For four generations, the Garry family has farmed in Polk County, dating back to the Great Depression. They’ve weathered multiple crises, coming out on top each time, although it hasn’t been easy.

Dennis Garry, who is 85, remembers a pivotal moment from his childhood that forced him to become a full-time farmer much earlier than planned.

“I was 16 years old, and my father had a very bad heart attack,” Dennis said. “He couldn’t do the work anymore, so I took over from there.”

He’d eventually get married and start a family of his own, which included his son Dave. Dave grew up during the 80s farm crisis, a tough time for the Garry clan. He remembers that his dad tried his best to keep the family’s financial troubles a secret.

“Oh, at times you could tell. Pops would be working harder, and you’d see that he wasn’t getting as much as he should in crops or whatever,” Dave said. “You always had a sense of things going on.”

Dave, now in his 50s, faces his own challenges as the only child who stayed to take care of the family farm.