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Hometown Farmer: Freeburg Hay Company

(GAYVILLE, SD) Amy and Gary Freeburg have been married nearly 40 years and in the hay business the entire time. The Gayville operation is a family affair and everyone knows their role. Amy is the voice of Freeburg Hay Company.

"We were married in 1973 and we've been making hay since 1976," says Amy Freeburg.

The name on the sign hasn't changed in four decades even as the company advances into the 21st century.
 
"Marketing has really changed a lot and that's kind of where I guess my specialty is because I'm the one on the phone, I'm the first contact with Freeburg Hay Company when the phone rings," says Freeburg.

Amy Freeburg is the voice customers hear when they call and winter is her busy season.

"Year-end tax planning, finishing up the books for the end of the year, doing those quarterly reports and then those year-end reports," says Freeburg.

She's a full-time business owner, wife and mother, who raised her family while working from home. She and Gary balance out the daily duties.

"Women are just more detail-oriented so I think that serves what we do for agriculture too," says Freeburg.

Amy takes orders from around the region. A vast majority of their hay heads east to Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

"Typically we do 2,500-3,000 acres of hay, which is roughly half of our rotation," says Freeburg.
 
The Freeburgs only produce square bales but because of this past summer's record flooding of the Missouri River, production dropped 35-50%. So the company had to purchase round bales to continue meeting the needs of customers.

"Typically this time of the year our barns would be full. And so as you look at the barns, there are holes in the barns from where hay has gone out. And that is unusual for us," says Freeburg. "We suffered the consequences of that high, high water."

But no matter what happens, Amy knows her business partners will always be there to back her up - through good times and bad.

"It's nice to work with family. That's probably one of the best perks of agriculture. And to have our two sons busy with us in the hay business, that's awesome," says Freeburg.
 
Amy and Gary's two sons work with them and will eventually take over the operation. Amy says she'll continue running the office until the boys kick her out!
 
Reported by Erika Thomas. You can contact her at ethomas@kmeg.com to nominate someone who's Proud to be a Hometown Farmer. The Iowa Broadcast News Association awarded this series 1st place Farm & Agribusiness in 2010.