Dear Maynard and everyone:

 
     Homesteading, what does it mean?  "To settle and farm land, especially under the Homestead Act -tr. To claim and settle (land) as a homestead -homesteader n. ... Homestead Act.. homestead law... Homestead National Monument: The American Heritage Dictionary, 1975. You know this is the first time I've felt compelled to look up what homesteading is, homestead is an European American (saying) that is so deeply ingrained in our country's heritage that it seems to bely the need for definition. But now, slightly more than 20 years after I applied to, and then attended the School of Homesteading, it seemed appropriate to open the dictionary and reconsider history and what made all of us, who attended this school, want to reach out to the concept that Maynard and Sally Kaufman lived and shared with so many.
 
     I attended the School of Homesteading after finishing my sophomore year at Wilmington College, Wilmington, OH, where I lived at a student-run "Organic farm" located on five acres of the campus's 2,500 acres, formerly known as the Barrett Farm. Two years previous to my being there, a small group of seniors had founded the institution, constructed a house and several small out buildings from timbers and boards obtained by dismantling a bank barn on one of the campus other farms, and purchased a few goats. The college, decided to terminate this "Organic farm" project 6 months after the original students graduated, and moved to let in a new group. Liability concerns were superseding the Quaker philosophy of personal responsibility at Wilmington. I visited Maynard and Sally's farm over fall break. My girl friend, Suzzie Conner, studied Horticulture at Auburn University and had moved back to Alabama that year. We talked about the school and our dreams of homesteading together. We applied, were accepted, and left school during Christmas break, and decided to go to Bangor, Michigan that spring. In January and February I was able to live with my parents and work for Wallace Clark, Polled Herefords, where I had worked while in High School. Suzzie worked for a bedding plant firm in Alabama until the Homesteading School opened in May.  Suzzie and I came to the School of Homesteading with much book learning, and no direct family farm background. I was, on my mothers side, the second generation off the farm near Bristol, IN. That lack of farming experience seemed pretty important to me. I had taken at least one Ag class at Rockford High School from the FFA teacher but hadn't really been let into the club. Mom had suggested I take environmental Conservation but she didn't know she should have suggested Soil Judging. I had the impression I couldn't ever really understand farm life because of lack of personal experience and breeding. Maynard was a born and raised farmer, why had he gone off the farm and studied Philosophy? The University of Chicago was a good school I knew, since academics was my family's tradition. But Maynard's experience of farm life in the Dakota's and Mennonite family culture was foreign to me.  Sally became an "interpreter" for me, and though I didn't understand it completely at first, she was the warmest most loving person I had met outside my family.

At the Kaufman's School of Homesteading, I particularly enjoyed discussion at meal time, especially after morning chores.   After field and garden work one of the most enjoyable times I had was going back to the Kaufman's library at night to read one of the many homesteading books. Often when we were there reading, Maynard or Sally would come down stairs also to read.  Discussion was not always needed, but I always felt we mutually approved of gaining further knowledge from books. 

     My time at the School of Homesteading was made very enjoyable by being reunited with Suzzie for 7 months and by meetingl the other students of 1977 and several students from past years during their visits. I enjoyed spending time with Dan Adams in particular.
I didn't know I would soon see him again at Michigan State University.

    Homestead Law stated that after five years of occupation, clearing and improvement of the 160 acres, the homesteader gained title to the land. That idea seemed foreign to me, being remote in history and experience. The idea of working the land by myself, assuming full responsibility for success and failure, seemed remote and unattainable now.

     So we all have gone our own ways and made a myriad of pathways in the world. This reunion gives us pause to reflect back on the past. But I am not able to come to the event this year so I think that I should take a minute to catch every one up with the past twenty one years and future plans. Here's a brief Vita:

Tim Johnson,
 1977,  School of Homesteading
 1978,  B.S. Wilmington College, Agriculture and Physical Science
 1982,  M.S. Michigan State, Dairy Science, Nutrition
 1982-1987 Ag Agent, Dairy and Livestock, St. Clair and Macomb Co., Michigan State University.
 1987,  Married Karen Sue LaMere, Nature Center Director, M.S. Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State.
 1991,  Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Dairy Science, Nutrition.
 1991,  Son Paul born.
 1991-present, Purdue NE Dairy Specialist, Instructor Animal Sciences, 2 yr. transfer to Purdue program, and Ag Dean's Deputy for Fort Wayne Campus,  Purdue Ag programs.

     Presently I am dealing with Multiple Sclerosis, my job, and trying to be a husband and father from a distance as my wife and son live, work, and go to school in Indianapolis. In 1989 I developed the first symptoms of a neurological disease that was finally diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis in 1991. I was pretty stable with few remissions for a few years and then started a gradual decline in physical ability. I can still walk but have a wheel chair for anything that requires any walking or standing. In fall of 1997 I had some serious complications and  in March 1998, I started on a treatment to slow progression by a weekly I.M. injection of B-Interferon. I notice some improvement in my legs but experience a low threshold of heat stress and the usual side effects following injection. This has been a real challenge to me, taking me a long time to get over denial, and I still feel a lot of anger at the limitations. I hope to be able to get back together with family and continue to work in academics, teaching and counciling.

Presently my appointment is: 

     Teaching (60%): This includes counciling 65 Ag, Pre Forestry and Pre Veterinary Students at the Indiana Purdue, Fort Wayne branch campus. I teach ANSC 101, Intro. to Animal Science, and ANSC 221, Animal Nutrition.

     Extension (20%):  Dairy Extension programs, in northern 1/3 of Indiana. Dairy Nutrition, Feeding management, Housing, Expansion plans and business management.

     Research (20%):   Nutrition and management of dairy cattle, feeding byproducts and specially processed silages and grain. Feeding transition cows from dry to  lactating state.
 

     I am located at Indiana Purdue's Fort Wayne campus housed in part of the Department of Biological Sciences. In the future I would like to move to West Lafayette or continue to build a very successful Ag program at the Fort Wayne Campus, recruit more Faculty or Staff to teach in the areas of Agronomy, Soils, and Agricultural Economics and eventually form a whole Ag department. In Fort Wayne we have just moved into a new Science Building and there is a good complement of space with 4 faculty offices and a department secretarial suite office. So far (for 7 years) I have been the only Ag Faculty Purdue has placed at this campus but now with the new building on line for fall classes, that could change, but I am not holding my breath waiting! I would like to extend a invitation and welcome to any of the School of Homesteading graduates who would like to visit or are just passing through Indiana, "Cross Roads of the Nation", as our license plates now read.

    My campus phone number in Fort Wayne is (219) 481-6316.
 

    Sincerely,
 

Timothy R. Johnson

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