FEATURE RANDOLPH, Neb.—There has been a time in society’s history when a woman might have looked down upon the hard life as a farm wife. But if Angie Brodersen could choose just one word to describe her role in the family farm, it would be: blessed. “It is a surreal feeling each morning to wake up and be living your dream: what you wanted for yourself, your spouse and your children,” the Yankton native said. “I am a blessed woman.” Brodersen and her husband of eight years, Ryan, own and operate Brodersen Family Farms, a diversified crop and livestock farm near Randolph, where they grow 3,000 acres in a corn and soybean rotation, manage 300 head of breeding cows, feed 3,000 to 4,000 antibiotic-free hogs for Niman Ranch and oversee a small trucking fleet. “I love being a farm wife and raising our children on the farm,” Angie said. “Ryan is an amazing husband. He treats me as a business partner. Every decision that is made on our farm is done together. He regularly asks me for my input on things regarding our operation.” As if that’s not impressive enough, all of this was accomplished by Ryan and Angie on their own, neither inheriting the farm. Rather, they started off from scratch, with Ryan renting his first 17 acres when they were both age 19—each relying on nothing but faith in their dream and a willingness to work really hard to get there. “Being in business with your spouse can be trying at times, but I truly believe if Ryan and I had not started with nothing but each A Day In The Life of a Modern Farm Wife other and a dream, the struggles on and off the farm would be much more difficult to weather through,” Angie said. “I look back at our most difficult times and when we were trying to get started farming, and those are some of my most cherished memories. I truly feel we are living our dream, and not many people can say that.” That’s not to say neither have a little farm blood in their family tree. Ryan was raised on a farm until he was 12 or 13, and Angie was an active 4-H member through her youth showing horses and club lambs. The high school sweethearts graduated from Yankton in 2001. Angie later earned her Bachelor of Science from South Dakota State University in 2005, working various jobs, the last of which was as an account executive for 94 Rock Radio in Norfolk, Neb., until mid-2012 when she was able to stay at home with their two sons and help Ryan in running the daily operations of the farm. Keeping Smiles Healthy & Young 1101 Broadway Ste. 105, Morgen Square 605.665.2448 www.scott-family-dentistry.com Experience Gentle, Personalized Dental Care For Your Entire Family! 8 v HERVOICE JULY/AUGUST 2014