After graduating in 1980 from Iowa State University, this Union County native moved north when she accepted the position of Livestock Feed Sales with Farmer’s Cooperative in Iowa Falls.  One of her livestock feed customer, Roger Dohlman, soon captured her attention and the two were happily married in 1982.

Today Roger and Jackie Dohlman live on an acreage just south of Hampton where they raise corn and soybeans, as well as a small flock of sheep.  It’s also where they raised three kids:  Becky, age 30, lives with her husband, Jeremy Vietor, in Arizona with their daughters, 6-year-old Madison and 3-month old Gabriella; Nathan, age 28, lives with wife, Lili, near Hampton with their three children, 5-year-old Natalie, 4-year-old Eva and 2-year-old Matthew; and youngest daughter Danielle, age 23, lives in West Des Moines.

“My kids will tell you they had no choice but to belong to 4-H because I’ve been the county youth coordinator in Franklin County Extension for the past 16 years,” says Jackie with a smile.  “But I they would tell you they got a lot out of the 4-H program!  They enjoyed getting to know other youth in their local club, and as they grew older, they made lifelong friends from across the county and state.  Their 4-H projects allowed them to learn some skills from Mom & Dad that we probably wouldn’t have taken the time to teach otherwise.  Eventually they got over the jitters every time they had to stand in front of the club to give a presentation and took pride in their community after hours of doing things like picking up trash along the highway or painting buildings on the fairgrounds.  They also gained skills that helped them prepare for their careers.”

Oldest daughter, Becky, is an instructional assistant for the Dysart Unified School District in El Mirage, Arizona.  She’s also taking courses to finish her degree in psychology.  Son Nathan served as a squad leader in the U.S. Army from July 2003 to August 2010.  He’s currently taking ag classes at Ellsworth Community College and helps his dad farm.  Danielle graduated from Wartburg College and works for Barnes & Noble in West Des Moines.

Through 4-H, the Dohlman children had the opportunity to try many different projects over the years.  They choose to develop their skills in a few projects as they got older.  Becky showed hogs plus exhibited clothing and home improvement projects.  Her passion became Food & Nutrition, and she won the State 4-H Project award in that area.  Nathan showed sheep all through 4-H and also tried his hand at wood working and welding, which he stills enjoys and uses today.  Dani’s real passion was horticulture and food & nutrition.  She had a lot of fun taking horticulture exhibits to the Iowa State Fair and earned the State 4-H Project award in that area.  Dani also discovered her talents in performing before an audience at Share-The-Fun during the county fair, which led to a degree in Theatre Arts.

“I never had to worry about where my kids were, who they were with, and what they were doing – at least not until they got their driver’s license!” says Jackie.  “They learned what the word ‘work’ meant as we spent a lot of time as a family in the fields, walking beans, picking up rocks, working with livestock projects, and helping around the house.”

One reason Jackie decided to become the youth coordinator for Franklin County Extension is because she had such a positive experience with the 4-H program during her formative years.  She showed hogs and took exhibits in food & nutrition and sewing.  She also served on the Union County 4-H Council, went on trips to 4-H Conference in Ames and Kansas City, plus attended Citizenship Washington Focus(CWF) in Washington, D.C.

In her spare time, Jackie enjoys putting her sewing skills to use by making clothing and costumes for her grandchildren.  She also enjoys gardening and baking.  Jackie sells produce and baked goods at local farmers’ markets, so she’s sharing one of her favorite sweet bread recipes with us today.

April Hemmes of Hampton, Iowa, is a fourth generation farmer in Franklin County.  She’s been farming since 1985 on land that has been in her family since 1901, but her operation is a little different from what one might expect.  April’s husband, Tom Kazmerzak, has a job in town and doesn’t work on the farm.  April is the primary farm operator, and she was named “Midwest Farm Mom of the Year” in 2011.

“One of my fondest childhood memories is riding in the combine with my grandpa, and I learned a lot from him through the years,” says April.  “I love that my daughter and my son grew up on the same farm and had some of the same farm experiences that I had,” adds April.  “There’s nothing like being a farm kid.”

Many farm experiences are intertwined with 4-H experiences for April’s children.  Her son, Ethan, was a 9-year 4-H member and was a member of the Franklin County 4-H Council.  He was active in the Writers Club where he learned to express himself through short and poems.  Active in jazz, marching and concert bands, Ethan explored his passion for music through a 4-H self-determined project.  He went onto pursue music and English at the University of Iowa.

April’s daughter, Ruth, also was active in 4-H for nine years.  She earned the State Photography Award and completed agronomy projects and showed beef.  Ruth served as president, vice president and secretary of her 4-H club.  She also was selected to serve on the Franklin County 4-H Council and participated in the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference.  In addition, Ruth was named the 2012 Franklin County Fair Queen.

“Throughout my years as a 4-H member, I learned many things from basic leadership skills in meetings, to club field trips, and a variety of projects.  Showing cattle taught me responsibility: I fed my cattle in the morning and evening plus worked with them and bathed them once or twice a week.  While I enjoyed all of my 4-H projects, I was especially interested in photography,” says Ruth Kazmerzak, who’s currently a freshman at University of Washington in Seattle where she’s studying Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and Photography.

Hemmes Farm History

The Koch-Hemmes home farm was established in 1901 by J.P. Koch.  His mother’s family had emigrated in 1738 from Bignen, Germany, to Pennsylvania where they bought a farm.  While other family members remained in Pennsylvania, J.P. came to Iowa because his aunt had written to him about the “riches of the land.”  J.P. found more than land upon his arrival; he also took a bride in 1890.

Newlyweds J.P. and Lavina moved to an acreage about 10 miles north of Iowa Falls.  Their marriage was blessed with five children: Harold, Gerald, Ralph, Kenneth and Velma.  Velma Koch married Bert Hemmes in 1925, and a few short years later, they purchased the farm from J.P. and Lavina.

Velma gave birth to their first son, Harlan, in 1929 and another, Jerry, in 1934.  In the coming years, Bert had to work with his banker to keep the farm running.  The Depression years were especially challenging, but Bert took great pride in saving the farm from the “big shot” from Des Moines who traveled north to buy up all the loans.  Advised by a local banker to “let things go,” Bert let the weeds grow and the barn door fall off.  Mr. Big Shot ended up driving right past the Koch-Hemmes farm, dust rising all the way as he sped back to Des Moines.  The next year Bert made his payment, and his farm stayed in the family.

As these hard years passed, Bert and Velma added many more acres to the land they owned.  Harlan came home from WWII and then school in the mid-1950s to farm with his father.  The two ran a diversified farm of corn, soybeans, hay, cattle, hogs, sheep and chickens.

Harlan married Sally Peterson in 1957, and they had four children:  Sarah, April, Harlan II and Heather.  April presently resides and farms the land, which she and her husband purchased.  In 2001, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture recognized the Hemmes family at the Iowa State Fair with a Century Farm Award.

As a tribute to her German ancestry, today April shares with us an old family recipe for Molasses Cookies.  Molasses was first used to sweeten foods because it was more affordable than sugar.  The aroma of cinnamon, cloves and ginger mingled with molasses evokes warm memories of grandma’s house.  Mix up a batch and bake someone happy!

Snowy Fun with the Kids (Pinterest inspired)

Part 3 in our series, “Setting Successful New Year’s Resolutions,” brings us to the goal of spending more time with family.  Adults and kids alike have busy schedules that keep families hopping day in and day out at the expense of quality time together.  The key is to schedule specific days – or even an hour or two – just to enjoy each other’s company and have fun.

Here are some Pinterest-inspired ideas to help you enjoy some quality time this winter with your family.

CREATE WITH MOTHER NATURE’S BEAUTY

• “Marble” driveway décor

Fill balloons with water and add in a few drops of food coloring.  Tie the balloon and arrange them along your driveway or walk way.  A few hours later, return to your creations and pop the balloons.  The result is sure to make your kids smile at the colorful marble décor they create.

• Make a snowman with a twist!
• Paint masterpieces in the snow

Food coloring + water + squeeze bottles = Low mess fun.

HEAD BACK IN FOR SOME WARM COCOA AND FUN IN THE KITCHEN (See Recipe Below)

DRIVE-IN INDOOR MOVIE NIGHT

As the day comes to a close, and you’re finished with supper, how about a “Drive-In Movie Night”.  This idea comes from a blog called Homemaking Fun, and I just love the special touches she added to make it just like having the theatre in the living room.  Each kid brings in a pillow and blanket and decorates a cardboard box like a car using markers, paper plates etc.

Set up a concession stand with snacks and drinks.  Give each child some paper money to “buy” their movie ticket with one dollar and the remaining $6 can buy whatever they want for snack.  More details on her blog here.

I hope these ideas help you find ways to spend more time making memories with your family in 2013!  For more snow day activities, we invite you to link up to these stories or visit our Pinterest page.

• Things to Do on a Snow Day
• Fighting Cabin Fever with Good Food and Fun Activities

Colder temperatures and snow fall bring new challenges to the Midwest, but this South Dakota family says the changing of the seasons makes farming all the more interesting.

“We really enjoy farming because it offers interesting challenges each and every day,” says Jon Braun, who farms with his wife, Lesley, and his brother, Tim, just west of Aberdeen, SD.  Their family farming operation consists of corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa plus 300 head of stock cows.

Farm duties are shared, with each family member focusing on a particular area.  Jon is responsible for making the crop decisions while Tim focuses on the livestock.  Lesley manages a feeder pig unit plus takes care of the horses, goats, chickens and dogs.  Their children help wherever it’s needed and are especially involved during planting and harvest or when the cattle need to be corralled.

“It’s a rewarding career.  Plus, farming offers a level of flexibility that a normal 9 to 5 job wouldn’t,” adds Lesley.  “This flexibility has allowed us the opportunity to see our children participate in sports and other activities.”

Lesley is often in the barn by 4 a.m. and home by 12:30 or 1:00 p.m., which has allowed her to attend school and community activities.  Since Jon and Lesley have three very active children, there have been many schedules to coordinate.  Cody Braun, 25, is an area sales manager with Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds in Aberdeen.  He is engaged to Samantha Shannon, a service coordinator with Birth to Three, a state-run program that assists children with special needs.  Kyle Braun, 23, is a senior at Dakota State University in Madison, SD, where he’s majoring in physical education / coaching and playing baseball for DSU.  Kaylee Braun, 13, is an eighth grader at Ipswich High School where she’s involved in volleyball, basketball, softball, and track.  She serves as secretary for her local 4-H club and is a member of the 4-H expansion committee.  In her free time, Kaylee enjoys training horses and competing in barrels and poles in rodeos.

“Raising our children on a farm has taught them a lot about responsibility and hard work,” says Lesley.  “It also gives them a chance to experience a variety of activities.”

This holiday season, after the livestock is fed, the Brauns will look forward to celebrating with family, friends – and food, of course!  Their celebration just wouldn’t be the same without Leslie’s signature Cookie Salad.  Today she’s sharing it on TheFieldPosition.com.

P.S.  Set tradition aside and treat Santa to some Cookie Salad this year!  It sounds like something even the elves would enjoy.  😉