Rock Picking Pays Off With Iron Meteorite

Rock Picking Pays Off With Iron Meteorite AG WORLD It took 15 years but a “rock” Jim Koch picked from his Wisconsin field is finally getting the attention it deserves The rock is a 110-lb iron meteorite that scientists estimate fell to the earth more than 250 years ago Koch found it in 2009 while picking rock before planting alfalfa and oats “It was unusual looking and I usually have an idea of what rocks will weigh when you pick them up It was just extremely heavy ” he says It sent a metal detector “through the roof ” Koch’s brother-in-law Joe Zanter happens to be a metallurgical engineer and shared Koch’s excitement about the rock Zanter hacksawed off a piece for testing Despite contacting several scientists no one seemed interested It turns out they get many requests to check out rocks that are not meteorites No one showed much interest even after the sample was documented in 2015 as a rare IVA iron meteorite by the Robert A Pritzker Center at the Field Museum in Chicago With the meteorite wrapped in a piece of old carpeting in his garage Koch took up the project again in 2023 “In 2019 I had a health situation so I’m in a wheelchair and have time on my hands ” he says noting he also continues to manage his farm’s 200-head jersey dairy operation Through internet research he discovered the meteorite could be sold for a lot of money at an Arizona auction He also learned that the University of Wisconsin Madison Geology Museum was about 20 minutes from his farm He called and talked to scientist Noriko Kita and told her he thought it would be worth her time to check out the “rock” at his farm Four days later she another scientist and the museum director joined Koch and his wife Jan Shepel and Zanter and his wife Laurie at the farm “They were like little kids at Christmas ” Koch recalls “It made their day when I said they could take it back with them ” After verifying its authenticity Koch and his wife had to decide what to do with the meteorite Sell it for a good chunk of money to a bidder who would likely cut it up to resell it Or receive a lot less money and have it displayed in one piece at a nearby museum “Money isn’t everything ” Koch says “We thought it would be so much cooler to go see it and have it there for kids to see and study This will put the museum on the map ” It’s called the Vienna Meteorite named for Vienna Township where it was found and also echoing the name of Koch’s farm Vienna EqHo Farms It’s the only meteorite recorded from Dane County Koch says the carpet it was wrapped in may have helped the meteorite stay in good condition and avoid excess rusting It’s larger than the rest of Wisconsin’s meteorites put together and the museum is working on creating a permanent display case for it “We’re thrilled with how ‘our’ meteorite ended up finding a home in Madison where as many as 60 000 people who visit the museum each year will get to see it ” says Shepel Koch’s wife Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jim Koch DeForest Wis janshepel@tds net

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