Dykshoorn Farms began over a hundred years ago, and is now run by the 3rd, 4th and 5th generations.  We are so thankful for our humble beginnings, and thank God for all he has provided for us over the many, many years.  We hope you enjoy reading about it.

 

It started back in 1907, when a very young 22 year old Marinus Dykshoorn left Brandwyke, Holland and set off for a new life in the unknown land of Canada. He travelled by boat and train, and finally arrived in Lethbridge, Alberta where he claimed his homestead at the registrar office.

 

A friend that he had met on the way over from Holland took the quarter next to Marinus, and they took the train to Grassy Lake. After buying some supplies and a horse and wagon, they set out for their new land. Once they arrived at their new land, they built a small 7 x 10 cabin on the property line to fulfill the requirements that they must live on their own property for 6 months of the year.  They also had to have a certain amount of their land cultivated each year.

 

Marinus chose his land well (looking at a map). It had a draw running through it, and even through the draw was not suitable for farming it brought with something of great importance…WATER! They picked a spot for a well and started digging, and after only 10 feet they struck water.  This well became a watering spot for Marinus and his friend Kees, as well as others settlers who had moved into the area. We still use this same well for our water today.

The first few years in Canada, Marinus and his friend Kees, would head to Lethbridge in the winters to find work.  Marinus was one of the brave men who helped build the Lethbridge Canadian Pacific Railway Bridge. The building began in August 1908, and was completed in June 1909 at the huge cost of $1.3 million dollars. This bridge still stands today, and is still the longest and highest trestle bridge in the world.  It is a remarkable sight, and work of art.

After a couple of years when Kees Kamp was settled he sent for his girlfriend who had remained back in Holland.  They were married in Lethbridge when she arrived, and then headed home to “the homestead”. It sounds like it was quite an adjustment for Kees’s new wife to as she was from a bigger city in Holland, but she adjusted and they had a happy married life together. They did move to Lethbridge after a few years, and an unfortunate accident. Marinus took over their quarter section.

 

Sometime later a new family moved into the area by the name of VandenBerg. They homesteaded close to Marinus, and not long after love blossomed, and Marinus married Johanna VandenBerg in June of 1911. They had 8 children together: Willem, Clasina Wilhelmina, Frank, Dirk Christian, Marinus Jr, Maria, John Peter and Christina.  Some of the children stayed in the area and married people from the community, and some moved father away.

 

 

After Marinus and Johanna were married they grew the operation by buying their first tractor.  They went into partnership with Marinus’s brother Paul, and bought a “Mogul” built by International Harvester.  The top speed of this tractor was 1MPH.

To start the tractor it needed a long rope wrapped around the fly wheel and then with horses attached to the rope, they would pull with as much speed as they could to pull start the tractor. They were able to pull a larger plow than with the team of horses, and they did custom work with their tractor and plow. They also bought a threshing machine so in the fall they would custom thresh for 3-4 months on farms around the area.

 

Follow along with the next parts of the Dykshoorn Farms History,

as Marinus grows the operation, and we learn about Kees’ unfortunate luck.