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REGIONAL—N’West Iowa grain prices have gone into a downward spiral recently after going on a bumpy roller coaster ride.
Despite slightly fluctuating corn and soybean prices through the months of February, March and April, prices saw a somewhat steady incline in May until they peaked during the first part of June.
But, prices have been on a steady decline since.
John Hansen, grain manager at the Farmers Co-op Society in Sioux Center, said the fluctuating prices earlier in the year could be attributed to the drop in the price of petroleum.
“Part of that also has to do with the fears of inflation floating around,” he said. “The economy is not improving as much as everyone thought it was.”
As the corn and soybean prices peaked, Hansen said the livestock, dairy, poultry and ethanol industries were losing money and were depending on corn to stay afloat.
“It’s Economics 101,” Hansen said.
Grain prices bottomed out on July 10 at Ag Partners in Sheldon — with corn at $3 per bushel and soybeans at $9.96. Hansen said the decline is largely due to the national economic downturn, adding that an unseasonably cool summer and the large amount of precipitation Iowa has received as of late also are contributing factors.
“Who would have ever thought we would get 6-8 inches of rain the first 10 days in July? That’s unheard of,” he said. “I was talking to farmers that have been doing this for 50-60 years, and they said they have never seen this consistent of precipitation.”
Despite the recent weather conditions, Hansen still considers the cooler summer weather to be good for growing conditions and said farmers can expect good yields should no major weather catastrophe occur.
However, until the economy starts improving, Hansen doesn’t see grain prices increasing much, if any at all.
“I wouldn’t look for prices to stay very strong or get stronger until something changes,” he said. “We probably won’t see a huge spike up until well into 2010 or even 2011, as the economy starts to improve.”
So, what does that mean for N’West Iowa producers?
“They need to have a good business plan,” Hansen said. “When the opportunity arises, sell at a decent margin. Don’t try to hit the home run for $4-$4.50 per bushel of corn. In today’s market, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”This article appeared in the July 18, 2009 edition of The N'West Iowa REVIEW.
LEMARS—“Once you do it, it gets into you and you love it.”
So said local motocross aficionado Justin Jongerius.
He first saddled a motorcycle when he was only 5. His dad, Kelly, taught him how to ride.
“My dad was a very accomplished rider, himself. He was really all I needed,” Jongerius said. “Between him and a few people I became friends with that were really good riders, I just kind of picked it up along the way.”
The Sheldon native cites his interest in BMX — bicycle motocross — as another factor that progressed his riding ability, but he maintains the main credit goes to Kelly.
“I’ve got to give all the credit to him as far as why I’m doing it,” Jongerius said. “How I did it financially, how I did it with my equipment and how I did it as a rider was all because of him.”
While Jongerius learned to ride a motorcycle at a young age, he did not make his foray into motocross racing until later.
Racing hare scrambles, or cross country tracks, beginning at age 8, Jongerius’ talent accelerated along with his age. By the time he was 16, Jongerius was introduced to the “A” class, or pro class on the local circuit.
“I did that basically until this year,” he said.
Now 32 and living in LeMars, Jongerius has taken a step back from the sport.
Literally.
To combat the volumes of necessary training and discipline, Jongerius has dropped down to the “B” class, or intermediate division.
“I’m doing this for fun now, as opposed to in the past, when I took it pretty seriously,” he said.
When Jongerius was in his prime, he would ride about three days a week.
“I would try to ride as much as I could, and race as much as I could, too,” he said.
As if he did not get his fill of the sport during the summer, Jongerius also would ride wintercross during the colder months.
“It’s basically a condensed version of the sport done inside a hockey rink,” Jongerius said. “I’ve raced everywhere from Milwaukee to Las Vegas inside arenas.”
When Jongerius was not busy competing, he was training.
“It’s been taken up in studies that motocrossers are probably right around decathletes and soccer players at the most physically fit athletes in any sport,” Jongerius said.
Jongerius cites cardiovascular training as the most important for the sport, as riders need to be able to perform while experiencing a high heart rate. Weight training also is important.
“That’s one of the hardest disciplines — disciplining yourself to maintain a proper diet and train as much as you can,” Jongerius said. “The guys who succeed are the guys who stick to that and do as much as they can.”
Since Jongerius has dropped down to the intermediate circuit, so has his training. He now only rides once a week or once every two weeks.
“I basically come off the couch to race, that’s how I refer to it,” he said. “I don’t train as much anymore. I’m busy with my job and life has taken over.”
That has not stopped Jongerius, who works as the parts manager at Glen’s Sports Center in Sheldon, from remaining a motocross fiend.
Serving as president of the Midwest Motocross Series, a tristate area of the Motocross Series, Jongerius does his best to compete at and attend all of the events at the motocross race tracks in Sheldon, LeMars and Homer, NE.
Competing in Open B Intermediate and Vet Plus 30, a division specifically for riders over the age of 30, Jongerius is able to maintain the talent he has accumulated over the years.
That’s not what he enjoys most about the sport, though.
“The thing I enjoy most about moto is the friendships and the family environment,” he said. “It truly is a family sport.”
Jongerius said moms, dads, kids and even grandparents get into the races, and rarely are there any confrontations.
“Of course, it happens,” he said. “People get competitive and it can happen from time to time, but it really is a family involved sport, and that’s probably what I like the most about it — the friendships and the camaraderie you get with the other riders.”
With motocross being so family-oriented, Jongerius’ two daughters, 9-year-old Jordyn and 7-year-old Shaylei have been around the sports and have certainly expressed interest.
“They’re starting to get their feet wet just starting to ride,” Jongerius said. “If they just want to ride for fun, I’ll be perfectly happy with that, because I know what I’ve been through.”
After more than seven concussions, two broken bones in his leg and several shoulder separations, Jongerius will not even attempt to deny how dangerous motocross is.
“There have been many times when I’ve laid there after a crash or in the hospital and said, ‘Why am I doing this?’” Jongerius said. “Every time I get back on my bike I remember why. It’s because I love it so much. I love that feeling of not knowing what’s going to happen.”ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT:
Looking to break into the sport of motocross?
Here’s a list of items former professional rider Justin Jongerius suggests you obtain:
Goggles.
Helmet.
Riding outfit, consisting of riding gear pants and a jersey.
Protective boots.
Knee braces. Although not every rider wears these, Jongerius says the protective gear is becoming more common place.
Leatt Brace. - “It’s very similar to what NASCAR and race car drivers wear,” Jongerius said. “It’s a cervical collar that is for prevention of spinal cord injuries.”
Chest protector. - “Some riders wear them, some riders don’t,” Jongerius said. “I recommend it, because not only does it protect you from debris flying off of your competitors’ bikes and when you’re not wearing one — it feels like you’re being shot at close-range with a paintball gun — but also, when you’re in a crash and your bike falls on you or you get run over, it serves as body armor. It just protects you.”
RIDING TIPS:
For motocross riders just beginning, Justin Jongerius of LeMars suggests starting slow.
“Start with what you know how to do and just work your way up from there,” he said. “To me, motocross is 75 percent mental and 25 percent physical. It’s definitely physically demanding, but confidence speaks volumes in this sport. If you act on fear, you’re going to crash.”
SPONSORSHIPS:
A major part of motocross racing is sponsorships, said rider Justin Jongerius.
Starting out, the local professional was sponsored by Glen’s Sports Center in Sheldon and his parents. He also is sponsored by Fox Racing now.
Jongerius said riders can either build up resumes and submit them for possible partnerships or seek out local businesses that could express an interest.
“Back when I was coming up, I was it. I was the only one racing,” Jongerius said. “Now, there are a lot more kids in this area that are starting to get into it, and there are a lot of generous people that will help.”
NOT ONLY FOR BOYS:
“I’ve seen more and more girls getting into this in the last 10 years than I’ve ever seen,” said local motocross racer Justin Jongerius. “There used to be only a few here and there, but now there’s a complete women’s division on the national level.”
Just this year, the first girl motocross racer got sponsored by a factory team, which Jongerius said is huge for women’s motocross.
The reigning women’s national champion is just 16 years old and is deaf.
“She’s an inspiration for a lot of little girls out there,” Jongerius said.This article appeared in the Summer Sports 2009 Sports Leader magazine.
SHELDON—The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that engine issues, not the weather, might have caused the single-engine airplane crash that killed three Wisconsin men on Tuesday, June 23, east of Sheldon.
According to the preliminary accident report issued by the NTSB on Thursday, July 2,
the 1968 Piper PA-28 plane was “destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Sanborn” at 10:56 a.m.
The report stated that Frank Allegretti, 63, of Cambridge, Tom Boos, 60, of Fort Atkinson and Malcom McMillan, 65, of Milton departed from the Fort Atkinson Municipal Airport in southern Wisconsin at 8 a.m.
The trio were flying the refurbished red and white four-seater, co-owned by McMillan, to a prairie dog hunting excursion in Winner, SD, when the aircraft crashed into an embankment along gravel road 310th Street between Oriole and Pierce avenues about four miles east of Sheldon and a mile north of Highway 18.
NTSB senior air safety investigator Aaron Sauer, who is in charge of the investigation, said investigators still are not certain who was flying the plane.
He said Allegretti was seated in the left front seat, McMillan was seated in the right front seat, and Boos was seated in the back seat and could be considered the passenger.
While the left front seat is commonly where the pilot is seated, Sauer said both Allegretti and McMillan each had private pilot’s licenses and were seated with controls in front of them, so either could have been piloting the aircraft.
“It will take some additional work to see if we can determine who was flying and who wasn’t,” Sauer said. “If we cannot determine that, we most often go with whoever was seated in the left front seat.”
The report states that no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, but Sauer said a hand-held global positioning system found on board the plane may help investigators determine the flight’s history, including what led the aircraft to crash, coming to rest in an inverted position.
Sauer said witnesses saw the aircraft shortly before the crash, but he has not found anyone that actually saw the plane go down.
“Two witnesses did observe the plane flying low,” the investigator said. “They heard the engine sputter and cough. The engine then quit, restarted and quit again.”
Sauer said the plane then was lost behind some trees north of the accident site.
“Others observed the plane flying low, and one witness observed the wings rocking back and forth,” he said.
Investigators found skid marks on the cornfield north of 310th Street heading in a southward direction. Measurements taken at the accident site indicate a distance of 100 feet between initial contact with the cornfield and the 180-horsepower Lycoming engine’s resting point.
Although the preliminary accident report was released, Sauer said investigators continue to look for clues for what caused the plane’s engine to malfunction.
“We’re still working on it,” he said. “We’re trying to track down fuel records and maintenance records on the airplane that we have not seen yet. We’re still trying to figure out, but we’re seeking pretty common pieces of information.”
Sauer expects a detailed factual report on the crash to be completed within six months.
“It depends on how quickly we get other information sent to us, like the autopsy reports and the toxicology reports, but I would anticipate this particular case will fall somewhere along that timeline,” he said.
The NTSB office, based in Washington, D.C., then will review the report and assign a probable cause, which will be made public.PAST FATAL PLANE CRASHES:
Here is a list of fatal plane crashes that have occurred in N’West Iowa, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s aviation accident database that dates back to 1962:
Oct. 3, 2003 — A Luscombe 8E was destroyed after impacting trees and terrain northwest of Orange City, killing the pilot, Wesley Huisman, 51, rural Orange City, and a passenger, Wayne Keizer, 51, Mesa, AZ, formerly of Sioux Center. There were no witnesses to the accident, and the aircraft was found in the northwest corner of a small field, owned by the pilot’s father, about 75 yards away from two farm buildings and a silo. The destroyed aircraft was found in a near vertical position with the wreckage contained in a small area. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to the pilot’s failure to maintain obstacle clearance from the trees while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Feb. 6, 1997 — The weather reported at Sioux Falls, SD, about 15 miles from Zannger Field in Larchwood, where the Cessna 150 took off, was freezing fog with one-fourth mile of visibility and 100 feet vertical visibility, with the temperature at minus 8 degrees and the dew point at minus 8 degrees. A witness who lived at the departure airport reported she saw the aircraft start its takeoff roll. She reported that she could not believe the airplane was actually departing because of the dense fog. It impacted the ground about one-half mile east of the departure and end of runway 18, killing the pilot, Robert Forehand 41, Sioux Falls, SD. The NTSB deemed the noninstrument-rated pilot’s takeoff and the weather as probable factors.
May 4, 1984 — At about 10:50 a.m. while en route to Kansas City, ground witnesses heard a snap or boom noise, followed by a high pitch sound of a Piper PA-28-180’s engine. They then observed the aircraft spin or roll out of the overcast sky at an estimated 1,500-2,000 feet. They said the aircraft continued to spin or roll until impacting the ground near Matlock. The witnesses also reported light rain was falling. An examination of the wreckage revealed that both outer wing panels had separated during the flight and were located 3,116 and 2,376 feet from the main wreckage. Both the pilot, Robert Stamp, Madison, MN, and a passenger, his wife, Marilyn, were killed. No pre-impact part failure or malfunction was found. The non-instrument rated pilot had only five hours of simulated instrument time. The NTSB deemed aircraft handling, spatial disorientation, exceeded design stress limits of the aircraft and lack of total instrument time as probable causes, with inadequate preflight planning/preparation, clouds, rain and low ceiling weather conditions as contributing factors.
Nov. 28, 1977 — A Bellanca 8KCAB departed the Canton Municipal Airport in Canton, SD, and lost control near Larchwood, killing the pilot and passenger. The NTSB cited the pilot in command failing to obtain/maintain flying speed as the probable cause.This article appeared in the July 11, 2009 edition of The N'West Iowa REVIEW.
SHELDON—The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration continue to investigate a plane crash that killed three Wisconsin men en route to a South Dakota hunting expedition on Tuesday, June 23, near Sheldon.
While a preliminary accident report was expected to be released this week, nothing was available as of press time on Thursday.
However, NTSB senior air safety investigator Aaron Sauer, who is in charge of the investigation, offered a closer look at what might have brought down the 1968 Piper PA-28 single-engine airplane, as well as the next steps the NTSB plans to take to further the investigation.
According to information released by the FAA, Frank Allegretti, 63, of Cambridge, Tom Boos, 60, of Fort Atkinson and Malcom McMillan, 65, of Milton, were flying the refurbished red and white four-seater, co-owned by McMillan, to a prairie dog hunting excursion in Winner, SD, when the aircraft crashed about 11 a.m. into an embankment along gravel road 310th Street between Oriole and Pierce avenues about four miles east of Sheldon and a mile north of Highway 18.
Sauer said investigators are not sure who was flying the plane.
He said Allegretti was seated in the left front seat, McMillan was seated in the right front seat, and Boos was seated in the back seat and could be considered a passenger.
While the left front seat is commonly where the pilot is seated, Sauer said both Allegretti and McMillan each had private pilot’s licenses and were seated with controls in front of them, so either could have been piloting the aircraft.
“It will take some additional work to see if we can determine who was flying and who wasn’t,” he said. “If we cannot determine that, we most often go with whoever was seated in the left front seat.”
Sauer said the aircraft departed from Fort Atkinson Municipal Airport on Tuesday at an unknown time.
He said no flight plan was filed, although a hand-held global positioning system was found on board the plane and may help investigators determine the flight’s history, including what led the aircraft to crash, coming to rest in an inverted position.
Sauer said witnesses saw the aircraft shortly before the crash, but he has not located anyone that actually saw the plane go down.
“Two witnesses did observe the plane flying low,” Sauer said. “They heard the engine sputter and cough. The engine then quit, restarted and quit again.”
Sauer said the plane then was lost behind some trees north of the accident site.
“Others observed the plane flying low, and one witness observed the wings rocking back and forth,” Sauer said.
Investigators found skid marks on the cornfield north of 310th Street heading in a southward direction. Measurements taken at the accident site indicate a distance of 100 feet between initial contact with the cornfield and 180-horsepower Lycoming engine’s resting point.
Mike Buss, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Sioux Falls, SD, said thunderstorms rolled in the area during late morning, with 0.23 inch of rain falling and up to 45 mph wind gusts. Despite the conditions, authorities have been hesitant to speculate a cause.
“It’s way too early to speculate on a cause,” Sauer said. “We’re still in the fact-gathering stages. We have several pieces to place together before we take the time to even start thinking about a cause.”
Three such pieces Sauer said the NTSB is looking into are man, machine and environment.
The NTSB still is waiting to receive information on McMillan’s and Allegretti’s pilot training and expertise, which most often is gathered from family members. Board members also are continuing to inspect the aircraft and Sauer is working to obtain information about the weather and terrain of the accident site.
“We’re still trying to gather all of this information,” Sauer said. “It takes a while to get everything tracked down.”
The plane, which was removed from the site on Wednesday, June 24, by a recovery operation from Minneapolis, will remain in a secure location until the investigation is completed.
Sauer said autopsies were performed on all three victims at the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny, but he has not received the results. Toxicology tests also are being conducted on McMillan’s and Allegretti’s bodies by the FAA.
After the preliminary crash report is released, a detailed factual report on the crash will not be completed for six to nine months. The NTSB office, based in Washington, D.C., then will review the report and assign a probable cause, which will be made public.
“One thing that important to remember is that if there were any safety issues identified, we would address those immediately,” Sauer said. “We did not find any issues, and that is important for the public to keep in mind, that this accident has nothing specifically related to any other similar aircraft out there.”This article appeared in the July 4, 2009 edition of The N'West Iowa REVIEW.
SHELDON—Three Wisconsin men en route to a South Dakota hunting expedition were killed Tuesday in a plane crash near 310th Street between Sheldon and Sanborn.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration continue to investigate the crash that killed Frank Allegretti, 64, of Cambridge, Tom Boos, 60, of Fort Atkinson and Malcolm McMillan, 65, of Milton.
According to information released by the FAA, Allegretti, Boos and McMillan were flying in a 1968 Piper PA-28 single-engine airplane, co-owned by McMillan, to a prairie dog hunting excursion in Winner, SD, when the aircraft crashed into an embankment along gravel road 310th Street between Oriole and Pierce avenues about four miles east of Sheldon at about 11 a.m.
O’Brien County chief deputy Allen Schuknecht said authorities arrived on the scene shortly after they received a 911 call at 11:01 a.m. Assisting the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Department were the Sanborn Police Department, Sanborn Ambulance, Sanborn Fire and Rescue, Sheldon Community Ambulance Team, Iowa State Patrol and O’Brien County Emergency Management.
Sanborn Fire and Rescue members used the Jaws of Life to gain entry to the fuselage and removed Allegretti, Boos and McMillan.
O’Brien County medical examiner Sara Zoelle pronounced them dead at the scene. Each were transported to Sanford Sheldon Medical Center.
Authorities are referring all public questions to NTSB senior air safety investigator Aaron Sauer; however, he has not responded to repeated attempts to contact him.
Sauer has told other media that the refurbished red and white four-seater departed from Fort Atkinson Municipal Airport on Tuesday at an unknown time.
He said no flight plan was filed, although a hand-held global positioning system was found on board and may help investigators determine the flight’s history, including what led the aircraft to crash, coming to rest in an inverted position.
Sauer said there was no indication of a fuel problem, but investigators still are trying to determine the men’s route to see if they had stopped for fuel.
Investigators found skid marks on the cornfield north of 310th Street heading in a southward direction. Measurements taken at the accident site indicate a distance of 100 feet between initial contact with the cornfield and the 180-horsepower Lycoming engine’s resting point.
Mike Buss, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Sioux Falls, SD, said thunderstorms rolled in the area during late morning, with 0.23 inch of rain falling and up to 45 mph wind gusts. Despite the conditions, authorities have been hesitant to speculate on a cause.
About 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dan McDonald, president of McDonald Roofing Co. of Sanborn was approached by the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Department to use his crane to remove the plane from the ditch.
McDonald’s team spent about an hour and a half setting the plane upright on 310th Street so investigators could better examine the wreckage.
The NTSB offered McDonald payment for his service, but he declined.
For much of Tuesday and Wednesday, Iowa State Patrol troopers took the responsibility to monitor and preserve the site until the plane was removed by a recovery facility from Minnesota.
Sauer said investigators are looking into the aircraft’s maintenance history, as well as the pilots’ training and experience. Autopsies will be performed on all three victims at the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny. A toxicology test also will be conducted by the FAA.
Sauer estimates the NTSB’s preliminary crash report will be available within a week. A detailed factual report on the crash will be released three to six months later.
McMillian, who served as co-chair of flight safety for the annual Experimental Aircraft Association’s fly-in and convention in Oshkosh, WI, and Allegretti each had private pilot’s licenses.
Although Boos did not have a license, he flew ultralight planes in which a pilot’s license is not required.AIRPLANE STATS:
Name: Piper Model PA-28
Built: 1968
Engine: 180-horsepower Lycoming engine
Height: 7 feet, 3 inches
Length: 23 feet, 5 inches
Wingspan: 30 foot
Maximum speed: 148 mph
Maximum weight: 2,450 pounds
Range: 507 miles
Registration number: N7795N
Details: Fixed wing, single-engine plane with four seats
Owners: Jerome Goodger of Milton, WI, is listed as the registered owner. Malcom McMillan of Milton, WI, is listed as another owner
This article appeared in the June 27, 2009 edition of The N'West Iowa REVIEW.
HAWARDEN—N’West Iowans potentially could make use of a new Hawarden-based recreation area as soon as July 1.
L.G. Everist Inc., a Sioux Falls, SD-based construction material and rail transportation company, traded the property for the Hawarden Municipal Airport in a deal that was finalized by the Sioux County Board of Supervisors after a public hearing June 16.
Negotiations for the land swap began about two years ago.
“After we determined the public interest was there, Sioux County Conservation started putting a master plan together,” said Rob Klocke, executive director of the Sioux County Conservation Board.
The plan involved trading L.G. Everist’s South Pit property for the nearly 35 acres of airport property.
The South Pit property consists of about 300 acres of recreational land and about 100 acres of surface water. The area is located in the southwest part of Hawarden and has been closed to the public except for members of the South Pit Club for the past 10 years due to liability concerns.
City and county officials, however, wanted to develop the property for more public use.
They thought the recreation area would enhance the community better than the Hawarden Municipal Airport, located north of town, has. The airport has a 2,030-foot runway, the shortest paved landing strip in Iowa, but the property is landlocked and cannot be expanded.
The Sioux County Conservation Board enacted an agreement with L.G. Everist about a month and a half ago and began cleaning up and mowing the area.
“We’re quite a ways along, but we’re not completely there yet,” Klocke said.
He hopes to have everything in place so the area can be opened to the public soon.
“As far as opening it up for picnics, boating, fishing, hunting and nature studies, we don’t think those activities will take very long to be put in place once we get the land deeded in our name,” Klocke said. “It shouldn’t take too long to get it open. We’re still hoping for July 1.”
With the economic downturn the United States has faced over the last year, Klocke thinks the recreation area, which features three small lakes, a boat ramp and a gravel road, will be an added benefit for Sioux County.
“People are looking for places a little closer to home to go to,” he said. “This way, they won’t have to drive all the way to the Lakes or Yankton for a recreational outing.”
Klocke also thinks people from other communities will be drawn to the area.
“It should draw some people from South Dakota,” he said. “Area along the Big Sioux is a little under explored.”
Especially since Sioux County Board of Supervisors vice chairman John Deger said the area is known for its strong fishing history.
“It’s just a great place to bring your kids and grandkids for some good, clean family fun,” Deger said. “That’s what we’re looking forward to.”
While L.G. Everist has plans to develop the airport property, Deger said nothing has been done at this time.This article appeared in the June 27, 2009 edition of The N'West Iowa REVIEW.
REGIONAL—Can an Iowa family transform two unruly Brits?
Producers of “World’s Strictest Parents,” a documentary-style reality series developed by the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Twenty Twenty Television certainly think so.
Each hourlong episode of the London-based show documents a 10-day stay of two British teenagers under the rules and roof of a host family.
While past episodes have sent the Brits to collide head on with the daily discipline, educational values and parental strictness in international locations like Jamaica, Ghana, India and South Africa, as well as state-side destinations like Alabama, California, Tennessee, Georgia and Arkansas, producers think it is time to bring the show to the Midwest — more specifically, to Iowa.
“We generally think Iowa would be a beautiful backdrop for any of our episodes,” said David Cheesman, assistant producer of Twenty Twenty Television. “It’s an area that we don’t have on screen that much in the UK, so it will be interesting to give it some screen time, to see what’s going on there and to get our teenagers involved in a farming community.”
One girl and one boy between the ages of 16 and 18 will travel to Iowa for the in-depth segment, to be filmed July 17-26.
“They would pretty much be taken on as an extended member of the family,” Cheesman said. “They would be expected to live under the house rules, partake in the family and farming chores and very much just embrace their new family, get involved and enjoy it, finding out what a family is all about.”
He said the teens that will embark on the journey from the United Kingdom to Iowa have lost their way with their birth families and have stopped respecting any sort of familial hierarchy.
“We just want them to go back to thinking about the opportunities that a family has to offer, and we feel that will come from an Iowa farm family,” Cheesman said. “We want kids to see how a family operates, and as a result, become better individuals.”
Although producers are not favoring any particular area in Iowa, Cheesman said mainly larger counties have been expressing interest, but that should not deter any interested families in N’West Iowa.
“We’d be more than happy with anywhere,” he said.
Cheesman expects the experience will be a culture shock for the two Brits.
“We don’t really have matters of land in the UK, certainly not land that’s used for farming, so it will be interesting for the teenagers to see the hard work that goes into farm, how families do that together and how people are often born into the farming world. It’s not a lifestyle choice,” he said. “We really feel it will be a shock for our teenagers to see what else is out there, especially in more rural areas.”
During filming, Cheesman suggests the host family be themselves, not worry about the cameras and go about general day-to-day activities.
“It would just be like having four extra hands around,” he said.
Producers will encourage the family to offer guidance to the two teenagers as they have never worked on a farm before and will undoubtedly have some complaints.
“If they’re moaning about it, just tell them to saddle up and get on with it,” Cheesman said. “Just be on hand to be a parent, because obviously, that’s what a family is all about.”
All of the expenses for the filming and the board of the two teens will be provided for by Twenty Twenty Television, and the host family also will be given an extensive reciprocation for the cost of any food, water and other expenses during the week.
“We just want them to learn to love again,” Cheesman said.This article appeared in the June 20, 2009 edition of The N'West Iowa REVIEW.
