85-Year-Old Farmer Works On Leaving Beautiful Legacy

85-Year-Old Farmer Works On Leaving Beautiful Legacy AG WORLD 32-1-24 You know Lloyd Hake cares about his property as soon as you drive through the covered bridge over a creek on the driveway leading to his farmhouse. "I have the only covered bridge in Jefferson County," the 85-year-old Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, resident says. He had it built when the old cement bridge on his property crossing Deer Creek had to be replaced. Beautifying his farm and preserving the legacy of his family and agriculture is important to him. With a busy highway running past his farm and developers swallowing up farmland around him, Hake recently placed his 125 acres in a conservation easement trust. The land can be sold, but never developed. Hake's property has ponds fed by artesian wells accented with water wheels made of old Gehl haybine wheels. Hake and his brother, Jerome, built a large wooden water wheel standing next to a shed. He also has a Dutch windmill on his land, which has caught the interest of many passersby. One couple drove in and checked it out, then built one of their own in Iowa. The water wheels fit nicely with Hake's pump jack collection and other antiques of farm equipment he used and collected over the years. He also has arrowheads, gems, his sister's doll collection, and other family treasures preserved. "The whole family is interested in stuff like this," Hake says. "If you are handy with your hands, it doesn't cost much to make many of these things." His brother, Jerome, an electrician, was especially handy building things, Hake adds. When Jerome died, Hake set up a $100,000 scholarship fund in his name for students studying electrical engineering. He did the same for his parents for an agriculture scholarship and for his sister, a former teacher, for a scholarship for students who want to be teachers. The scholarships are a way to honor his family, Hake says. He proudly recalls that the family's farm once had 300 acres and a top producing Holstein herd. Now that the bachelor is in his 80's, he hires more work done to meticulously maintain the farmstead. "He's dedicated his whole life to this place," said Jan Hake, Lloyd's niece. "A lot of people travel and see different places in the world. This has always been enough for Lloyd, because it's so beautiful, and he sees beauty around where he lives. He feels appreciative to family history of the people who came before him." In addition to his family's history, Hake is having an old house on an adjacent property restored. His grandmother worked there as a hired girl, when it belonged to the Curtis family who moved there from New Hampshire in 1839 and operated a sawmill from 1842 to 1868. His grandfather bought the place in 1868 and later on Hake inherited it. He hopes to have the home listed on the National Historic Registry. Hake's property beautification has drawn attention. Wisconsin's Gov. Doyle visited his farm, and 4-Hers have had a photo of Hake's farmyard transposed behind pictures of their cattle taken at the fair. "It's a fun place to come to," Jan Hake says. "Uncle Lloyd really enjoys sharing this place with people. He gets a lot of pleasure in showing people the old things." "I'm devoting my time to make this place look pretty," Lloyd says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lloyd Hake (ph 920 563-2885).

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