Mason by Day, Farmer 24/7

By Cynthia Harris

“I'm not a farmer,” says Bill Schardein. “I have some cows!” he laughs as he sits on a stool at the kitchen island in his home located on University Park Road in northern Riley County. Bill and his wife, Susan, have lived on the same land since 1974. Susan's father heard about the farm and told the young couple they needed to buy it. They bought the farm and lived in the two-story house until a few years ago when the old house made way for the new one designed by Bill. From the office window you can see bright colored fish swimming in the old basement that was turned into a pond. “I kept the foundation, stones,” Bill explains how he built the pond. “It helps the folks who lived here remember where the old house once stood.”

Bill is a mason during the day and a farmer in the evenings and on weekends. After 35 years he continues to work for R. M. Baril contractors at Fort Riley. Many people know Bill's work, but they don't know him. His work includes the ditch along Tuttle Creek Blvd. in Manhattan between Bluemont Avenue and Leavenworth Street, more commonly known as the “Wal-Mart ditch,” the Air Traffic Control Tower at the Manhattan airport, work at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, and recently the area in front of McCain Auditorium on the campus of Kansas State University.

All photos by Cynthia Harris

While Bill works outside the home, Susan works at home running her “Homestead Floral” business. She has not always had the floral shop. During the years of raising their three sons, Susan raised a large garden and they sold the surplus at their roadside vegetable stand right there at home. A familiar sight along Highway 77 North, is a sign that reads “1/2 mi East.” Those who drive this stretch of road recognize the sign and Susan has a regular cliental. At one time the Scharedein's were the fourth largest supplier to the Fort Riley Commissary of Watermelons. Not big on chemicals, the Schardein's supplied the commissary with homegrown watermelons and cantaloupe that saw little or no chemical use.

“When the kids were home, I would hire them and their friends to pick strawberries. They were paid by the quart and on a good day they would pick 100 quarts,” says Susan. “And she fed them lunch,” Bill chimes in giving Susan a “remember those days” look. “The kids learned how to work,” replies Susan. “They worked from 7 a.m. to noon and were tired. After lunch they were re-energized.”

Once the children were grown, Susan knew she would lose her day laborers and by this time her focus was changing toward greenhouses and her own floral shop. “We never froze a greenhouse,” says Bill. “But we were getting up every three hours to go to the greenhouse to put wood in the stove,” Susan recalls. Now the greenhouse is heated by propane.

“Everybody wants the kind of lifestyle we have,” says Bill, “but, they only want it on the weekends. They don't understand that you have to work at it 24/7. And don't even think about vacation, drop all memberships to any organizations, don't expect it to support you, and hopefully it will be profitable.” Bill continues to stress that it is easier to work for someone else for insurance, other benefits, and a steady wage. Without the outside job, they would have a hard financial time, especially if one fell ill or was injured where an extended stay in the hospital was needed. And it is possible that if rehabilitation was needed, the family could be wiped out financially.

The biggest benefit is that the family gets to spend time together. Growing their own food, allowed Susan to know what she was feeding her family. Vegetables went into canning jars and tasted much better on a cold winter evening than anything that could be bought at the grocery store. “We have been blessed,” says Susan. All three children live within seven miles of the family homestead and all are following in their parent's footsteps of living on the land.

As one grandson sleeps in Bill's and Susan's bedroom, another grandchild, Brecklyn Ray is outside checking on the cows: hair-cut heifers that are in a feedlot close to the barn. “There is only about 70 days a years that cows has good grass to eat, so you have to feed them something else,” Bill explains. He feeds the cows silage, grain, brome, native grass, and alfalfa, all grown on the farm. This gives Bill the advantage and satisfaction of knowing exactly what it is his cows are eating.

Over the years the Schardein's have accumulated 400 acres. “There's no money in agriculture,” says Bill. “The money is in service.” And that is what the Schardein's supply - service. The cattle are bought at retail and sold wholesale Bill explains as we walk toward the feedlot. Two cows have been adopted by students who use them as their 4-H project and, Brecklyn proudly shows off her two cows as she forces alfalfa through the wooden fence. Susan's floral shop provides flowers for home gardens, weddings, funerals, and special occasions.

“We are here for the satisfaction and we are probably healthier for it,” Bill says. “Hopefully, we will be here for another 25 years. There never seems to be enough time and I am getting older and slower. And what I didn't count on was getting lazy!” he chuckles with a twinkle in his eye to let you know that he wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.