04 Broadcaster Press September 18, 2012 www.broadcasteronline.com One in a Ver Million Meet Sam Heikes By David Lias david.lias@plaintalk.net Sam Heikes represents the fourth generation of his family that has been involved in agriculture. His grandfather moved to Vermillion after losing his farm near Dakota City, NE during the Great Depression. “He moved here and started over again before the war. By the time the war was done, he had four farms … and my grandpa bought the farm I grew up on in 1946. “When my dad passed away three?and?a?half years ago, we decided to come home,” Sam said. “We moved back here about two?and?a?half years ago.” He and his brother inherited the farm; his brother decided to sell his share, and Sam decid? ed to make Vermillion his home once again. He is nearly wrapping up his first year in oper? ating Heikes Family Farm, located just north of the Masaba Manufacturing plant north of Vermillion. You’ll find no large trac? tors or combines, or hun? dred?acre cornfields on the Heikes farm. Instead, he has worked this year to plant and till about a seven?acre patch of his CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture operation with the kind of stuff people enjoy at their dinner tables each day. He also had a vision of how, in this era, to put his education at South Dakota State University in agronomy and animal science, and his 36 years of experience as a pro? duction agronomist to good use on the family farm. Last year, Sam raised some typical garden?vari? ety vegetables on the farm. This year, however, represents his first sea? son as a CSA operator. “What we have there now is a working farm right on the city limits of Vermillion that is about 50 acres of land,” he said. “I have about 10 acres of that in a wetlands CRP program, which is native grass and wildlife habi? tat, and the farmstead itself is about 12 acres of grove and trees and grass, and what I’m actu? ally farming is about 15 acres of the richest ground that I rotate back and forth – I’ll farm half of it this year, and I’ll farm the other half next year.” The land will be cov? ered with a cover crop and a layer of manure later this fall, to build the soil over the winter months in preparation for next spring’s planting. “I don’t use any pesti? cides, but I’ve chosen not to be certified organic because of the costs of that,” Heikes said. His shareholders have indicated that they have no problem with his plan to not seek certified organic status. “I asked all my share? holders, ‘do you care?’” he said, “They replied that they don’t care whether I’m certified organic. They just want to know that my produc? tion is sustainable, natu? ral and fresh. So, on that basis, I’m very diverse in my production system.” That diversity is reflect? ed in what Sam already has planned for the 2013 growing season. Early season produce will include asparagus, let? tuce and other leafy greens, radishes, and pea pods. By mid?season, share? holders can expect to enjoy fresh herbs and spices, onions, garlic, peppers, and numerous varieties of tomatoes. There will also be a host of other bounty – pota? toes, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli and brussel sprouts. Late season offerings will include a variety of fruit, cantaloupe, water? melon, pumpkins, carrots and parsnips, sweet potatoes, and the yield from a second planting of broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts. Heikes also is planning three plantings of sweet corn so that it is available throughout the summer. The extremely dry sum? mer also means he will be drilling a well on his farm soon, with the hopes of being able to pump 80 gallons per minute to irrigate his seven?acre plot. “That will assure my produc? tion during a dry year,” he said. At one point in his career, Sam was respon? sible for selling seed to farmers who had thou? sands of acres of land to plant each spring. Now that he’s retired, he can concentrate on produc? ing high value food crops. “That’s a key thing – it’s not like farming a 1,000 acres of corn and a 1,000 acres of beans and trying to maximize your pro? duction,” Heikes said. “I’m only growing half of 15 acres, and I rotate it to keep the sustainability to the soil and to maxi? mize my yield of high? values crops. “And maybe most importantly, to share that abundant food supply of very high quality fresh produce with the com? munity, which is totally different than what moti? vated me before,” he said. “The heart of the farm is the soil, and in the beginning it’s the seed. The motivation is not entirely profit driven, because of the relation? ship with the sharehold? ers. Community Supported Agriculture got its start in the east of South Dakota in more populat? ed areas, Heikes said, as a partnership between farmers, growers and consumers who purchase a share or membership prior to the growing sea? son. September 22nd & 23rd Located: Wakonda Legion Hall, Wakonda, SD Saturday’s auction at 10:00 a.m.: Larry Dobson Estate of Lemars, IA. Many MARX tin-windup Toys, Cast-iron Motorcycle Collection, Tin-Friction & Battery Op. Toys, Pressed Steel & Tonka Trucks, some advertising & more! Over 300 cataloged lots! Sunday’s Auction at 11:00 a.m.: “King of the Cowboys” Toy Auction—Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Hopalong Cassidy & More! Featuring the collection of Dean Lindquist of New Ulm, MN. Many boxed Roy Rogers Toys including Marx Play Sets, Trucks, Cap Gun & Holster Sets & More. Over 300 lots of Cowboy Toys & Collectables! Call for a free, full color brochure or see hundred’s of photos at www.GirardAuction.com! Live Internet bidding available through www.GirardBid.com! Bid there without being there! Girard Auction & Land Brokers, Inc. (605) 267-2421 Toll Free: 1-866-531-6186 www.GirardAuction.com n HEIKES, Page 13 “STORAGE WARS” STORAGE AUCTION S a tu rd a y,S ept.22,2012 -10:30A.M . AB C S ecu rity Sto ra ge 1806 Ea st O m a h a Ave. N o rfo lk,N E S ellin g a ppro xim a tely 18-20 sto ra ge u n its. N O TICE:W illsellon e com plete un it at a tim e.W e w ill open doors an d w illallow tim e to look but you can n ot enter the un it.The successfulbidder is to pay for un it or un its at sale tim e plus $100 refun dable deposit per un it.After contents are allrem oved an d un it is sw ept out,deposit w illbe return ed. Sa l co n d u cted by: e TOP DOLLAR AUCTION Pierce,N ebra ska (4 02)75 0-9972 Ron Riedel,Auctioneer **All Tillable** 75.68 Acres of Spirit Mound Township, Clay County, SD at Farmland 2-Day Antique Toy at In return for their financial investment in the CSA, local consumers become shareholders in the farm operation, and receive a weekly 10 to 30 pound market basket of Friday, October 5th 9:30AM Located: 3 3/4 miles north of Vermillion, SD on the University Road. On the Corner of 313th St & 468th Ave. Legal: N 1/2 NE 1/4 , except tract 208.7’ by 208.7’ in the NE 1/4 of Sec 25-93-52, Clay County, SD. 75.68 Taxable acres. Taxes are $1,680.46. Clay County FSA office shows 75.6 acres of crop land with a corn base of 37.9 with a CC yield of 88bu, bean base 37.9 with a CC yield of 31bu. Predominate soil type is Wakonda-Wentworth-Whitewood with a productivity rating of 86% with a 02% slope. This is a very nice tract of land with a great location just 4 miles from Vermillion and is bordered on the east side by a county oil road and the north side by a county gravel road. Not only is this a great producing farm, but also has great potential as a future building site/sites. See website for photos and maps or call for a free, property information packet. Terms: 10% non-refundable earnest money deposit the day of auction with the balance due on or before closing of November 5th, 2012. Possession after the 2012 crops are harvested. Title insurance and closing costs split 50/50 between buyer and seller. Clay County Title Company, closing agent. Seller to pay taxes through 12-31-2012. Auctioneers are acting as agents for the seller. Richard C. Lennon & Patricia R Manton, Owners Girard Auction & Land Brokers, Inc. (605) 267-2421 • Toll Free: 1-866-531-6186 www.GirardAuction.com Marv Girard, BA #12399 Ken Girard, CAI, AARE Broker #10183 Mike Girard, CAI, BA #13549