Aberdeen, South Dakota (Friday, September 16th, 2016)

Steve and I got up early this morning and hit the hotel gym.  It wasn't huge, but offered everything we needed for a quick workout. We used bands and hand weights first for a little muscle work, and then jumped on the bike and treadmill to get in some cardio.  

We all met up in the lobby at 9:00 to start our day.

Our first stop this morning was the home of  Stan and Kathy.  They are relatives who have farmed the homesteaded land for many years.  They had graciously invited us into their home, and prepared a very nice brunch for all of us!  

Stan is recently retired, and trying to get out of the farming business, so he also invited his friend and fellow farmer Matt. Matt will be taking over the farming of the homestead land.

We sat around the breakfast table and got to know each other, while we talked about the farm and the land.

A picture of the farm hangs in their dining room.

After breakfast, we all headed outside.  We looked at the land plats, to see exactly were the homestead land is.

In Aberdeen, they are able to farm without any irrigation, which to us, coming from Colorado, is unheard of. We are used to a very arid climate where irrigation is required to get anything to grow.  Stan and Matt told us what a dry year it has been in Aberdeen, but as we looked around, we were amazed at how wet it seemed. 

A nearby pasture, flooded from the river

The shed and trees covered in moss.  

After discussing the land, we all moved into the barn to take a look at the farming equipment.  Big machines! Big engines! Steve and the other boys were in HEAVEN!  

The crop sprayer (all folded up for storage)

The planter (at least that's my technical term)

The tractor tires are kinda big!

And last, but not least, the combine or harvester

Stan telling us about the combine

As the combine goes through the rows, the stalks of the corn are forced into the auger, where the ears are pulled off.

The back of the combine is where the corn kernels are separated out

We stood under the combine to see where the corn kernels are separated out

Then back to the tractor to see where Stan spent his days.

The feet of a city girls after walking around in the barn

The cutest part of our day!

After a tour of the barn, we all walked down the road to see their farm land.  Every other year, they rotate between corn and soybeans.  These two crops work well together to keep the soil nutrients at their proper levels.  Of course, lots of fertilizer and weed killer also helps!

It really wasn't that cold out, the jackets were for mosquito protection

Soybeans drying in the field

Close-up view of the soybeans

Corn drying in the field

We said our goodbyes to Stan and Kathy, and followed Matt over to his house.  Again, what wonderful hosts they were!

And of course, the first thing Steve and the boys found at Matt's house was another big piece of equipment.  It was the thrasher head for Matt's combine.  Matt took the time to show us how it works.

How much fun can these men have in one day?

Next we got to take a peak at Matt's combine.  

Matt's planter can cover many rows at once.  It also has lots of capabilities to help the seeds get started right.

The future farmer loves the combine

Even after we left the barn, she continued to try and climb up onto that combine.  What a cutie!

When we left the homestead land, we made our way toward the Scandinavian Lutheran Cemetery, where many of the family ancestors are buried.  

On our way, we passed the house of another ancestor.  

Before getting to the cemetery, we stopped at the Scandinavian Lutheran Church that many of the ancestors used to attend.

An old picture of the congregation of the church.  Some of Steve's ancestors are probably in the picture.

Just south of the church is the cemetery where many of their ancestors are buried, so we went in to find their graves.  It was a beautiful cemetery, with lichen growing on many of the old tombstones.

We headed into downtown Aberdeen at lunchtime to see if we could find a bite to eat from a local restaurant.  As we drove through town, we drove by a few more houses that were once owned by family ancestors.  They have both been kept up so nice that they almost looked like they were newly built.





As we approached downtown, it was raining, but not hard, so we found a parking spot and walked around until we found a spot to eat.


It was a cute place called Canterbury, A Cowgirl's Deli.





I had a Thai inspired sandwich and Steve had a lobster roll.  Both were good, but the highlight was the homemade chocolate chip bar that we shared for dessert.



Steve and I took the long way back to the car so we could go by the Brown County government building for a quick picture.  What a beautiful building!



After lunch, we were off to visit a rancher who lives in the area and runs his cattle on another piece of the old homesteaded land.  He was out in the barn working when we arrived, welding a new front end on his tractor.  It appears that most South Dakota farmers do most of their own repairs, and know their equipment inside and out! Seems like a great way to do it...control all you can and rely on yourself and your skills!

We jumped in their trucks, and they took us on a tour of the pasture land.  It's really fun to think about the family ancestors using this land over 100 years ago, and how harsh the conditions must have been in the cold, snowy winters.

Most of the family rode in Dave's truck. Steve and I rode with Dave's son, Matt, in his truck.  We really enjoyed hearing Matt's perspective on everything.  What a nice warm hearted young man!

Dave's truck lead the way, and we followed behind. 

The land is adjacent to a lake and has a gorgeous view of the end of the lake.  It is very easy to see why the family chose this piece of land to homestead.

This point, on the homestead land, is the highest point in Brown County

About a year ago, Dave had to put up a new fence, so we drove the perimeter of the fence.

They keep the land sectioned off, so they can move the cattle around from section to section.  It forces the cattle to graze the land more evenly, eating the weeds as well as the grass.

They had just immunized all of the calves, which is really traumatic for both the calves and their moms, so as we started to approach in the trucks, the cows and calves took off running.

One of their bulls standing by the fence.  I wouldn't want to mess with him!

As we drove out of the pasture, we could see what remained of the old fence.  They keep it around because parts of it are still useful and can be reused somewhere else.

Matt closing the pasture fence

We were amazed by how much hay they had, and they told us that each cow will eat about seven of the large bales over a winter. That's a lot of hay!





Before we left, they took us down to their gravel pit.  They use different areas of the pit for different purposes on the land.  Matt was going to walk us down into the pit, but then noticed my shoes and decided not to.  He didn't think my flip flops would make it.  I am sure he was right!

The gravel pit is right next to the lake, so we also got a great view of the lake.  According to Matt, there is a resort on the lake that they boat to in the summer and enjoy a nice meal at the restaurant. Sounds fun to me!

When we got back to the house, we once again said our goodbyes. It was a great tour of the pasture land that Steve's family once called home.

It has been a very big day, full of farm and ranch adventures, so we decided not to wander far from the hotel for dinner.  We ate at a steakhouse called Maverick's, which is attached to the Holiday Inn Express that we are staying at.  They had a very nice assortment of steaks, seafood and BBQ, which were all cooked to perfection!

It was an amazing day, touring farms and ranches which were once the homes of Steve's ancestors.  We enjoyed great food in this wonderful small town, but most of all, we met many amazing people, who opened up their lives and homes for us, to show us a way of life that we are not very familiar with.  

A huge thank you to Stan, Kathy, Matt, Dave and Matt for your time and hospitality!  Your kindness will never be forgotten!  

And Matt, good luck to you and your wife with the upcoming birth of your twin girls.   You have been blessed!