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Agriculture and Foodways

These pages are devoted to Agriculture and Foodways. Subcategories below

Richfield Thresheree Days (2014) photo by Hunter Schrank
Photo by Makenna Drifka
Photo by Jayna Schmittinger

Students started by looking at Washington County stats using the Ag Census in 2012:

Washington County: USDA Agriculture Census
1982:  Avg. size in farms (acres)- 148
         Land in farms (acres)- 163,788
        Farms with 1,000 acres or more- 2
         Milk Cows- 23,510

2012:  Avg. size in farms (acres)- 187
         Land in farms (acres)- 133,432
        Farms with 1,000 acres or more- 21
         Milk Cows- 14,493


One student conclusion made from the Ag Census= Larger farms in 2012.    Follow up questions:  Why? How? When? What was the impact on community?    Students followed by creating a short survey for current Slinger School District residents and conducted interviews with farmers and agriculture related industry members to assess trends (past and present)

Other general conclusions by sociology students about local farms in 2015 from interviews, site visits, secondary source readings:

Find Conclusion data here
  
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Farming and Farms:  The following articles and photos explore past and present farms in the Slinger Area or themes related to the custom of farming

*Artifacts, Tractor stories, and more
             VIM tractor memorabilia 
             Tractor  refurbishing  (Jim Wiedmeyer example pic 1 and 2)
             Hay Bale Thrower (Luedtke Manufacturing)
             Eliminator (Luedtke Manufacturing)
             McCormick Farmall

*Farms (Past and Present)
             Select Farms South of Hwy 60: Slinger School District by Dylan Mayer (senior 2014-2015)
             Ritger Farm (Allenton) by Slinger sophomore, Kira Wagner (2014)
             Roger Gundrum Farm (Allenton) by Jacob Olson (2014)
             Strupp Farm  by Hannah Strupp (2014)
             Charlie Held Farm  by Mitchell Duley (2014)
             Richard and Gib Held Farm by Ali Wolf (2014)
             Mueller's Mulberry Meadow Farm by Cody Mueller (Soph 2014)
             Jim Hartmann Farm by Megan Genz (Soph 2014)
             Ken Held Farm by Rachel Hau (Soph 2014)
             Mike Strupp Farm by Aaron Blada, Sarah Gundrum, Cailee Meyers, Kendra Strohwig
                          *Photos and Story   (photos courtesy of Terry Strupp)
                          *Audio
             Herb Lofy Farm (as described in Neighborhood Project by Cherish Ward, senior
                                                 sociology student)
             Wagner Farm (Beef, Farm to Table, Tom Horak, senior sociology student)
             Norb Yogerst Farm (An interview with former Richfield farmer, Norb Yogerst)
             Ralph Dornacker Farm (excerpts from interview with Austin Klumb, Jacob Smith)

             *Research is ongoing.  More added at a later date

*Farm Customs and Farm Related Events
             Showing Cows at the State Fair (Dick Mayer article)
             Breakfast on the Farm
                         -(Les Gundrum, 3/4 of way through the audio clip) Mike Strupp quotes
                             about half way into the clip)
                        -Sunset Farms hosting brochure
             Blacksmithing
                        -an article and blog about Town of Polk resident, Mike Schuetz
             Thresheree Days (Richfield)

Maurice Strupp (FFA Charter Member)
Strupp Farms (submitted by Terry Strupp)
Vegetable stands, common sights in October (photo by Kathryn McKillip)
In 2014-2015 school year, the Slinger students researched the FFA.   It was the 65th year of the FFA at Slinger High School in the 2014-2015 school year.  

List of FFA Charter members from 1950 (submitted by Rob Selzler, Ag teacher, 2014)

FFA audio clips/excerpts:

 
Frank Vlasak (interviewed by Emma Gehring and Ashley Polum)
Robert Beine (interviewed by Carol Ostovich)

Lesley Gundrum (interviewed by Ali Wolf, Jenna Schoenke, and Anna Pedrick)
Norb Yogerst (interviewed by Chase Lowen and Alex Ehlers)
Mike Strupp (interviewed by Aaron Blada, Sarah Gundrum,Cailee Meyers, Kendra Strohwig)

Below, Robert Beine, a charter member of the FFA, speaks with FFA member and sociology student, Carol Ostovich about the Beine Dairy, FFA, and more.  (photos by Nate Grimm, FFA Community Night photo by Nancy Schilling-Genz)
FFA Charter Member, Bob Beine
FFA Charter Member, Dick Mayer
Photo by Steve Hignite
1961 FFA Vice President, Norb Yogerst
Charter members, Bob Wolf and Maurice Strupp, along with other early FFA members
Erwin Rauh photo from interview with grandson, Josh Wetherall, and Jonnie Wolf
Renee Cleary photo from interview with Grandparents
Agribusiness 


 -Kreilkamp Trucking article by Jacob Kreilkamp  
 -Luedtke Manufacturing  (article by Jakob Kreilkamp with support from Bette Weninger)
 -Lance Industries (Meat tumbler) based on student interview with Ralph Gundrum
 -Implements
                 *Mid-State Equipment in town of Polk (student site visit summary)
                 *Strupp in Slinger  (student site visit summary added soon, click here for Country Today article)
                 *Farmer's Implement in Allenton (article by Jakob Kreilkamp with support from Bette Weninger)
-Feed Mills and Seed Sales
               *Kratz Seed Sales 
-Milk Hauling
               *Scott Gundrum article,  Gundrum backstory
               *Mike Retzlaff,  Larry Mueller interviews
 -Greenhouses and Plant Sales  
               *Nehm's in Slinger,  student article 
-Agricultural Welding
              *student article 
-Veterinarian 
             *Dr. Kletti/Dr. Algiers connection


(Students are continuing to add research to this area)
      
1962 FFA VP, Leslie Gundrum, with is wife MaryAnne, and students
Submitted by Mary Woerner from her father's collection
State Fair: Dylan, Cassie, Dwight, and Dick Mayer (Submitted by Marilyn Mayer)
Dairies, Creameries, Cheese factories, etc.
       -1903 list of creameries 
       -1910 list of cheese factories, creameries in the county
       -Beine Dairy (Slinger Dairy)

                *quotes from Bob Beine, notes
                *backstory on Beine family
       -Riesch Dairy (Cedar Lake Dairy)

                 *audio from Kathy Racine
       -Slinger Creamery

                *Miles Melius text (truck driver for Creamery)
                *excerpt from 2015 Bernie Schaefer, Jr. interview (worker)
      -Cedar Grove Dairy

                *excerpts from interview with Erwin Rauh (2015)
                *backstory on Rauh family and the dairy
      -Slinger Dairy Bar and Schubert Cheese Factory (Diefenbach Corners)

                  *article by student
      -St. Lawrence Cheese Factory 
                  *photo
      -DOW Maxon Creamery

      -Storck Ice Cream (Prohibition product made at Storck Brewery)



(More research is being collected and added to this section)


Photos below by Taylor Bergmann (Kratz),  Steve Hignite (McCormick), Cal Waters (Mill),  Les Gundrum (Breakast on Farm "How it all started", and Nate Grimm
Kratz Farm, Town of Polk
Kratz Seed, Town of Polk
Ken Strupp, Sales Manager of Mid-State Equipment, discussing equipment sales trends
Lance Industries made their first meat tumbler for Family Farm Meats in Allenton in the early 1980s
Sociology students listening to Ceil Nehm at Nehm's Greenhouse
Old Rauh Farm buildings near Hwy 60 (Cedar Grove Dairy site)
Part of Rauh Farm was parceled into a subdivision
The photo below is at Strupp Farms.  Students Chase Lowen and Alex Ehler had created a video demonstrating inter-generational changes in farms for the 2014 Slinger Area History Culture Night using audio interviews and photos like this.   (Photo submitted by Terry Strupp)
Picture
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