Diehn makes a connection on Haugen farm

Agri News

Thursday, April 12, 2007
http://webstar.agrinews.com/agrinews/288624291595563.bsp

Diehn makes a connection on Haugen farm

He’s seen farming in Iraq and Europe

By Janet Kubat Willette
Agri News staff writer
jkubat@agrinews.com

CANTON, Minn. — Michael Diehn is learning something new every day.

Diehn, who began working on the Vance and Bonnie Haugen farm near Canton in February, has been away from the farm for nearly six years.

He grew up near Arlington and his parents milked cows until he was 11 or 12 years old, when they switched to Simmentals.

He served in the Army and saw action in Iraq and traveled through much of Europe. He saw an advertisement for a farm looking for an employee and called in late November.

He and Bonnie Haugen talked for more than an hour. Both were excited about the opportunity to work together.

Jessica and Michael flew to Minnesota in January, when Michael left the Army with two months of vacation time left. It's been snowy, cold and busy since he arrived and he can't wait to come to work.

"Bonnie's giving me a great stepping stone to start off," Michael said.

Now, he's ready to enroll in the Land Stewardship Project Farm Beginnings Program and learn about setting up a farm of his own. His vision is to have a fruit, vegetable and dairy or beef farm in southeast Minnesota.

He and his wife, Jessica, moved to the area in January and enjoy its natural wonders as well as its big-city closeness.

Jessica, who grew up in a suburb of Frankfurt, Germany, can travel to Rochester or LaCrosse, Wis. Michael can explore the bluff country on his days off.

"It's still exciting to see new stuff here," said Jessica, who works at Hy-View Feeds in Mabel and will soon be working at a Spring Grove resort. Her only previous farm experience was a holiday on an Austrian farm with her mother and sister.

The Diehns chose southeast Minnesota not only because it offered employment, but also because land is less expensive than near Arlington. His parents' farm isn't big enough for Michael to join the operation.

Michael said he doesn't want to have a huge farm and the Haugen operation offered him a good opportunity to learn grass-based farming. He milks in the morning and does chores, which has meant a lot of moving hay this time of year.

He wants to farm because he enjoys working with animals and he wants to be his own boss. Family is important to him and he figures being his own boss will allow him more family time. Michael felt farming tugging at him while in Europe. He saw grass-based dairies in Bulgaria and many dairies near Normandy, France.

Seeing those dairies made him long to farm. He also saw agriculture in Iraq. He saw many sheep herders who herd their sheep across the borders. Insurgents have taken advantage of the herders, paying them money and taking their place so they are able to cross into Iraq. Soldiers check the identification of the herders, who must carry papers similar to a passport.

He saw wheat fields irrigated with water from big ditches. Little ditches carry water from the big ditch across the field, Michael said. The wheat is threshed.

He also saw dairy cows, with a farmer commonly having about a half-dozen cows. He saw a chicken farm that turned his stomach. He and Haugen have a six-month agreement that can be renewed. Now, he gets one day off per week.

"That's part of being a farmer, it's every day. That's your life," Michael said. "You can't put hours on it. It's a farm."

"I think that Michael has a pretty good chance of making it here," Haugen said. "He's been able to put up with me, No. 1. He's a dandy-fine employee."

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