Schoesler Farm

SCHOESLER FARMS

History:

In the late 1800’s, three families emigrated from Eastern Europe to settle near ritzville. Little did they know that their stories would be woven together more than 100 years later.

Learn about all three stories here.

Jacob J and Henrietta Schoesler.

The Schoeslers farmed with mules - up to 20 teamed together at a time!

In 1886, Jacob J. and Henrietta Schoesler emigrated from Kolb, Russia, traveling by wagon train, and settled on a 640 acre plot four miles west of Ritzville.

They originally grew dryland wheat and rye (to feed the horses).

When their son Elmer  (born in 1904) and wife Bertha Thiel Schoesler were married, they joined in farming the ranch with Jacob and Henrietta.

The 1920's were good years followed by the Depression, a disastrous time for farmers plagued with two problems:  little money and less rain.  Cars were put on blocks for lack of fuel: trucks used sparingly, and those who had tractors wondered if they'd made the right choice.

Years later, the farm was again handed down to Elmer’s sons, James and Gerald.

Gerald Schoesler stuck with farming through thick and thin and was involved till his death in July 2020.

Presently, Gerald’s son Mark and daughter Gail own the farm. Mark, who is the primary operator of the farm, says that there were many hard years. He saw his grandfather and father take risks and almost lost the farm, so he is much more conservative with his decisions. “Agriculture is not forgiving, you can have a bad crop, but if you do that without risk management you’d be gone.”

The evolution of the combine:

AS YOU SEE, THE CHANGES IN HARVESTING EQUIPMENT OVER 100 YEARS ARE DRASTIC. FROM HORSES, TO TRACTOR-PULLED, TO THE COMBINES WE SEE TODAY.