Brooke Hendrickx Bridges Agribusiness and Family Farming on a Visit to Walt Bones' Operation

Having open conversations about food and farming with South Dakotans and the farmers who grow it is what we do. In fact, that’s what Hungry for Truth is all about. We had an exciting opportunity to connect Sioux Falls Chamber Agribusiness Manager Brooke Hendrickx with Walt Bones, a 4th-generation farmer from Parker, S.D., to chat about sustainable farming practices, agricultural technology, and innovation, and the Bones family legacy. Below, Brooke shares her learnings from her visit to Walt’s farm. 

Growing up on a farm, I was mesmerized by the stories from the past my dad could tell. Stories of all the towns he would deliver farm equipment to, the first livestock he ever got, advancements in agriculture, those who didn’t survive the hard times of the 1980’s, and those who took the hard times and made it an opportunity for their operation to thrive with a changing world. That is what 4th generation farmer Walt Bones III, and his brothers Jim Bones and Steve Bones did. Dating back to the 1879 homestead and Bones Hereford Ranch, the history of their operation is as rich as the soil it sits on.  In 1985, Hexad Farms emerged as an operation that manages and partners with Bones Hereford Ranch, Bones Feedyard, Bones Elevator Company, MDM Farms, and Turner County Dairy. 

Deep into corn harvest, myself and the Hungry for Truth team received a firsthand view from the combine of the 10,000 acres they plant and harvest with Mike VanHove, who is now a part of the 5th generation with MDM Farms. Harvesting 12 rows at a time on a field named “10,000 lakes” for its many low spots, it was easy to see how technology has been able to help them navigate seeding rates and utilize resources, like fertilizer, on this field to get the most bushels per acre.

After our time with Mike, we followed Walt to the Bones Hereford Ranch. While giving us a tour of the elevator offices, Walt showed us pictures and paintings that decorated the walls. Each one holds its own story to their family, friends, and the operations. My favorite was a painting of a Hereford bull, who was an industry changer for Bones Hereford Ranch and played a role in the credibility of their Hereford operation for years to come. 

We loaded up for a short drive to the feedlot, which houses replacement dairy females for the Turner County Dairy and some beef cattle. Walt described how they are able to take a small tissue sample from the calf’s ear and send it to a lab for testing, and the results can tell them the future of that specific animal's milking yield! How cool is that to know the future of an animal before it steps foot in the parlor! 

The Bones Sale Barn, a nationally recognized Historic Barn on the rolling plains of Turner County, was our next stop. Walt showed us where the original sale ring sat, which brought cattlemen from near and far for the annual production sales. As production sales scaled back, we walked through how they transitioned the barn to house cattle and serve other various uses throughout the year. 

On our drive to Turner County Dairy, we talked about stewardship practices they have in place in which the Bones family prides themselves. Walt pointed out the buffer strips that sit on either side of the creeks/rivers, sprouting cover crops, and organic fertilizer utilization. These practices allow them to care for and maintain cropland and pastureland at a rate that will keep it prosperous for years to come. Moreover, these practices allow them to care for wetlands, and other habits and natural resources encompassing their land. 

Our first stop at the dairy, of course, was the calf barn. We walked through the barn, seeing calves in individual pens and, of course, getting some head scratches in! The next barn calves are penned with other calves and have access to feed and a milk machine. This machine reads the RFID chip in the calves’ ears, which allows them to drink from the machine. With the help of this machine over time, calves can be slowly weaned off milk and ready for the next stage of farm life.

Before heading to the parlor, we stopped in one of the milk cow barns. A continuous breeze runs through the barn, not only for ventilation but also to keep the cows cool. You can rarely hear a pin drop on the farm, yet you could in that barn. As it was a barn full of happy, healthy quiet cows who were relaxing after their time in the parlor.  

Once we were inside the parlor, we learned that they milk 24 hours a day, with 56 cows in the parlor at one time and 28 cows on each side. We could see how each cow knew right where to go in the parlor. For me, being in the parlor was like being at home, listening to the hum of the milk pump and the swishing of tails. In the milk house stood two giant bulk tanks that store milk after it has been cooled. The Turner County Dairy produces 105,000 gallons of milk a week, that is 6,562.5 glasses of 8 oz milk! 

5 generations of the Bones family history have been marked by many awards and accolades. Just like many other farmers, the greatest award they receive is the humble pride they have in taking care of the land, livestock, and community for the next generation of agriculture!