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Harts earn Farm Family of the Year award in Olmsted County Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Agri News staff writer
BYRON, Minn. -- Gene Hart figured they must be running out of farmers in Olmsted County to nominate his family as the county's Farm Family of the Year.
"I was truly dumbfounded," DeeDee Hart said of the call she received informing her that her family had received the award for 2009.
The Harts were chosen as Farm Family of the Year by the Olmsted County Extension Committee.
"We're just very humbled by it É very surprised," DeeDee said.
Gene and DeeDee have farmed just outside Salem Corners since they married in 1985.
They milk 55 registered Holsteins and a couple Jerseys.
"That's to keep me happy," DeeDee said. "I grew up on a Jersey farm."
They also raise corn, soybeans, oats and alfalfa on 300 acres with help from Gene's father, Mylan, 87.
Mylan milked cows until he was 84 and recent health problems have forced him to slow down.
"Mylan's a hard worker," DeeDee said. "That's why it's hard for him not to be able to work."
Mylan and his wife, Elaine, started milking cows on the farm where Gene and DeeDee now milk in 1944. Mylan also farmed the land and did custom silo filling. Together, the couple raised five children, Gene said.
The farm was owned by Dr. Christopher Graham and Gene's parents worked on shares for him. In 1969 or 1970, they purchased it. It was one of the few farms Graham sold, Gene said.
"Dad said he (Dr. Graham) was the nicest guy in the world," Gene said.
Gene and DeeDee met at the Minnesota State Fair, where they were both showing animals through FFA.
Their dates were mostly spent in the barn or out in the field at Gene's place.
They also went on car trips. After she crashed three cars in six months while going to school at the former University of Minnesota campus in Waseca, Gene took to driving her to school and to her job milking cows between Pine Island and Byron.
Now, they talk on the cell phone to keep her awake on her commute.
Their two children, James, 17, and Melissa, 21, grew up working on the farm. James would play with his toy tractors on the edge of the field where Gene could see him while he worked. Melissa now lives in Rochester and has a job there. James is a Byron High School student. He milks cows on two other farms and works part-time with a landscaper.
The Harts have one full-time hired man, Robert Fenske, who's been with them for 40 years. Fenske helps with feeding, general farm work and fencing.
"He's good at fencing," Gene said.
In addition to farming, Gene owns a milk route, picking up milk from Rock Dell Creamery patrons every night and every other afternoon. He racks up more than a hundred miles in three to four hours each night picking up 40,000 pounds of milk from patrons in Olmsted, Dodge, Wabasha and Mower counties. He's owned the route two years come Nov. 1, but he's been a part-time driver on the route since January 1999.
DeeDee works four days a week as a laboratory technician at Mayo Clinic. She does chores before she leaves and when she returns.
"I only have a dozen calves to feed," DeeDee said earlier this month, after they had moved calves.
The Harts always seem to have company on the farm, be it friends of James and Melissa coming to hang out or 4-H members coming to the farm to work with the cattle they lease from the family.
For the past eight years, the family has leased cattle to 4-H members to show at the Olmsted County Fair. This year, six young people leased cattle, and the family had a total of 16 animals at the fair, including the four that James showed.
"I charge 'em a buck that I never collect so they have the chance to have that experience," DeeDee said.
The couple are also county dairy leaders. They serve on the Olmsted County ADA board and Gene is the Rock Dell Creamery board president. DeeDee and Melissa are past Olmsted County dairy princesses. DeeDee was first runner-up and Miss Congeniality in the 1984 Princess Kay contest. She was also the Minnesota State Jersey Queen and second runner-up for National Jersey Queen that same year.
As the county's farm family, the Harts were recognized at Farmfest on Aug. 6. They received two complimentary tickets to the show, a free bus trip and food there and back. DeeDee, James and Melissa attended. Gene wasn't able to get away, but his family brought him a couple ham sandwiches.
It was the first time they had attended the show.
"It reminded me a lot of what the state fair used to have on Machinery Hill," DeeDee said.
Cutline:
Janet Kubat Willette/Agri News
The Hart family was named Olmsted County's Farm Family of the Year for 2009. Pictured (from left): Mylan, DeeDee, Gene, Melissa and James Hart. |
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