Christmas in the Country

While the use of bells when Bevin Bells was founded in 1832 is much different today, the sixth-generation company continues to spread Christmas cheer year-round.

At just 11 years old, Reed Marcum had an idea for a project: Collect toys and give them to children in his community. Eight years later, the toy drive has given away more than 64,000 toys at an annual event people wait in line for hours to attend.

Brian Forrest of Maple Ridge Dairy near Stratford, Wisconsin, embodies a spirit of selflessness and resilience, as he has been an organ donor, not just once, but twice.

When Badger FFA Adviser Larry Plapp decided to retire after 37 years of teaching, his students got to work restoring a Farmall tractor, but it wasn’t just any tractor. The 1954 Super M-TA was Plapp’s dad first tractor.

The Prescott Family Reindeer Farm in southern Missouri is 240 acres rooted in a deep desire to give everyone a full Christmas experience. Cattle producers by trade, they decided to also add reindeer to their mix.

Unlike reports of a Christmas tree shortage, the Real Christmas Tree Board, which is the checkoff for Christmas tree farmers, says growers from across the country have been able to meet the increasing demand.