​Meet the Ivan Milton family, a farm just outside of Hudson, KS that is jumping into their 5th generation of farming.   Ivan and his wife Lisa have two children, Christa and Jacob, who are now involved in the farm as young adults.  In addition to his immediate family, Ivan has been farming alongside his brother Bill… well, since they were born really.  Ivan and Bill grew up working on their dairy farm, while Lisa grew up nearby helping her extended family during harvest time.  After getting married, Ivan and Lisa went on the road custom cutting crops from Texas up to Kansas, but transitioned to farming full time a few years after Christa was born.  
            The Milton’s love wheat harvest because their whole family comes together to make it happen.  For many years, Ivan & Bill’s late mother Alberta would cook harvest meals for the field.   Lisa’s mother also pitches in to bring meals and help out.  While Ivan’s favorite thing is driving the combine, everyone has their strengths they bring together to make the farm work.  The Milton family has been hauling wheat to Stafford County Flour Mills for as long as they can possibly remember. 
            When asked about what they enjoy most about being farmers, Ivan and Lisa said “Watching the crops grow and looking after them.  After you seed your crop you have to have a lot of faith.  You then give it to the Lord to hopefully give timely rains, temperatures, etc.  We do what we can from our end but it is really in His hands.”   They list the challenges for a family farm as keeping expenses under control, having enough help during the busy times, and safety.  But for Ivan and Lisa, the waves of wheat in the fields before harvest and the beautiful Kansas sunsets are the best perks of this job. 
            Farming runs pretty deep, so it’s not surprising that when asked what they would be doing if they weren’t farming, the response was “probably working for a farmer or custom cutting.”  In addition to farming, their family enjoys fishing and hunting together.
            Thank you to the Milton family for sharing a bit about their farm, and for working hard to grow the wheat that becomes Hudson Cream Flour!