One of our traditions is that whenever anyone visits the farm, we take a photo of them on one of our benches. We have four of these benches, facing four beautiful views. Mike built the first one in 2001, so we’ve had benches almost as long as we’ve owned the farm. We measure our walks by how many benches we visit – so we can do one, two, three, or four bench walks.
Here are the bench photos we’ve taken over the years – oldest first. I’ve used only first names (mostly). I’ve also cheated a little – sometimes it was too hot to sit right on the bench so we stood in the shade behind it; sometimes we didn’t make it quite all the way up the hill to the bench. And I now count both the EV and the surrey as ‘benches’. So there are a few non-bench photos too.
Click on a photo to see a larger version.
- 2001 Mike with the first brand new bench on the way up the hill
- 2001 Mike sitting on his new bench
- 2002 Pat, Paul, Marcie
- 2002 Marcie, Nancy, Paul
- 2002 Marcie, Jackie, Dan
- 2003 Pat, Paul, Marcie
- 2003 Phil, Mike, Virginia
- 2004 Arlene, Connie, Rose
- 2004 Nancy, Joan, Arlene, Connie, Rose
- 2005 Linda, Jackie
- 2008 Finette, Dick
- 2008 Clarke, Paul, Mike
- 2008 Karen, Rose, Marcie, Arlene, Martha, Bob, Tim
- 2008 Bob, Tim, Karen, Mike
- 2008 David, Jean, Bill, Julie
- 2009 Jerry, Carol
- 2009 Phil, Rich
- 2009 Patty, Jane, Karen, Marcie
- 2009 Patty, Jane, Karen, Martha
- 2009 Marcia, Burt
- 2009 Jan, Mike
- 2009 MJ
- 2009 Bill, Lucinda, Leewana, Loretta
- 2009 Fred, Dee, Dottie, Jane
- 2009 Carlos, Mike
- 2010 Joan, Marcie
- 2010 Marcie, Joan, Robert
- 2010 Robert, Joan
- 2010 Robert
- 2010 Marcie, Jan, Susan Marie, Elizabeth
- 2010 Susan Marie, Mary, Marcie
- 2010 Marcie, Martha, Mary, Susan Marie
- 2010 Marcie, Susan Marie
- 2010 Mike Reese
- 2010 Mike, Richard – on a bench in Duluth
- 2010 Thue, Uttara
- 2010 Judy, Kathy, Marcie, Elizabeth, Arlene
- 2010 Carlos, Susana
- 2010 Susana, Carlos
- 2011 Glen, Mike
- 2011 Anne, Dale, Joe, Emily, Marcie
- 2011 Rick, Marcie
- 2011 Mike, Paul, Tom, Patty
- 2011 Shirley, Alex, Zerek
- 2011 Susana, Brent, Shirley, Alex, Carlos Sr., Margarita, Marcie, Carlos, Zerek, Diane
- 2011 Larry, Anne, Rick
- 2011 Emilie, Karen, Marcie, Leah
- 2011 Marla, Leah, Chris, Karen, Marcie
- 2011 Michelle, Lia, Mike, Ken
- 2012 MJ, Marcie
- 2012 Anne, Emilie, Ihab, Marcie
- 2012 Mike, Gary, Ruth Ann
- 2012 Mike, Renee, Adam
- 2012 Ron, Sue, Marcie, Barbara, Steve
- 2012 Joan, Marcie
- 2012 Warren, Joan, Carol, Robert
- 2012 Mike, Patty, Tom, Kathleen, Jamie
- 2012 Tom, Kathleen, Mike, Patty, Jamie
- 2012 Jamie, Devin, Mike, Patty, Kathleen
- 2012 Carlos, Marcie, Susana
- 2012 Ellen, Marcie, Ann
- 2012 Mike
- 2012 Bench
- 2013 Catherine, Steve
- 2013 Mike, Matt
- 2013 David, Diane
- 2013 Karen
- 2013 Renee
- 2014 Sara
- 2014 New bench on Indian Grass Point
- 2014 Mike, Bruce, Sarah
- 2014 Mathew, Mike, Stevie
- 2014 Catherine, Mike
- 2014 Jan, James
- 2014 Todd
- 2014 Anne, Emily, Dale
- 2014 Tracy, Jim
- 2014 Jonathan, Sylvia, Carolyn
- 2014 Marcie, Rudie, Susan, Helen
- 2014 Robert in Hong Kong
- 2014 Nettie
- 2014 Buffalo County Prairie Tour
- 2014 Buffalo County Prairie Tour
- 2014 Susan, Jon
- 2015 Kyle
- 2015 MJ
- 2015 Bruce, Mike
- 2015 Botanical Medicine class
- 2015 Marcie, Tristin
- 2015 Marcie, Shelley, David, Dick, Ray
- 2015 Marcie, Shelley, David, Dick, Mike
- 2015 Chris, Sol, Marla, Ruth
- 2015 Ruth, Marla
- 2015 Butterfly Counters – Phil, Joanne, Randy, Mike
- 2015 Charley, Julia
- 2015 Ethan, Laen, Marcie, Joe, Liz
- 2015 Joe, Deirdre
- 2015 Dasha, Anna, Rebecca, Catherine, Alexei and Mr. Fuffernut
- 2015 Marcie, Dave
- 2015 Marla, Marcie, Susan
- 2015 Duke, Josie, Marcie
- 2015 Mike, David
- 2015 Kevin, Kaarin, Kristine, Tim
- 2015 Margaret, Steve
- 2016 Arlene, Kevin
- 2016 Taylor, Ben
- 2016 Peter
- 2016 St. Croix Valley Bird Club
- 2016 Butterfly counters: Stan, Mike, Karen, Susan
- 2016 Mary, Mike, Mac
- 2016 Jim, Wendy
- 2016 Rebecca, Marcie, Andrew, Bob, Merla, Les, MJ, Kyle
- 2016 Joe, Gary, Marcie, Liz, Bekah
- 2016 Susan, Mike, Helen
- 2016 Meadow, Andrew
- 2016 Richard, Mike
- 2016 Linda, Maggie
- 2016 Jim, Leslie
- 2017 Doug, Mike
- 2017 Susanne, Marcie
- 2017 Richard, Mike
- 2017 Anna, Chuck
- 2017 Chuck, Anna
- 2017 Leslie, Jim
- 2017 Mike, Jim
- 2017 Michael, Shari
- 2017 Bill, Leah
- 2017 Mike, Ann
- 2017 Mike, Leah, Marcie, Ann, Bill
- 2017 Butterfly counters – Mike, Ann, Pam
- 2017 Emily, Peter, Kelly, Dale, Anne
- 2017 Ann, Marcie, Claudia
- 2017 Claudia, Mike, Ann
- 2017 Betty, Elaine
- 2017 Marcie, Emma, Todd
- 2017 Kirk, Anita
- 2017 Larissa, Marcie, Erik
- 2017 Prairie Potluck – Todd, Emma, Peter, Nettie, Gary, Peg, Jackie
- 2017 Richard, Sarah
- 2017 Marcie, Dave
- 2017 Tina, Lucy, Marcie
- 2018 Pat, Ann, Maureen, Jan
- 2018 Mike, David
- 2018 Marcie, Craig
- 2018 Ann, Mark, Mike
- 2018 Kathy, Mike
- 2018 Claudia, Doug
- 2018 Rolf, Cindy, Richard, CJ, Sandy, Ron, Carol, Peter
- 2018 Dale, Emily, Jen, Kelly, Tom, Laurel, Rusty
- 2018 Shelly, Mac
- 2018 Craig, Jamie
- 2018 Jon, Sandy, Sandy, Lynda, Richard, Kate, Ron
- 2018 Claudia, Doug
- 2018 Doug, Mike
- 2018 Richard, Sarah
- 2018 Dave, Marda
- 2018 Dennis, Mike
- 2018 Deer
- 2018 Robert, Mike
- 2018 Marcie, Robert
- 2018 Sarah, Richard, Robert
- 2019 David, Dash the Dog, Shelley
- 2019 Doug, David, Dash the Dog, Mike
- 2019 Doug, David, Shelley, Marcie
- 2019 Richard, Sarah
- 2019 Richard, Sarah, Mike
- 2019 Rich, David, Shelley
- 2019 Rich, Marcie
- 2019 Charley, Marcie, Julia
- 2019 Mike, Charley, Julia
- 2019 Mike, Adam
- 2019 Alon, Tod, Joan, Mike
- 2019 Tom, Darlene, Sam, Gloria
- 2019 Sam, Mike
- 2019 Laurel, Mike, Claude
- 2019 Jan Irene, Mike, Jim
- 2019 Marcie, Mike
- 2019 WWNH Artist Group
- 2019 Richard, Sarah, Mike
- 2019 Maggie, Linda
- 2019 Landscape Class CVTC
- 2019 Laura, Marcie, Angela
- 2019 Tiffany, Dave, Marda
- 2020 Richard, Sarah
- 2020 Kathi
- 2020 Landscape Class CVTC
- 2020 Marda, Dave
- 2020 Marda, Marcie
- 2021 Marcie, Shelley, David
- 2021 Sarah, Richard
- 2021 Karen, Mike
- 2021 Terry, Renee
- 2021 Anne
- 2021 Dave, Marda, Sara
- 2021 Mike, Doug
- 2021 Mike, Sandy
- 2021 George
- 2021 David, Jan
- 2021 Mike, Marcie
- 2021 Mike, Doug
- 2021 Steve, Dave, Margaret
- 2021 Dave, Steve, Pauline, Margaret
- 2021 Bruce, Renee
- 2021 David, Shelley
- 2022 Marcie, Katie
- 2022 Robert, Sarah, Richard
- 2022 Bev, Anne
- 2022 Mike, Richard
- 2022 Alison
- 2022 Ralph, Sandy
- 2022 Kevin, Bev
- 2023 Leslie, Heather
- 2023 Coulee Region Prairie Enthusiasts
- 2023 Richard, William, Marcie, Sarah, Robert
- 2023 William, Marcie
- 2023 Maggie, Linda, Robert
- 2023 Doug, Mike
- 2023 Mac, Pam, Reggie, Marcie
- 2023 Jay, Mike
- 2023 MJ’s prairie/bugs group
- 2023 Rochester birds and prairies group
- 2023 Robert
- 2024 Jocelyn, Marcie
- 2024 Nate
- 2024 TPE Insect Walk
- 2024 William, Sarah, Richard, Robert
- 2024 Mike, Robert
- 2024 Butterfly counters: Terry, Karen, Doug, Mike
- 2024 Mike, Mick
- 2024 Doug, Mike
- 2024 Alan, Laurel
- 2024 Ruth Ann, Kaarin
- 2025 Wendy, Ed