HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-03-22, Page 31The next generation
Marian and Frank Hallahan couldn't be more pleased that their son Steve is interested in
taking over the family farm, a business that has been in the family for five generations.
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"Calf today for a price fist"
'VI A I %UAW R
Don Henry
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Owner, Manager
R.R. #1
luevale - Hwy. 86
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519-335-3240
YOUR PARTNER IN CROP CONSULTING
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1995. PAGE A11.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + GIZI CULTURE '95 + + + + + +
Transition came at opportune time
Continued from A10
see much future in construction."
By that time as well he had started
helping his parents out on the farm.
"His mom and dad were getting
older. Frank was working long days
on construction, then would come
home and go do the chores," said
Marian.
"You could say it wasn't working
out well. I was getting worn out
fast," Frank added.
In 1972 he and Marian decided to
buy the farm from his parents, a
move he admits probably made his
two brothers happy too. "They
weren't interested in farming, but I
think there's always a small sense
of commitment or dedication to
keep it going in the family name,"
he said.
The timing was good, too. "It
was a good time to buy land,"
Frank said, adding that just a few
years later the price had tripled.
As it does when the old guard
makes way for the new guard there
is always some change. The same
year they moved onto the farm,
Frank and Marian built a new dairy
barn and milkhouse. "We had slow-
ly started to sell off the old beef
cows, moving to a full-fledged
dairy operation," Frank said. Today
they milk 35 cows, keeping their
own heifers for replacements.
While taking on their own enter-
prise, Frank and Marian also raised
four children, three sons and a
daughter. It is the oldest, Steve,
who has decided to carry the torch
for another generation. "Steve was
born with a tractor," Marian laughs.
"He liked farming from day one.
When Frank would get dressed to
go to the barn, Steve was right
there."
After graduating from the Agri-
cultural Business Management
course at Centralia College, Steve
worked for the county for a time.
Though he admits it was a good
experience to work off the farm, he
is glad to be back. "It's what I real-
ly enjoy," he says.
In addition to helping with
chores, Steve is responsible for the
DHI (Dairy Herd Improvement)
reports and helps Marian with the
bookwork. He also keeps a small
beef herd to help pay the way and
enable him to set aside some equity
for the future. While he admits that
buying the dairy operation from his
father is going to be a huge invest-
ment, Steve feels confident about
"making a living out of milking
cows".
Though it will be a while before
Frank and Marian retire, Steve is
already thinking ahead. "There are
a few things I'd like to change. If
you want to keep milking you
always have to be looking at new
ideas and keep your operation up to
date," he says.
So, do the present and future
faces of farming butt heads once in
awhile, when they work so closely?
Steve smiles, "There's a bit of con-
frontation when I want to see some-
thing change, but not very often."
"Generations never see eye to
eye. There's a big difference
between a young body and an old
body," Frank says, adding that
when he was young he often dis-
agreed with his father on things.
"But as time has gone on his views
suddenly make more sense."
Though father and son admit to
occasional differences of opinion
Continued on Al2
CROPCO will help make your
'95 crop year a success with
programs tailored to your needs
• Site specific soil management
• Integrated weed management
• Integrated pest management
• Nitrate nitrogen testing
• Manure management
• Plant tissue analysis
Crop budgeting
ROPCO
Back a bit
A young Frank Hallahan, with his sister, Mary Lou, and
his father, Dan, poses for a view of life on the family farm.
CROPCO