T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Members of the Miller/Feldpausch family — including brothers Hank and Malcolm Miller, center — of rural Beaman pose for a photo after receiving a “The Way We Live” award at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday. Malcolm’s son-in-law Brian, far right, daughter Jen, second from right, and their three children Nick, Abby and Will, also pictured next to them, now run the family’s livestock operation.

DES MOINES — Brothers Hank and Malcolm Miller of rural Beaman have watched agriculture change in countless ways throughout their long careers as farmers, but at the end of the day, they’re just happy to see their passion passed on to the younger generations as the operation stays in the family.

“So much of the change from our dad and his dad was in the physical end of it — from farming with horses to tractors and hybrid corn coming in,” Malcolm said. “I always thought we wouldn’t have that much change while I was farming, but now it’s way past that. It’s technological change.”

The Miller/Feldpausch clan — Malcolm’s daughter Jen and son-in-law Brian Feldpausch and their three children now handle the hog and cattle side of the business — received a “The Way We Live” award at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, which, according to the State Fair website, “recognizes Iowa farm families who have demonstrated their dedication to agriculture and strong Iowa farm values.” The family has already received a Heritage Farm designation commemorating 150 years of continuous operation.

For people like Hank, Malcolm and Brian, farming is more than just a job. It truly is a way of life.

“The award that we got before, the Heritage award, is more of an endurance kind of (thing) — We’re too stubborn to do anything else,” Hank joked. “This reflects more on our family and what’s going on now. What’s going on now, what’s gone on, and we’re extremely honored to receive it… I feel very humbled.”

Through the generations, they’ve watched agriculture embrace new technology in various forms, and Brian’s youngest son Will Feldpausch has even launched a popular YouTube channel focused on his goats. As Hank noted, it isn’t something he could’ve foreseen when he was a child, but when he thinks about his ability to order anything from around the world on sites like eBay, he ultimately isn’t all that surprised.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to reach people and to tell people how farming truly is, how it works, the financial issues, and, with Will’s situation, the ability to be able to share his knowledge with people and further his business,” Hank said.

Brian Feldpausch, who grew up in the DeWitt area and started his career as an Ag teacher after graduating from Iowa State University, wasn’t always sure that he’d be able to farm for a living as his parents ran a small operation back in eastern Iowa. He has cherished the opportunity to carry on the legacy of a historic Grundy County grain and livestock farm while staying in touch with his educational roots by serving on the BCLUW school board.

Each of Brian and Jen’s three children — sons Nick and Will and daughter Abby — have come to love agriculture in their own ways, with Nick showing a special passion for the business.

“It’s been fun watching him grow and develop, and I always kind of think I’m just the middleman between the generations,” Brian said. “I’m the kind of guy that when he’s ready and can do it, he can have it. I probably don’t need to die farming.”

Members of the family are fixtures at the Grundy County Fair and the Iowa State Fair each year, often competing in livestock shows and helping other exhibitors in any way they can. They have also hosted international farmers as part of Farm Bureau exchange programs and participated in educational sessions like a Farm to Table event designed to explain the ins and outs of agriculture to Des Moines area residents who may otherwise have no connection to the food they eat.

The list of ag-related organizations they’ve been involved with is extensive. Malcolm was a director of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and served both the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Grundy County Farm Bureau. Hank served on the Grundy County FSA Committee, and Brian serves on the Iowa Farm Bureau board of directors, the American Farm Bureau advisory committee, the ISU College of Agriculture Board of Trustees and the Grundy County Fair Board.

“We all believe it’s important to be involved to help keep agriculture strong,” Brian said.

It’s hard for Malcolm, Hank and Brian to predict what farming will look like after another couple of generations pass, but they’re confident that with the people they have in place and the passion they share for the business, the operation will stay in good hands regardless.

“As long as (Brian) leaves the monitors set to what we need to do, we’re good to go,” Hank said.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.