Life on the Farm
It is a very busy life on the farm. Be prepared to get dirty and to be on the go all day long.
At 6:00 am the cows are milked. After milking, all the equipment must be sterilized for the next time the cows will be milked. Then the barn has to be cleaned out and all the manure removed. Next, the calves are fed. All the animals must be fed every day. Tractor equipment must be taken care of so that it works efficiently. The crops have to be tended to on a regular basis so that they don't die. At 6:00 pm every day, the cows must be milked again, and afterwards the milking equipment must again be sterilized. In the winter, lots of time is spent repairing machinery in the tractor barn so that it is in tip top shape for the following spring and summer.
Some activities that people do for fun on the farm are horseback-riding, playing with pets, rope swinging in the barn, climbing the hay mound and much more. On the Kooistra farm they even have a pet cow.
At 6:00 am the cows are milked. After milking, all the equipment must be sterilized for the next time the cows will be milked. Then the barn has to be cleaned out and all the manure removed. Next, the calves are fed. All the animals must be fed every day. Tractor equipment must be taken care of so that it works efficiently. The crops have to be tended to on a regular basis so that they don't die. At 6:00 pm every day, the cows must be milked again, and afterwards the milking equipment must again be sterilized. In the winter, lots of time is spent repairing machinery in the tractor barn so that it is in tip top shape for the following spring and summer.
Some activities that people do for fun on the farm are horseback-riding, playing with pets, rope swinging in the barn, climbing the hay mound and much more. On the Kooistra farm they even have a pet cow.
History of the Kooistra Farm
Quite a few of the traditions of the farm have been kept since John and Arlene Kooistra were the owners and operators back in the 1900's, although some things have also changed.
Back then, the animals that they had on the farm were dairy cows, feeder cattle, pigs, bulls, cats, and dogs. They grew the same crops that are grown today: corn, oats, soy beans, and alfalfa. Today, milk is kept in a bulk tank and picked up by Minnesota State Dairy. When my grandparents were in charge of the farm, the milk was put into cans that were picked up by the Dairy company. The fields used to be ploughed with tractors. Now they use a disk behind the tractor that disks up leftover dirt in order to preserve the rich topsoil. Now there is much more machinery on the farm, and it is much bigger. The farm started out with roughly 160 acres, and is still about that size. My grandmother, Arlene Kooistra, had a huge garden with all different kinds of vegetables. She used to can the vegetables so that they could be eaten in the winter. The Kooistras used to stay on the farm almost all the time except for school, church, and the occasional errands and outings. They would only go out about twice a week for errands. Now, the owner leaves the farm almost every day for one or another reason. The Kooistras have tried very hard to maintain the atmosphere of the farm from its early days.
Back then, the animals that they had on the farm were dairy cows, feeder cattle, pigs, bulls, cats, and dogs. They grew the same crops that are grown today: corn, oats, soy beans, and alfalfa. Today, milk is kept in a bulk tank and picked up by Minnesota State Dairy. When my grandparents were in charge of the farm, the milk was put into cans that were picked up by the Dairy company. The fields used to be ploughed with tractors. Now they use a disk behind the tractor that disks up leftover dirt in order to preserve the rich topsoil. Now there is much more machinery on the farm, and it is much bigger. The farm started out with roughly 160 acres, and is still about that size. My grandmother, Arlene Kooistra, had a huge garden with all different kinds of vegetables. She used to can the vegetables so that they could be eaten in the winter. The Kooistras used to stay on the farm almost all the time except for school, church, and the occasional errands and outings. They would only go out about twice a week for errands. Now, the owner leaves the farm almost every day for one or another reason. The Kooistras have tried very hard to maintain the atmosphere of the farm from its early days.