More than just a hobby

Farming as a way of life has been handed down for generations in the Olson family.
They trace it back to EJ (Erick John) Olson who immigrated from Småland, Sweden in 1892, and beyond.

They tell how EJ’s father, who farmed in Småland, drowned while hauling wood with horse and wagon over a frozen lake. That tragedy, along with the poor, stony land and years of drought, may well have been what drove E.J. to leave Sweden and seek his future in America.

He married Emma Linn and together they worked a farm just west of Walin, in the Stanton/Villisca area. They raised three sons, Martin, Stanley and Erick, and one daughter, Ester. All three boys farmed, but it was Martin who eventually inherited the homestead. Still in the era of horse power (literally), farms were much smaller than they are now.

“I remember those horses, ‘Dick and Ned’,” recalled his grandson David.

Martin and his wife Ina had four sons, Paul, John, Philip and David. All the boys were interested in agriculture, but the timing wasn’t right when Paul and John were ready to strike out on their own, so they chose other lines of work. When the time came that Martin was ready to slow down and turn over the reins, so to speak, younger sons Philip and David were ready to take over.

In 1968 the family bought additional acres nearby and Philip moved there. His wife Norma taught school, first in Corning and then in Stanton.

“I used to say that I taught school to support my husband’s farming habit,” she said with a laugh. Philip also held, as so many farmers do, a second job - at Parker Hannefin for 29 years. Both he and Norma are now retired.

David continues to live on the homestead with his wife Fran and still farms full-time.

“We’ve got about 800 acres,” David said. “It’s a lot more than Dad or Grandpa had. We used to raise livestock too, cattle and hogs, but we got out of that back in the 80s. Now it’s just corn, beans and a little bit of hay.”  Fran, now retired, worked as a registered nurse for 44 years.

“I think what made the Olsons value farming so much was the family life it provided,” said Fran. Her sister-in-law Norma agreed. “It’s such a bonded family,” she said.

The tradition continues. Philip and Norma’s son Karl is now the one who works the land.

His parents still live in the old homestead, while Karl and his wife Shawna live at Viking Village.

“I started helping out when I was a kid,” said Karl. “The first job Dad gave me that made me feel kind of important was to run the combine when I was 11. It was either that or haul grain, and I wasn’t old enough to be on the highway yet, so I drove the combine and Dad hauled.”

Karl said he always planned to be a farmer. “I knew I’d need to have another job as well, to support myself, though. I tried a few things, carpentry for a while, then working in a factory.”

Karl works the night shift at Parker Hannefin now. His wife Shawna works too.

“Sometimes we call the farm a hobby, although it’s a little more than that.” said Karl. “This year he will farm 600 acres."

He met his wife in high school. “We went to the junior prom together and we’ve been together ever since,” he recalled. “Shawna didn’t come from a farm background, but she knew I planned to farm, and she married me anyway.”

The couple has three children, Addison - 7, Hannah - 5, and Caedmon - 3.

“Caed seems to like the farm alright,” said Karl. “He never turns down a chance to be out here with me.”

Karl has an older brother Dennis who lives near Elkhorn. “Denny comes down to help in the fall. He’s got four kids, and two of them are old enough to help, drive the tractor etc. My sister DeAnna is married to a farmer too.”

Why do some people seem to love farming so much? It’s a lot of work and long hours in all kinds of weather.

“I guess it’s being outside,” Karl said. “Even when it’s cold, it’s not so bad. We haul grain in the winter and the equipment sometimes gives you a problem. If I still had livestock, that would be a lot tougher. What I like about 4-wheelers is, I only have to feed ‘em when I want to use ‘em.”

How does he feel about the future of farming? Would he like his son to continue the tradition?

“Sure, why not? I feel pretty optimistic. Like the old guys say, there’s only so much dirt, they’re not making any more. Of course there are difficulties. For example you can run into hailstorms and lose a crop, but that’s what insurance is for. This past year we had a crop failure and we didn’t make anything but we really didn’t lose anything either. We just have to do the best we can from one year to the next.”