I haven't lived on the farm for years. I mean years! But what they say is true...you can take the kid off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the kid.

Now, let me be honest here: If I found myself on a farm now, well, I'm pretty sure I'd be lost. I'm guessing there aren't many of my dad's B John Deere's working the fields anymore. I'm thinkin' that there may not be a lot of kids getting pulled on a grain shovel behind a B Farmall in the winter these days. And I probably wouldn't be listening to the Twins game on the tractor radio while cultivating (cultivating? What's cultivating?).

Then add to that, I'd heard all bout 'Corporate Farming', how the family farms were dying out, just about ready to go to the dustbin of memory along with the threshing machine.

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But hold on Cowboy!

I've discovered over the last few years that one of my favorite websites is thisisfaming.org. And truth be known, I like the kid's section the best (maybe it's the Lil farm kid still in me).

But I stumbled onto this on their website, which made my heart grin:

Fortunately, in South Dakota, 98 percent of farms are family owned and operated. And more than 2,500 South Dakota farms have been in the same family for more than 100 years.

The average size of a farm in South Dakota is 1,374 acres. In the past, most row crops were grown east of the Missouri River. But today, advances in plant breeding have resulted in corn hybrids that can flourish in dry conditions, so more and more West River farmers are growing row crops as well.

Other crops grown in South Dakota include wheat, alfalfa, sunflowers, hay, sorghum, oats and barley.

Isn't that great? Oh sure, I gotta say the 1,374 acres are bigger than we lived on in our neck-of-the-farms, but 98% families? Hooray!

Now let me say, I have nothing against 'Corporations', but I'd also add I love that term 'Family Farm' a whole bunch!

If you like 'visiting the farm' like I do, be sure and check out This Is Farming. You'll love it.

Life on a Cattle Ranch in Western South Dakota

Life is different out in the country. One look at the photo from Robin Bickel and you quickly realize that a workday is quite different as well, after all, she lives out west in South Dakota Cattle Country.

Robin Bickel took time to tell KIKN Country a little bit about her life out west and life as a woman, working outdoors with animals and nature in God's Country. Bickel lives and works on a cattle ranch operated by herself, her father, Jack, and his brother Keith. How far out in the country is she? How does 50 miles west of Mobridge, South Dakota sound? Yep, mountain time out there.

Life is so different in Sioux Falls, South Dakota compared to what our friends on the farm and ranches deal with. It's a half-mile to the grocery store for our family. For Robin, it's 17 miles. However, it's a quick step out her door and she's right in the middle of where a lot of the groceries come from.


LOOK: 10 Reasons to Visit the South Dakota Badlands

Returning from a weekend trip to Rapid City, South Dakota for state basketball tournaments we decided to visit the Badlands National Park.

A quick turn-off I-90 will take you into some of the most awe-inspiring scenery.

It's also fun to note that several big-screen movies were filmed in the Badlands. Dances With Wolves, Starship Troopers, Armageddon, and most recently, Academy Award winner, Nomadland.

It's a spectacular park with tons to do. If you're setting out on a hike, bring lots of water and sign the hikers' logs at the trailheads. It could save your life. It's a tough place to survive.

Here are 10 facts about the Badlands: