Roger-Kansas
Member
My father has gone through life quietly, working hard trying to make a decent living. He is this year’s 2014 K&O Steam & Gas Engine clubs feature member. He was embarrassed when the reporter writing this article asked him how many awards and honors he had received. He answered; none.
My father worked to improve every piece of land he farmed, flat or rolling there was a way to improve it. In the mid 60’s he rented the farm south of the home place. It was 160 acres in 17 patches, ditches, trees, trash, junk, gullies and very little top soil. With a Minneapolis Moline M5 loader tractor, the Oliver 550 and two bottom plow and the G VI Moline with a dirt mover I had built in the Ag Shop we started in. Whenever there was extra time or money we worked on this farm. My father refused government help. He’d had dealings with them before and felt they had no imagination and only knew how to throw money away. After 40 years of improvements he decided to get complete control of all the water coming off of other farms onto this one. The government agency that tried to get involved agreed it could be done but would require too much money and machinery and besides; that’s not how they did things.
The farm east of mine has received all kinds of awards for soil and water conservation. It has washed away over the years and the topsoil has ended up in my waterway causing me a great deal of problems. We discussed this and worked out a plan. He took his old road grader to his farm and brought the Minneapolis Moline Big Mo 500 with backhoe, his trusty GB Moline with a loader and of course the Red Ford truck to my place. Over the next month he hauled 238 loads of top soil to his farm and shaped it so he could add another terrace. This proved to be so successful we decided to add another terrace. 388 loads later and the next terrace was done. A job the government said couldn’t be done was accomplished with nothing newer than 1970 and an 83 year old man that refused to listen to the United States Government.
When the Habitat for Humanity workers told him the boom truck to put trusses on the house was costing $75.00 an hour and going up he offered to do the job with is boom truck. No charge.
My father is not one to waste anything. When the city or county has to remove a tree he gets it and cuts it into lumber. The Industrial Arts teachers know him and send students out that can’t afford lumber for a project. When they ask how much do I owe you; the answer is always the same. Oh; I don’t know, just take it, if you need more come back.
Roland’s home is filled with awards. Beautiful handmade items from grateful students. Pictures of homes he helped build. Old antique artifacts that people have given him for helping them out. And most importantly the crops that grow on the land he has cared for.
Hope this works.
My father worked to improve every piece of land he farmed, flat or rolling there was a way to improve it. In the mid 60’s he rented the farm south of the home place. It was 160 acres in 17 patches, ditches, trees, trash, junk, gullies and very little top soil. With a Minneapolis Moline M5 loader tractor, the Oliver 550 and two bottom plow and the G VI Moline with a dirt mover I had built in the Ag Shop we started in. Whenever there was extra time or money we worked on this farm. My father refused government help. He’d had dealings with them before and felt they had no imagination and only knew how to throw money away. After 40 years of improvements he decided to get complete control of all the water coming off of other farms onto this one. The government agency that tried to get involved agreed it could be done but would require too much money and machinery and besides; that’s not how they did things.
The farm east of mine has received all kinds of awards for soil and water conservation. It has washed away over the years and the topsoil has ended up in my waterway causing me a great deal of problems. We discussed this and worked out a plan. He took his old road grader to his farm and brought the Minneapolis Moline Big Mo 500 with backhoe, his trusty GB Moline with a loader and of course the Red Ford truck to my place. Over the next month he hauled 238 loads of top soil to his farm and shaped it so he could add another terrace. This proved to be so successful we decided to add another terrace. 388 loads later and the next terrace was done. A job the government said couldn’t be done was accomplished with nothing newer than 1970 and an 83 year old man that refused to listen to the United States Government.
When the Habitat for Humanity workers told him the boom truck to put trusses on the house was costing $75.00 an hour and going up he offered to do the job with is boom truck. No charge.
My father is not one to waste anything. When the city or county has to remove a tree he gets it and cuts it into lumber. The Industrial Arts teachers know him and send students out that can’t afford lumber for a project. When they ask how much do I owe you; the answer is always the same. Oh; I don’t know, just take it, if you need more come back.
Roland’s home is filled with awards. Beautiful handmade items from grateful students. Pictures of homes he helped build. Old antique artifacts that people have given him for helping them out. And most importantly the crops that grow on the land he has cared for.
Hope this works.
