Bekius family bands together for harvest

MILACA, Minn. — Farming with family has new meaning for first-time dad, Ken Bekius. He was able to take in corn silage with his infant son, Jay, riding along, and get help from multiple generations of his family as well.

“When it is corn-chopping season, it is a family affair,” Bekius said. “We had quite the crew of us. It’s what we as a family look forward to each year.”

Bekius milks 200 cows in a swing-11 parabone parlor near Milaca. Bekius and his wife, Jillian, welcomed Jay Sept. 20, and the infant got his first tractor ride Sept. 27, held by his mom in the buddy seat, while his dad drove the tractor.

“That was super fun,” Bekius said. “As a first-time dad, that was the coolest thing in the world to have my wife and son in the tractor with me. It gives me hope that there is another generation to hopefully come back to the farm.”

It was all hands on deck at the Bekius farm Sept. 27 as the family set out to bring in corn silage. Bekius’s dad, Curt, grandpa, Al, brothers, Shawn, Brad and Doug, and uncle, Kevin Berndt, neighbor, Mike Kok, and farm hand, Darren Boyle, all pitched in.

Berndt grew up next door to the Bekius family but has since moved to South Carolina. He occasionally drives back to the Mille Lacs County dairy farm to help and visit family.

“As a retired dairy farmer, I need to get my farming fix now and then,” Berndt said. “I have been helping these guys since Ken’s grandpa had the farm.”

Jillian and her sister, Stephanie, and Bekius’s mom, Jackie, and grandma, Jan, made sure there was enough food to feed the crew dinner and supper.

“There is nothing better after a long day of work than a nice hot meal,” Bekius said.

Shawn drove the chopper, Kok, Berndt, Doug and Brad hauled boxes,
Bekius drove the tractor with a blade on the pile, and Curt drove the packing tractor. That day, the crew had a breakdown in the morning, which delayed their efforts until a new part could be brought in. After lunch, the team was able to go again and by the end of the day, they had taken in 900 tons. This is about a third of the 2,600-2,800 tons the farm will need for the year.

“This was our first year that I didn’t have to stop and go home to milk cows,” Bekius said. “We hired two employees this summer to milk the cows so I can work on other things, especially on busy days like today.”

Hiring the employees turned out to be impeccable timing, as Bekius suddenly needed back surgery a week after they were hired.

“We have phenomenal employees,” he said. “They did a super good job at milking, so it was nice that I didn’t have to worry about that while I was laid up. Now, I help with morning milkings and take care of any breedings and any sick cows or calves.”

Typically, Bekius makes two piles and fills a silo of corn silage to feed his herd for the year. However, this year, because of Bekius’ surgery, he cannot climb the silo. So, they are taking a 1-year hiatus from using the silo and filling a bag instead. The family also tried a new variety of corn and wanted to harvest and store that separately from the rest to see how the cows respond to it.

On Sept. 29, Bekius finished the pile that was started on Sept. 27 and began making the second pile. Bekius, his dad and grandpa, and neighbor worked on the pile until his brothers got off from their day jobs to come and help. Bekius said the corn tested at 68% moisture.

“If all goes well today (Sept. 30), we will get our second silage pile done,” Bekius said. “Then we will fill the bag later this week and then all we have left is some custom work. That is only about 100 acres, just for family and neighbors.”

Bekius said corn silage season is not the only time of year his extended family members help him out.

“The family also helps with planting and when we do haylage,” Bekius said. “Our family is based on the great American barter system. We help each other and share the machinery and workload. That makes it nice.”

Even though Bekius is milking cows on his home farm, his journey to dairy farming was not a traditional one. When his dad sold the cows in 2011, he went to work for his uncle, Jay, on his dairy farm until he passed away unexpectedly.

“I have the tractor that belonged to my uncle,” Bekius said. “He and I were very close; he was my best friend. That is who my son is named after.”

Bekius worked for neighboring dairies until he was 22. In 2016, he bought his own herd and started renting the barn from his parents. In 2021, he purchased the farm from his parents and has since expanded his herd to its current size. He has also installed the current parlor and freestall barn.

While Bekius has no further plans of expanding, he is looking forward to raising his family on the farm.

“At the end of the day, family is the most important thing to me,” Bekius said. “Being able to work with family and having my son with me, it really brought the importance of family into perspective. (It showed me) how much I value the harvest season, not just from the farming perspective. This is what we work for all year. But the sense that this is when the whole family comes together, for me, that is the greatest part.”