Harold and Doris Anderson named Clearwater County’s Valley Farmer and Homemaker
Wed, 03/27/2019 - 3:49pm
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By Darlene Sawyer Farmers Independent
By Darlene Sawyer
Farmers Independent
Harold and Doris Anderson of rural Bagley have been named Clearwater County’s Valley Farmer and Homemaker for 2019 according to Al Paulson of the Clearwater County Fair Board. The award is from the Red River Valley Development Association of which Clearwater County is a member. The award will be presented to the Andersons on March 30 at the University of Minnesota-Crookston.
Harold and Doris Anderson have lived on their farm in Popple Township since 1975. They own 537 acres on which they raise oats and hay for their 65 beef cattle and 10 horses. When they first started farming, they owned Holstein milk cows, which they milked until the year 2000. Then they switched over to raising beef cattle. Their son, Shane, who owns 318 acres nearby, owns 80 beef cattle but no horses. Both families rent hay land and pasture.
Harold Anderson, 86, was born and raised with four brothers and four sisters on a farm near Crary, N.D. He attended high school in Crary and worked on a farm. In 1952, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and received his basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was sent to South Korea for part of that war as an artilleryman. After the Korean cease-fire agreement, he remained in Korea until January 1954.
When he returned to Crary, he was hired for a county job for 4-1/2 years. After that he worked as a lineman with Ottertail Power Company for 17-1/2 years. He left Ottertail Power to fulfill his dream of owning his own farm. During this time, he wooed and married a local gal by the name of Doris Morgan. They married on July 10th, 1957. He and his wife read an ad about a farm being for sale in Popple Pownship in Clearwater County and bought it.
Doris, 81, was born on a farm in nearby Southam, N.D. She said, “I had three sisters…..and we had to help with the farm work as there were no boys. “I was the ‘boy.’ We went to grade school in Southam; however, we graduated from Crary High School. We knew Harold’s family. After high school I attended Minot Teachers College for one year and earned a certificate to teach in a country school. For two years I taught at a country school in Webster County, N.D. I taught seven grades the first year. I taught six grades the second year.. My salary was $190 a month.”
Harold and Doris raised six children -- Shane, Lynn, Jeff, Kory, Linda, and Beth. They have a blended family of 15 grandchildren.
According to Harold and Doris, “When we moved to the farm in Popple Township, the house needed cleaning and the toilet was broken. We lived in our shed for a week while the main house was cleaned and the toilet repaired. We were just like the old homesteaders. Our plan was to raise cattle, so we bought five milk cows. When those five were paid for, we bought five more. We kept building up our herd. Harold bought an old 1930’s tractor which we still have. Doris worked for three years at the Bagley Elementary School.”
What were some of their biggest challenges? Getting enough hay, because their biggest fear was to run out of hay for their cattle. Harold explained, “Our cows came through okay because we have a lot of pasture and we fed them supplemental feed. All of our cattle and calves are numbered. If our cattle are bellowing early in the morning or late at night, we take our ATV to check to see what’s going on. The cattle know us. They warn us if something isn’t right or if a wild animal is around. Six years ago, wolves started appearing. We lost four or five calves last year (the calves simply disappeared). We believe that it was wolves but we couldn’t prove it. Last year we believe that a bear killed one of our calves….again, we couldn’t prove it. Bears are hard on fences, too, as they just crawl right through.”
Harold continued, “A nearby addition to our neighborhood is the new Shooting Star Casino. When the Casino celebrates with fireworks, it drives our cattle crazy…the fireworks sounds are louder than gunshots….the cows bellow…and they run..run..run. My wife thinks the loud sounds hurt the cows’ ears. There is heavy traffic on the roads, too.”
Another challenge for the Andersons has been the prices for cattle. The prices are unpredictable; however, the prices were much better in the 2000’s.”
Doris smiled a she reminisced about their children as they grew up. She added, “Our children were members of the Falk 4-H Club. They showed Holstein cows and earned trips to the Minnesota State Fair. They exhibited a lot of craft stuff, too. But, it was hectic around our farm before the Clearwater County Fair time as the kids usually waited until the last minute to do their projects, and to teach their show cattle to follow lead.”
In 1982 they built a big dairy barn. On Nov. 6, 1985, a faulty fluorescent light caused a fire and burned it down. They were milking 83 cows at the time, but the cows escaped the fire. They did not rebuild the barn; they just remodeled an old shed that was on the farm.
Doris added, “I don’t enjoy gardening….but I love to bake. I was usually helping out my husband and kids with outside work as I hauled and unloaded the hay into the hay sheds. We usually had hay all over the place. I don’t can much now as it is just Harold and I; however, I can peaches and freeze corn. My daughter-in-law Jill keeps us supplied with fresh vegetables.
For retirement, they have no plans to travel to distant places, Doris explained, “For the past six years, we have been going to doctors to maintain our health. Harold has had 14 stents put into his heart within the last six years, and he is battling type 2 diabetes. I have been battling A-Fib and have had a clip put on a valve in my heart…but…I don’t have diabetes….just arthritis. I love to sew but I have trouble with my hands now. Harold enjoys woodworking when he has time. He just doesn’t have a heated shed to work in. His favorite farm job is cutting and baling hay.”
The saddest thing for the Anderson family was the death of their grandson Blake Larson (son of Beth) who was shot during hunting season. A young boy discharged his gun, the bullet ricocheted off a tree, and hit Blake in the heart and killed him.
Their advice to others? “Accept what you get….there are too many dollar signs out there…forget about that…appreciate what you have….quit looking at what everybody else has got. Be grateful for what you have.”
Harold and Doris said that they are grateful for the honor and look forward to the program on March 30 where they will receive their award.