the cattle herds up close and the amount of effort it takes to care for those animals.
Another related family (the Wiks) have farms adjacent to the Olen farm and they have done some neat stuff with their property. One has turned an old church into a hunting lodge (pheasant hunting is huge in the area) and another has turned a grain elevator into living space - complete with a restored soda fountain. We got personal tours of both of those spaces. Below is a picture of the kids with a carving in front of the restored grain elevator.
Spending time in the wide open spaces and quiet surroundings is very good for the soul. We were amazed at the lack of bugs that allowed for nice sunset walks without having to take a DEET bath. Below you can see a picture of Karen running with Rover the trusty dog.
Although my kids just got to play the entire time - I do think they got a decent sense of life of the farm and the hard work that goes into that lifestyle. I doubt any of them will be anxious to spend their summers on the farm like my Dad did back in the day but I know they will have good memories of this place.
We could not have had better hosts during our time on the farm - although there is always a long list of chores on the farm - and worries of getting enough rain for their crops - all of the folks were focused on making sure we had a great experience. Especially Lance and Pat - who sheltered and fed us for our stay on the farm. It was a short visit but the memories will last a lifetime.
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