Faces & Places: Casey & Kim Englund

Tell us about your farm. My husband, Casey, and I bought 15 acres north of Evansville 13 years ago. We have most of it in pasture for horses. We used to raise a lot of orphan calves and piglets from anyone in the area who needed help. One time, we found a 15-pound piglet on the side of the road in South Dakota. We were on our way home from a rodeo at 11 p.m., and there was a sunburnt piglet covered in wood ticks standing on the edge of the road. He quickly became a hit on Facebook. He had a full run on the farm and loved to play in the arena when we were riding horses.

For poultry, we have chickens, ducks, turkeys and guineas. I love guineas; they eat so many bugs, frogs, mice or anything else that moves. If a turtle comes through the yard, they will surround it until it makes its exit. We also have a couple of goats, and we put up hay on a few smaller fields.

What are moments during the year that you really cherish being on the farm? There is something each season that can make living on a farm a blast. In the spring, you get to plant anything you want, and there are baby chicks running around. In the summer, you get to watch everything grow. We don’t have an actual garden, so instead, we like to grow plants that come up every year: rhubarb, asparagus, apple trees, plum trees, strawberries, raspberries, juneberries, aronias, Nanking cherries, grapes and horseradish. We also grow pumpkins to sell in the fall.

What are some accomplishments you are proud of? We grew up in town, so it was a goal to someday buy a farm. We are proud that we get to raise our family in the country. Willow loves all kinds of farm animals, and Conway loves everything outdoors like hunting and fishing. As a family, we make lefse a few nights a week in the fall. We have a drive-thru that is open in November and December, which has really taken off and earned its place on Google Maps.

Tell us about your daily routine on the farm. We both have full-time jobs off the farm. In the mornings, the chickens have an automatic door, so you will see them in the yard pretty early. We usually make the rounds to ensure all the animals are accounted for and everyone is healthy. Then after work, we check all the animals again. With all the plants, there is sometimes watering to be done, too. After work and on weekends are when we get to focus on putting up hay.

What is the hardest and best part of your day? On the farm, there is always work to be done. It is hard to step back and take a break. It gets tough to keep up with all the tasks, especially when we keep planting more and more. It  can also be the best part, because you can appreciate all the goods in the fall when you make jelly and juice or trade goods with neighbors.

What motivates you on the farm? The belief that we will be going back to small farming. There are more and more people wanting to know where their food comes from and what is actually in it. We have an incredible group of neighbors, and if we need a mentor to teach us any part of farming, they are all willing to help us.

What do you hope the next five to 10 years look like on your farm? We will keep planting more fruit and plants that will produce food. Another goal would be to learn all we can and then teach the next generation how to grow and preserve what they grow.

What words of wisdom do you have for future generations of farmers? Don’t be afraid to jump in and learn something new. If you buy a farm, keep things the way the last farmer had it set up, as they usually have figured out the easiest and most cost-effective way to run things. Even if you have to start small, set your goals each year and keep growing and learning. There are a lot of retired farmers who have a lot of knowledge to share, so don’t be afraid to call them.