Farming and Freedom: The Best of Both Worlds
After raising four children and farming for four decades, Dennis and Holly Mulder are enjoying their newfound freedom.
Holly operated a flower shop on their farm from 1994 to 2012. Dennis became a Latham® dealer in 1995 and plans to transfer his dealership in 2023. Four years ago, the couple began heading south for a few weeks during the winter. Those weeks have turned into months as their sons, Randy and Jerry, have assumed the day-to-day farming responsibilities.
“We don’t miss scooping snow off the roof,” Dennis says with a smile. The Mulders spend their time on South Padre Island with Holly’s sister and her husband, as well as several couples from their hometown church who winter in the same area. Along with their sons, Dennis and Holly have two grown daughters, Becky and Kelly, and eight grandkids.
“We enjoy visits from our kids and grandchildren,” Holly says. “We play a lot of cards and go on bicycle rides.”
Mulders welcomed two more grandbabies in the past six months.
After spending a few months away during the winter, Dennis and Holly are happy to come home and watch their crops grow.
“We’ve always enjoyed working with Latham Seeds,” Dennis says. “We started planting Latham in the 1970s when 50-bushel soybeans were a big deal! I was doing some custom farming for a guy and his beans were the best. I found out they were Latham, so I started buying some. When the local elevator stopped carrying Latham®, I became a dealer.”
The Mulders have always planted 100% Latham brand soybeans for their strong performance, pointing to top-notch resistance against disease.
“One of my customers planted Latham beside a competitor in a field that had White Mold. The competitor’s variety went 27 bushels per acre and Latham went 60. That product sold a few beans for me! They were an early bean that yielded good.”
Jerry, adds: “We always hear about the quality of Latham beans when our customers open the bag.”
After they pull their trailer home from Texas, the Mulder family gets ready for the summer camping season. Sometimes they camp just four miles away, but it provides a family getaway while allowing their grandkids to participate in extracurricular activities.
This tried-and-true recipe has been in the Mulder family for generations and has become Holly’s go-to fruit recipe.
Grandma V’s Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 T. butter
- ½ cup sugar
- Scant 2 T. vinegar
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Cream together eggs, butter and sugar.
- Mix in vinegar and salt; cook in double boiler until thick, stirring constantly.
- Cool mixture and then add 1 cup whipped cream.
- Pour over fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries, grapes) and refrigerate.
