Eastern Iowa Farmer Fall 2021

a big year
Eastern Iowa Farmer photo / Brooke Taylor
A tube connecting grain bins dislodged by high
winds during the derecho punched a hole in
the roof of the cattle shed belonging to the
Ahrendsen Family in Jones County.
temporarily.
One of the bins had been blown off
its foundation, but filling it allowed it to
settle back so it could be tightened down.
“It was egg-shaped a bit, but they fixed
that when they put the new roof on,”
Shelly said. “It’s incredible what they can
fix.”
Dale and Dan Hosch of Hosch Grain
Tec in Hopkinton worked on their bin,
along with electrical, concrete and
construction contractors. In the course of
repairs, the Ahrendsens also decided to
upgrade their dryer, with an eye toward
future harvests.
Shelly tells how their 2-year-old granddaughter
has learned to take the punches
of Mother Nature with a pragmatic attitude.
When she plays with her toy phone,
she calls “the bin guys,” already preparing
for a future life farming.
The Ahrendsens were just grateful
for the ability to continue their lives and
livelihoods.
“This can be replaced,” Lynn said as he
looked at their bin setup. “People can’t.”
Despite a little dryness this summer,
“Every spring, we’re all
excited to start the crop year
over again. That’s why we’re
farmers. You plant the seed
and hope everything goes in
your favor. Sometimes it does.
Sometimes it doesn’t.”
— Shelly ahrendsen
the family looks with hope to the future.
“Every spring, we’re all excited to start
the crop year over again,” Shelly said.
“That’s why we’re farmers. You plant the
seed and hope everything goes in your
favor. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it
doesn’t.” n
Left-to-right: Susan Hunter, CPA,
Cathy Meinsma, CPA, Connie Beer,
Ashleigh Determann, and
Carol Schuster, CPA
1015 6th Ave. • DeWitt, IA 52742
schustercpas.com
563.659.9127
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