No Proven Scheme

Chapter 22 For one out of 13 pristine weekends of spring everything seemed to be falling in place for David Zehlen. Pleasant Valley itself is a beautiful stretch of rolling farmland, soil bank land and shallow inland lakes: home to muskrat and ducks, and wetland and game reserves, populated with abundant species of song birds, pheasant, hawks, owls, crows, an occasional eagle, whitetail deer, rabbits and fox –along a well maintained pitch black tar road that extends twenty miles northeast of Rockland on a diagonal to Clontarf, MN a tiny town of about 160 people nestled at the intersection of County 20 and U.S. 9 between Benson and Morris, MN. On a clear day as one would drive toward the rising sun it is absolutely stunning. Driving by the marshy lakes the incomparable symphony of red wing black birds is often heard for a quarter mile at a time. The green fields of sprouting corn, wheat, oat and barley as far as the eye can see, punctuated by a dilapidated farm house a quarter mile down a dirt road next to a collapsing barn. The indelible rural landscape captured by Sloan that has been lost by so many was the natural habitat of a native American creature that should be becoming a protected species: the small farmer. The Zehlens were caught up in the French and Indian war the unforgettable pageant of survival forged in the minds of every farmer that has ever thrived and survived or faced foreclosure in the shallow rolling valley they never realized they loved so dearly as the beauty faded under the burden of angst over the future of the farm On Mother’s Day things were back to normal. David fired up the grill. Nancy made potato salad. Jack and Phyllis were dropping by. Nothing could stop Dave’s joy after learning the Omaha loan had cleared the first wicket. They would look at consolidating the RTC default if the farm deed and custom farming equipment was assigned as collateral on the note. Later in the day David was surprised by a phone call and some unexpected news from his marketing consultant Tom Adelman. “David I have some good news for you for a change,” Adelman was unusually cheerful. “You cut a deal with Cargill for 20,000 bushels of hard red spring wheat?” Dave chimed. “Not quite but close. I see this as major marketing opportunity for Pleasant Valley Farms like nothing like the expansion we have seen before. I wrote to the publisher of Farm Futures magazine I subscribed to wants to do an article on you,” Adelman was gushing compared to his usual brusque and bland style. “You're kidding I thought that was just a pipe dream of yours. I never even heard of that magazine until you brought it up. Now they want an interview? I must be dreaming, suddenly things are going so well for me, for a change,” David was joking knowing the bubble could burst at any second. “Farm Futures is a marketing magazine with limited circulation,” Adelman continued. “It appeals to the progressive farmer with a new product or technology to demonstrate for sale or investment at a time when many farmers are very conservative, unwilling to invest and reluctant to take any chances in this economy. Your record speaks another language. That’s why I subscribe to the magazine. It has a lot of futuristic ideas to upgrade current technologies. The publisher has some research connection with Iowa State. So I called the publisher Ron Nelson Jr. and told him about your operations. He surprised me with his interest, saying there are not many young farmers with such a large operation in the Midwest any more. I mentioned you partner with your dad Jack, and his early successes with sunflowers. He asked if you are practicing intensive low input sustainable agriculture. I said I thought you were. Nelson told me they are running feature articles on new trends in agriculture;” LISA” is one of the new technologies Iowa State is researching. Nelson would like to send one of his reporters up to Pleasant Valley to interview you for a potential article if it all works out. I gave him your number. Mr. Nelson was saying he would like to see how your sunflower fields are looking about Memorial Day,” Adelman concluded. “Nelson told me the magazine would contact you and make all the arrangements. This is how they do all their features based on an interview with their best reporters he said.” A few days before Memorial Day 1992 young Colleen Nelson daughter of Ron Nelson Jr. the publisher turned right off US highway and pulled into the driveway of the Dave Zehlen farm. David walked up to the car extending his hand as the publisher's daughter stepped got out of a late model Toyota, wearing a khaki shirt, blue jeans and adjusting a Cyclones softball hat over a blonde pony tail. “How do you do Mr. Zehlen? I am Colleen Nelson from Farm Futures magazine.” “Pleased to meet you Colleen,” David extended his hand. “My son Noah has been dying to meet you. He should be here any minute. Why don’t step inside. Meet my wife and have a cup of coffee before we get started.” “Sounds good to me,” Ms.Nelson replied. As it turned out the young woman destined to be editor of the industry magazine was doing field research on a doctoral in agricultural journalism out of Northern Iowa University; but she had graduated from State College where she lettered in fast pitch softball. Colleen had the slim attractive face of a sports model that was beyond being merely pretty; she was intelligent and very friendly. David could tell right away Colleen had the professional edge and that extra something every woman needed to be successful in a career. Reaching back into the front seat for her over-sized purse, that served as a carrying case for her mini cam outfit Colleen extended her hand and said, “Thanks for inviting us Mr.Zehlen. I'm am Ron's daughter; he sent me all the way up from Iowa City to do a story on your farm. How nice is that? It's been a gorgeous drive. When I started out the sun was just coming up at 5:30 and stopped only once in Luverne. Just like your directions, Mr. Zehlen, no sign but easy to find, one mile north of the city limits of Rockland. The farm on the left I just passed is your Dad's place I imagine. I didn't need a map once I hit highway 75 in Pipestone.” David introduced Colleen to the family, asking if she would like decaf or regular. She was ready for some caffeine she explained after the four hour drive, but, she preferred decaf if it was available. After a brief visit with Nancy and David in the kitchen in which she explained why she was there, and her credentials: an ag-journalism major out of Iowa State working on a research internship on intensive farming techniques in northern Iowa. She informed David she grew up on a family farm; her father had started up the magazine in Cedar Rapids. Colleen had driven to Pleasant Valley Farms to begin a feature series of articles about low input sustainable agriculture, “LISA” -for the Farm Future summer quarterly publication. Dave said he was ready to go whenever she was. But he asked permission on behalf of his son who had just appeared in the kitchen; Noah was very shy around pretty girls, wondering if he could ride along. Noah had a crush already on the co-ed appearing Colleen an “incredible woman” who his mom said looked like Tuesday Weld in a baseball cap. And if it would be alright if he brought his son along in the club cab. After another quarter hour chatting at the homestead the threesome was on the trail by 10:45 winding northwest along Pleasant Valley road. Colleen opened up her tote bag and pulled out a small tape recorder. “This is some beautiful country David. Thanks for showing me around. My dad said he hunted this area in his youth.