|
|
COVER STORY
Farm Family of the Year: Jeff & Linda Oyen
Volunteer recognized for wililngness to help - Cynthia Knudsen named Agri-Business Citizen of the Year
Farm Show carries on city's agricultural roots
 The Jeff and Linda Oyen family of Crooks were named the Farm Family of the Year by the Chamber’s Agri-Business Division. They will be recognized at the Mayor’s Round-up & Sale of Champions as part of the Sioux Empire Farm Show. Pictured from L to R: Austin, Amber, Jeff and Linda Oyen.
Farm Family of the Year: Jeff & Linda Oyen
by Amy Smolik
Marketing & Communications Manager
Jeff & Linda Oyen
Hometown: Crooks
Family: Jeff and Linda, Pharmacy Supervisor for Sanford Children’s Hospital; children Amber, a senior at Tri-Valley High School, and Austin, freshman at Tri-Valley High School
Community Involvement: Jeff is Vice Chair of the Minnehaha County Conservation District
|
With two active kids in high school, life is never boring for Jeff and Linda Oyen of Crooks. Jeff, a full-time farmer, and Linda, Pharmacy Supervisor for Sanford Children’s Hospital, farm corn and alfalfa on 2,000-plus acres and finish about 150-300 head of fat cattle each year. Linda also manages the books for the farming operation. Their two children, Amber and Austin, also help as their schedules allow. The Oyens have been named the Farm Family of the Year by the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Agri-Business Division.
The Oyen family lives on Jeff’s great-grandmother’s home place just northwest of Crooks, including the home that is nearly 100 years old. His parents live just a few miles away as the crow flies. Jeff farms with his dad and says he is fortunate to have several helpers throughout the year.
Much has changed in farming practices since Jeff’s ancestors lived there and the home has also been remodeled and modernized. Jeff farms conservation-friendly, planting many trees to restore the shelterbelt on the farm. They also have created waterways to prevent soil erosion while still allowing for drainage of the fields. Jeff researched and developed South Dakota’s first wetland mitigation bank, which is used for exchange of impacted wetland areas in commercial development and agricultural projects. The property was a former lakebed that was tiled and marginally farmed; today it is restored as a wetland.
In 2003, Jeff had an opportunity to purchase 400 acres near Gonvick, Minn., in northern Minnesota. The land was owned by one of Jeff’s extended family members and Jeff partnered with two others to run a calf-cow operation. The distance and fuel prices made it difficult to continue the practice there. Today, he runs his calves and cows on a feedlot in the Corsica/Wagner area.
“They have some advantages that we don’t. Our winters seem to be a little harsher and colder,” he said.
Jeff also farms 400 acres of corn and alfalfa near Wakonda. The opportunity to farm there presented itself and the timing to harvest and plant in southeast South Dakota still allows him to farm near Crooks. He said he never thought he’d store all his equipment nearly 100 miles away from his home farm, but says it works for him.
Between farming in several locations and checking on cattle, the Oyens also follow their daughter Amber in competitive cheering and their son, Austin, who is a wrestler.
“We have been blessed,” Jeff says. “It’s always an adventure.”
The Oyens will be recognized at the Mayor’s Round-up & Sale of Champions on Jan. 29 as part of the Sioux Empire Farm Show, as well as in April at the Agri-Business Division Annual Meeting.
[Back to Top] |
 |
Volunteer recognized for willingness to help
Cynthia Knudsen named
Agri-Business Citizen of the Year
by Amy Smolik
Marketing & Communications Manager
Cynthia Knudsen
Employer: Land O’Lakes/Dean Foods
Education: Lennox High School/Lincoln High School, Nettleton Community College
Hometown: Lennox area
Family: son Jason, granddaughter Belle
Agri-Business Involvement: recipient of the 2004 Sioux Empire Farm Show Rookie of the Year award; Agri-Business Division Chair in 2007-08
Community Involvement: assist with Hospice, Sioux Empire Farm Show, Sioux Empire Fair
|
Cynthia Knudsen has logged more than 30 years in the dairy business in the office of Land O’Lakes/Dean Foods. Each January, she volunteers a week of her time at the Sioux Empire Farm Show — where there are no dairy cows to be found.
Despite that, Knudsen is at home among the hundreds of volunteers, beef cattle, sheep and swine — so much so that she received the 2004 Sioux Empire Farm Show “Rookie of the Year” award given to volunteers. This year, she’s being recognized again as the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Agri-Business Citizen of the Year. Knudsen will be honored at the Mayor’s Round-up & Sale of Champions on Friday, Jan. 29 as part of the Sioux Empire Farm Show and again in April at the Chamber’s Agri-Business Division Annual Meeting.
Knudsen grew up in rural Sioux Falls on a farm near Lennox and Chancellor. After graduating from Nettleton Community College, she started working for Land O’Lakes/Dean Foodsin 1976, where she’s spent her entire career. Today, Knudsen is the Executive Sales Coordinator, where she says, “whatever has to be done, I do it.” From putting sales meetings together and keeping the sales representatives in line to answering customer questions, she is a jack-of-all-trades.
“It is a fantastic group of people to work with and everyone pitches in,” she says of her co-workers. “The people in the dairy business are wonderful, from the producers to the people who check the barns to ensure they’re grade A to the semi-truck drivers and sales reps. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t enjoy the people.”
Enjoying people brought Knudsen to the Sioux Empire Farm Show as a volunteer. “I have so much fun working with everybody. I saw the volunteers who came out for the first time and had no clue about hogs or sheep or whatever they volunteered to help with. By the time they’re done, they either love the sheep or the hogs — or they hated them,” she said.
Knudsen said without the volunteers, the Sioux Empire Farm Show couldn’t be held. Since 2003, she has taken a week off from her job at Land O’Lakes/Dean Foods to volunteer in the Sioux Empire Farm Show office. When people ask her why she does it, the simple answer is that “it’s fun. And there’s new people to get to know.”
Working in the office, Knudsen gets to know lots of the 30,000 visitors who come to the Sioux Empire Farm Show each year. The office workers take care of all the paperwork for each of the livestock shows and sales and answer questions on just about everything. She said when she first started in the office, everything was done with spreadsheets. Now a computer program is used and the technology makes everything easier to run the shows and sales.
“There is a sense of accomplishment in making things easier, better and being able to help. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it,” she said.
For kids who grew up on farms like Knudsen, the Farm Show is a great opportunity to return to their roots. “You get a real understanding of agriculture, an appreciation of animals and a sense of accomplishment from the volunteers — I can’t put that into words.”
There are a lot of little kids who think milk comes from the grocery store. In bigger cities, some kids don’t even know what a cow looks like, Knudsen said. “City kids should come to the Sioux Empire Farm Show to touch the hogs, see their noses twitch, touch the sheep’s clipped wool to know what it feels like.”
The Sioux Empire Farm Show runs Jan. 26-30, with all livestock shows being held at the Expo Building on the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds.
[Back to Top] |
|
Farm Show carries on city’s agricultural roots
by Amy Smolik
Marketing & Communications Manager
In 1953, it was determined that Sioux Falls should host a Farm Show and the Chamber of Commerce would be the logical organization to organize this event.
Today, this week-long show brings more than 30,000 people to the Sioux Falls area, with an estimated $4.5 million economic impact. More than 300 volunteers ensure the shows and sales go off without a hitch. The livestock portion of the show is held at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in the Expo Building. The commercial exhibit portion of the show, known as the Sioux Falls Farm Show, is held at the Sioux Falls Arena, Sioux Falls Convention Center, and the north end of the Expo Building.
The culmination of the market livestock shows takes place at the Mayor’s Round-up & Sale of Champions, which will be held Friday, Jan. 29 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel Exhibit Hall. The Sale of Champions enables members of the business community to support agriculture by paying a premium on market livestock. The top market livestock — steers, hogs, sheep and goats — are auctioned off to the Sale of Champions attendees. You are not purchasing the animal on which you are bidding; the final bid on the animal is a premium paid to the producer. All livestock sold at the Mayor’s Round-Up & Sale of Champions go to slaughter. Livestock can be purchased by cooperative bidders; for example, if your business has $XX and another business has $YY, you can partner to purchase an animal. Tickets for the Sale of Champions are $35 per person.
For more information about the 57th Annual Sioux Empire Farm Show, contact the Chamber office: (605) 336-1620 or sfacc@siouxfalls.com. For a complete schedule of events for the 2010 Sioux Empire Farm Show, look online at www.siouxempirefarmshow.org.
Farm Show Schedule of Events
| TUESDAY, JAN. 26 |
4:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m. |
Ribbon Cutting-Expo Building
4H/FFA Invitational Calf Shows |
| WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27 |
8:00 a.m.
8:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
1:00 p.m.
4:30 p.m. |
Market Barrow and Gilt Show
Angus Show
Simmental Show
Simmental Sale
Angus Sale
Ribbon Cutting-Convention Center |
| THURSDAY, JAN. 28 |
8:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
2:45 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
|
Hereford Show
Charolais Show
Red Angus Show
Limousin Show
Limousin Pen of Three Show
Hereford Sale
Charolais Sale
Red Angus Sale
Limousin Sale
Feeder Heifer Show
Market Lamb Show |
| FRIDAY, JAN. 29 |
8:00 a.m.
TBD
9:15 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
Noon
6:30 p.m.
|
Maine Anjou Show
Supreme Row Judging
Market Beef Show
Maine Anjou Sale
Feeder Steer Show
Market Goat Show **new in 2010
Mayor’s Round-Up and Sale of Champions and $12,000 Supreme Row Cash Awards Presentation
|
| SATURDAY, JAN. 30 |
6:30 a.m.
8:30 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Noon
1:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m. |
Senior College Judging Contest
Youth and Open Rabbit Show
Junior Judging Contest
Breeding Beef Heifer Show
Announce Junior Judging Contest Winners
Pony Pull
Draft Horse Pull |
Commercial Exhibits in the Expo Building, the Sioux Falls Convention Center and the Arena are open Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This schedule is subject to change.
|
[Back to Top] |
|
|
|
