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Changes over time
Ryberg reflects on advancements in farming
BUFFALO LAKE — As times change, operators must adapt to new equipment, new technology and new management techniques. Brian Ryberg has experienced many of these changes throughout his life and career as a farmer.
“I remember when we had an 8-row planter and a 40-foot sprayer,” Ryberg said. “Now, we have two 36-row planters and 132-foot sprayers.”
Ryberg Farms currently manages 6,500 acres of tillable land, growing corn, soybeans and sugar beets. While corn covers most of their land, sugar beets take the most time, Ryberg said.
“The way (sugar beets) are harvested makes them much more time-consuming,” Ryberg said. “In our 900 acres of sugar beets, we’ll spend way more time doing that than in our 3,500 acres of corn.”
Living heirlooms
Hidden Springs Peony Farm creates, reignites family legacies
SPRING GROVE — Laura Kubes inherited peonies from her grandmother and great-grandmother. Now, since purchasing a peony farm a few years ago, over 600 varieties of peonies shower her rural Spring Grove acreage with vibrant blooms.
The location is Hidden Springs Peony Farm, owned by Kubes and her husband, Bryan, and their daughters, Gwen, Bianca and Mira. The family purchased the flower farm — which opened in 2012 — in late 2022.
With a legacy of passing down peonies, Kubes said buying the peony farm felt right.
“Peonies can be a family heirloom,” she said. “They live for more than 100 years, and they’re just such a great and beautiful sign of spring. I think it’s something fabulous to look forward to after a long winter.”
