Farm

Some of the most meaningful photographs in my collection are the ones that were taken around the farm.  Welcome to the places that bear much work, lots of sweat, stress, pain and freedom. Meet the land that my family has cared for since 1869 and the animals that we care for that provide food for us and many others.

My son and a bin’s eye view/crop report, January 2015.  Snow.  Plenty of snow.

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A couple of our Duroc sows, we have pigs we raise outdoors and pigs we raise indoors in modern pig barns.

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Raising pigs outdoors is so fun, especially when the smart ones up-end your ladder.  My husband wasn’t laughing…

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My dad in 1960.  We still have that tractor.

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My sister and farming partner in crime (we think of costumes to wear during harvest with Dad)

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Checking cows.

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Putting the combine up for the year.  The end of harvest 2014.

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Playing in the dirt is more fun than anything.

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After school fun.

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Mamas and babies.

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Hardly anything better than a piglet.

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Teaching the next generation to be great stockmen/stockwomen.

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John Deere.  Period.

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The new, fancier tractors aren’t always #1 in this guy’s books.

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Watching and learning.

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Tractor obsessed.

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This guy is the best hand in the field.  (Although after a few hours in the tractor, snacks are a good thing.)

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She loves pigs.

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Harvest 2014.

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The office.

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Truth, I stopped traffic and scaled a ditch in my highest heels to get this kitten reunited with his Mama.

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Here’s my sister… we have so much fun working together.  (See in the background, Dad -combine- is unloading corn into the grain cart.)

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Plenty of fooling around…

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I know someone that will be a 6th generation farmer, no doubt.

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Grain is harvested by the combine, put on the tractor/grain cart, then loaded into this wagon and sent up in the auger to the grain bin to dry a bit.

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Our version of “Friday Night Lights”.

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My Dad with my daughter.  This was taken during harvest, the busiest time of year for us.  I hated to ask anyone to slow down for a picture, but I’m sure glad I did.

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A handful of beautiful corn.

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We always take time to enjoy the animals we raise.  No matter if they are in our care as show pigs, or as commercial meat animals.

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Teaching work ethic is one of the easier things we do… since there is always plenty of work to be done.

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Not-above showing her pig how to properly ‘lap water like a kitty’ and also shares a drink with her.

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They also shared a swim… read about that here. (Cookie Dough Can Swim)

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Milking cows for the first time at the Blood Family Dairy.

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Farm kids. (1999)

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Farm kids… 15 years later. (2014)

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Checking out the gilts when we loaded them up to take them home.

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With Grandpa… checkin’ cows and wearing a big-farmer ball-cap.

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Dad driving one of his favorite tractors… of his Dad’s.

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(And you just might learn something while you go through some of these pictures. This tractor above is still one of the most utilized pieces of machinery on my parent’s farm. My Grandpa Rodger, that I never got the chance of meeting because he passed away 12 years before I was born, purchased this Farmall 560 new in 1962. It is a beaut and has more meaning than any shiny new tractor we’ll ever come across.)

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Fall 2011 helping Grandpa after we took dinner to the field.

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With her cattle showing buddies the day of her first pig show. She was so glad to see them and so happy they came to watch her.

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The interview portion of the show… it was so adorable! She was 3 years old and to the judges question of ‘what are your parent’s names?’ she answered: “Mommy and Daddy”.

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I love this picture of my sister from a LONG time ago with my favorite Barn Kitty “Oscar”.

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We love our friend Jodi who lets us ride her daughter’s horse, Jazz. The joy on their faces (yes both of them) is priceless.

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Knee high by June 15th?

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This is one of the more shocking photos I’ve ever come across. This is the actual farmstead that my Great Great and even before that Greats lived in Holland. I love the history behind some pictures. I hope to visit this farm one day.

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First show… coming down the alley and my husband says “go on ahead honey”. I’ll never forget that.

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The love of this little pony is not measurable.

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Loves to settle down with her pigs.

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Checking on some pigs we happened to be moving that day.

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A budding 2 year old showman.

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My Dad looking over a new set of cows.

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Heading out (with Mom) to find Grandpa.

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Silly pig-lovin’ girl.

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Loving the pigs.

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My Dad.

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Welcome to my barns.

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Future Farmer.

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Power tools.

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She just ‘gets’ them.

Running a-muck.

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Curious little things.

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Daddy’s best helper at our pig barns.

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