Joe and Barb Smetana built their farming operation just outside of Pine City on Government Road from scratch. Barb was raised on a family farm near Beroun, but Joe bought his first farm land in 1973 and the farming grew from there. They have lived on this farm since 1991 and raised crops on the land before that.

And now they are being honored as the Pine County 2008 Farm Family by the University of Minnesota Extension. Joe calls it “an honor and a privilege to represent Pine County’s farmers.”

They gave up the dairy farming for about five years while their family was young, and both Joe and Barb were working full-time off the farm. Joe still works full-time doing trim work for Kraft Builders. Eight years ago, Barb gave up her job at a bank to return to full-time plus work on the farm. They got back into dairy farming at this point.

Joe said one of the good things about his off-the-farm job is the skills he’s gotten there. He built the house and all of the buildings on their farm. He said it feels good to know they really built the farm literally from the ground up.

They describe cleaning up the present home site. Joe went through several pairs of leather gloves just cleaning up all of the barbed wire. They still use the old well from the site but the beautifully maintained large lawn and flowers, red barns and buildings and the house bear little resemblance to when they first bought the land.

Their current farming operation includes milking about 30 cows, raising their own feed and crop farming 300 acres of corn, beans and alfalfa hay. They also do custom combining and grain drying.

Their daughters Missy (17) and Kayla (16) are a vital part of the family farm. While Joe and Barb do most of the milking and field work, their daughters help with feeding, driving the tractor, hauling grain, baling hay, yard work, gardening and anything else required in the busy day-to-day life on the farm. Missy is a senior in high school and plans to go to college in Duluth to become an eye doctor while Kayla, a junior, is going to be a pastry chef after going to school in the Twin Cities. Both say they enjoy country living but are not planning to live on a farm. However, it is obvious they enjoy their lives.

Joe gets home each day a little after 4 p.m., and then it’s time for his other full-time job as a farmer. They just completed their second crop of alfalfa hay.

Barb said, “We get a little breather now. This is a bumper crop this year, so different from the last couple of years. With fuel and fertilizer going sky high, it’s nice to have a good crop of hay.”

Barb and Joe talk about how the weather affects farming and also the cost of fertilizer, fuel and equipment. They said fertilizer has almost tripled in price over the last couple of years and there is rumor that it could double again for next year.

“We try to get every plant possible on an acre. We get about 30,000 corn plants on an acre,” Barb said.

In addition to the work on the farm, the family has a strong sense of the need to be involved in their community. Joe served on the Pine City Township Board for 12 years, including a time as board chair. He is a board member and past president of the Rock Creek Lions. Joe said it’s important to be involved in community and give something back.

“You give 110 percent to the farm, and then you also donate your time to help others,” Joe said. “That is important.”

Barb served on the board of the Pine City Cooperative Nursery School and has volunteered countless hours at church and St. Mary’s School activities.

The Smetana’s were recognized at the Pine County Fair this past weekend. On Aug. 7, they will be in Redwood Falls for another awards ceremony at the annual Farmfest where they will be recognized, along with 67 other farm families from around the state, by the University of Minnesota. Governor Tim Pawlenty has proclaimed Aug. 7 as Farm Family Recognition Day.

The family is looking forward to a couple of days to relax and slow down just a bit. Joe is also looking forward to talking to other farmers from other parts of the state and “looking at new John Deere tractors.”

According the University of Minnesota’s Web site, “The Farm Family Recognition Program has existed for over two decades and honors farm families from throughout Minnesota for their contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities. All of the honored farm families have made significant contributions to Minnesota agriculture and their communities.”

“The University of Minnesota is proud to recognize these farm families for their contribution to agriculture and their communities,” said Bev Durgan, dean of University of Minnesota Extension. “Farm families are the foundation of Minnesota agriculture and major contributors to the vitality of our communities.”

Families receiving honors were selected by the local county extension committees and have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture and agriculture production.

Allen Levine, dean of the U of M’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences said, “We’re proud to salute these families and their hard work to put food on our tables.”

Their neighbor, Steve Hallan, said, “The Smetana’s are the best neighbors that anyone could find in the whole world. They are willing to help in community projects or just come over and help bale hay.”

Barb said it is an honor to be chosen Pine County’s 2008 Farm Family.

“It’s nice to raise kids in the country and be doing something worthwhile. It just makes life easier for everyone to be helpful. That’s the way Joe and I were brought up, and we hope to instill those same values in our kids.”

Often, the night meal isn’t until 8:30 or 9 p.m. after a long evening’s work, but Joe describes one of the best rewards of farming is enjoying a meal you raised completely on your farm—hamburger from beef you raised, a fresh salad of vegetables from your garden and potatoes you also raised.

He said, “It doesn’t get any better than that.”