(Mount Ayr)--For 66 years, Tom and John Larson have been doubling their pleasure and fun each and every day on their farm three miles north of Mount Ayr.
That's because they're twins. Actually, Tom is four minutes older than John but John doesn't hold that against his older brother. They get along just fine.
Tom and his wife, Debbie, have two daughters, Traci and Angela. John and his wife, Diana, raised two boys, Hans and Logan.
The Larsons' grandfather, Roy Larson, began farming in the Mount Ayr area in 1942.
The boys helped out their parents, the late Eugene and Margaret Jean Larson on the farm in the 50's and 60's, graduating from Mount Ayr in 1967.
After John got out of the service, the Larsons began farming together in 1971.
There wasn't much the twins didn't do farming-wise in their early farming days, milking cows, raising corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat, while raising cattle and hogs as well.
These days the Larsons still raise cattle along with their row crop operation, which still includes 240 acres of wheat in a corn/soybean/wheat crop rotation.
There isn't much of a wheat market in KMAland, so the Larsons truck their wheat to Kansas City where it is eventually shipped to flour mills on the East Coast.
Like a lot of farmers in the area, the Larsons have been challenged by a lot of rain in the spring and early summer, not able to plant 100 acres of soybeans and 300 acres of wheat.
John says Prevented Planting dollars do help through the USDA Risk Management Agency and even though it's more of a break-even proposition, it's still appreciated.
Overall, the Larsons say the crops they were able to plant are looking good.
John and Tom were honored a few years back by being featured in the American Farmer Book by Paul Mobley. You'll find an awesome picture of the two along with their interesting story on page 204.
They also don't just enjoy looking at their vintage John Deere tractors, they still work with the green machines every day. Three 4010s, three 4020s, three 4430s and one 4630 don't sit around collecting dust, they get used all the time on the Larson's farm.
It's not always easy to get along when you're brothers working within the same farming operation but Tom and John make it work with no issues. They enjoy working together and take turns "being boss" depending on the needs of the day.
The next time you're three miles north of Mount Ayr you just might see the Larson twins outside doing what they love and do best, farming. Give them a wave and a smile and you're guaranteed to get a two waves and two smiles in return.
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2015
