When his father passed away in 2021, Dale Appelman found himself standing in the center of a legacy that spanned three generations.
Between the roots intertwined in the soil and the decades built off hard work, grit, and dedication, Dale, 57, has found a balance between passion and pressure since he took over Maryview Farm.
Dale’s father, Bob, spent years teaching him every aspect of the operation. He learned how to efficiently budget, to always be a helping hand, to use formidable equipment that could swallow you whole and to never waste a single resource.
What once felt like second nature has become a daily test of endurance as Dale faces mounting challenges including climate change, financial strain, labor shortages, market instability and personal loss.
Working alongside his brothers, his son Sam, and extended family, Dale has continued to work and persevere through the challenges, motivated by love, duty and the calling that he’s known his entire life.
His father taught him not only to farm, but also how to give others a chance. In 1986, a young man named Billy, who had just gotten out of prison, ran into Dale’s father and begged for a chance. Dale’s dad told him he could start the next morning. Since then, Billy has become another one of the crew that makes the farm run.
For many, the weight of responsibility that follows farming in this climate has become almost too much of a challenge. For Dale, farming is just what he feels he must do. He’s grateful for the support of his family. He understands that the farm ties the family together in good times and hard.
“Is farming fun today? No. Farming with my son is fun,” Dale said. “There’s a difference.”
As Dale continues to watch his son grow in his knowledge and abilities in farming, Dale is reminded why he works to help the legacy continue.
“Farming with Sam, watching him grow into it, watching him become what I was at that age and not putting the stress on him, because the stress will come soon enough — that’s the reason I get out of bed every day,” he said.
