Proud to be farming for
seven generations.
The Riechers family has worked the same Iowa soil since 1847. Here is how we got here, and where we're going.
John & Mary Riechers
It all began in 1847 when John and Mary Riechers purchased 80 acres of farmland across from the Union Church and Cemetery in Northeast rural Aurora. The family farmhouse was originally a post office and stagecoach stop, an unlikely start for what would become seven generations of farming.
Cotton & Carrie
John and Mary's son Cotton married Carrie, and together they worked the farm until their retirement around 1930. More than 80 years of family stewardship on the same piece of Iowa ground.
Ray & Freda
Cotton and Carrie's son Ray took over the family farm with his wife Freda. They milked dairy cows and harvested both corn and soybeans, establishing the pattern that still defines the farm today.
Robert & LaVelle
In 1958, Ray and Freda's son Robert purchased the farm. Robert and his wife LaVelle carried on the family tradition of raising crops and milking cattle. Robert was a busy man: besides farming, he ran a can milk route throughout the rural Aurora area.
Ron & Kathy
Robert and LaVelle's son Ron began farming in 1979 and continues to this day, alongside his wife Kathy. Ron guided the farm through its transition from dairy to row crops, and has been the steady hand passing the operation forward to the next generation.
Ryan & Julie, and the seventh generation
In 2001, Ron's son Ryan began farming alongside him. Ryan is married to Julie, and together they have three beautiful children, the seventh generation growing up on Riechers ground. The legacy continues.
It isn't the farm that makes the farmer. It's the passion, hard work, and character.