Jeff and Natalie Jerzak of rural Ivanhoe are carrying on the tradition of farming and agriculture that Jeff saw with his own parents, Jerome and Mary Jerzak.

They continue to press on with faith in God and the enjoyment of raising a family in a rural setting. Although there are ups and downs in farming, Jeff and Natalie enjoy the lifestyle and work.

Jeff learned at a very young age hard work and responsibility were necessary for farming.

As a youngster, Jeff helped his parents with a variety of farm chores and began to realize what hard work were all about. After learning the fundamentals of farming from his dad, Jeff began raising feeder cattle in 1994.

Jeff graduated from Lincoln HI High School in 1997, the same year he began farming 120 acres of land located 2-1/2 miles north of Ivanhoe on the old Frank Janiszeski farm.

For the first few years farming was not an easy task for Jeff who raised soybeans, corn and feeder cattle. Dealing with adverse weather conditions was a challenge, especially in the summer of 1997 when Jeff's entire crop was severely damaged by a hail storm.

Jeff realized these unfortunate happenings were not uncommon in farming, but knew he had to find other ways to earn money. So in 1998, Jeff bought a semi truck and hopper bottom grain trailer and began doing custom grain hauling. He also did custom livestock hauling in order to supplement his income. Jeff still does some of these duties on the side in order to pay the bills and maintain his active interest in farming.

Jeff has expanded his farm operation by purchasing more land and farm equipment.

As a farmer, Jeff markets grain, plans for next year's crop, which involves ordering chemicals, fertilizers, seed and other necessary duties. Checking and maintaining his farm equipment is especially important, as he wants to keep it in top working condition each year.

"In my line of work, there is no set schedule of work as it changes with the season and depending on how the weather behaves," Jeff said.

Jeff does most of his own plowing, seeding, spraying and harvesting with Case International farm equipment.

"During the spring of the year, I'm usually busy planting corn and soybeans," he said. "After the planting is finished, there is plenty of rock picking to be done as well as spraying the corn and soybeans for weeds, harmful insects and other pests.

Once the spraying is completed, my work consists of mowing road ditches and baling hay which can become a little tedious.

"These duties are followed by a second round of spraying which is for weeds embedded in the soybeans and also for bugs in the soybean fields," he said.

The sprays usually wipe out aphids, spider mites and bean leaf beetles.

"The second round of spraying is usually wrapped up by the end of July or the first part of August," he said. "Harvesting or combining wheat is done during the first part of August as well."

Jeff also helps his dad Jerome and younger brother Tim with the seed wheat process during this time of the year.

When the soybean harvest begins at the end of September, Jeff is hauling grain to the bins and harvesting.

Once the harvest is over, and the farm season is completed, Jeff begins planning for the next year's operation.

One person who has been a big part of Jeff's life is his wife, Natalie, whom he met in 2001 and married in 2004.

Natalie grew up on a farm near Canby to parents Barb and Donn Peterson. She is a 1997 graduate of Canby High School. Natalie graduated from the College of St. Benedict. After graduation, Natalie lived in the Twin Cities for three years where she worked in education. Later she received her master's degree in education from South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. She has been employed as a school counselor at Marshall High School for the past four years.

One of Natalie's main responsibilities is to help juniors and seniors with college planning and choosing classes that may be beneficial or are required for a future career. She also assists with the administration of state testing which is required for graduation at all grade levels. She also counsels students who may be dealing with personal issues.

"Although my work may become challenging at times, I truly enjoy my job because I have a great team of coworkers and it's rewarding to be helpful to teens and students when they need that "extra" support and guidance," Natalie said.

"Another challenge is balancing a family along with my professional career, which isn't always an easy task," she said.

Natalie and her husband, Jeff, are the parents of Lincoln, 2.

The Jerzaks enjoy camping, boating, fishing, hanging out at the lake, attending basketball games, and spending time with friends and extended family members.

Jeff is a volunteer fireman and a Knights of Columbus member. He also serves as an usher and Eucharistic minister at St. John Cantius Catholic Church in Wilno.

Natalie is as a Eucharistic minister and is an active member of St. Ann's Circle women's church group in Wilno. Natalie is also on the curriculum committee at Lincoln HI HIgh School in Ivanhoe.

She also enjoys gardening, assisting Jeff with a variety of farm chores in the summer and raises her own homegrown vegetables.

Jeff admits that farming has its advantages and disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages are the challenging daily schedule, unpredictable weather, constantly fluctuating grain prices, and the uncertainty of knowing whether your yearly crop production will be successful.

"On the positive side, the advantages include being your own boss, making your own decisions, enjoying the fresh, wide open air of the country, raising our son in a friendly, rural environment, and having the satisfaction of watching crops grow and mature on a yearly basis," Jeff said. "Maintaining a good crop requires knowledge, time, effort, patience, and hard work, like in any job."

Jeff jeff also gives special credit to his dad, Jerome, for sharing his wisdom, knowledge, faith and whatever else it takes to be a successful and productive farmers these days, despite tough economic times.