The Virgil and
Delores Novotny family were honored as the farm/ranch family of the year
at the Winner Area Chamber of Commerce banquet Jan. 16. The family
includes their two sons, Mike and Todd and two daughters, Cindy Levi and
Julie Hennebold. Mike's wife Colleen is a registered nurse at Winner
Regional Healthcare Center and they have three children, Tyler, Tiffany
and Tanae. Todd and his wife, Penny, who also is an RN at Winner
Regional, have a son, Eric. Son-in-law Mike Levi and wife, Cindy, who is
employed at Wells Fargo Bank, have three children-Michele, Mike and
Mackenzie. Virgil and Delores have another daughter, Julie Hennebold,
who is also an RN at Winner Regional Healthcare Center. Julie's husband,
Brad, has his own farming/ranching operation and they have four
children, Chelsea, Elizabeth, Kriston and Luke. The Novotny family has
one fulltime employee, Tom Sell.
The family raises
commercial and registered Black Angus cattle. They are trying to use all
the modern technology available such as selling on the grid, using
electronic EID tags, freeze branding and ultrasound. They keep a
complete computerized performance record on all of their cattle. They
use a sound veterinary program for their herd including pelvic measures
and pregnancy checking.
Their crops arc
primarily alfalfa, corn and hay. Some are raised no till and some
are raised by conventional farming. The Novotnys irrigate three circles.
This year they had one circle in alfalfa, one in corn and one in cane.
These crops are all utilized back into their livestock operation. They
also purchase feed, corn and hay.
During the summer
time, grandsons Mike, Tyler and Eric are a great help in the hay fields.
The Novotnys are in
the fourth generation farming and ranching. Starting the farm was Joseph
Novotny Sr., followed by Virgil's parents Edward and Otillia Novotny. It
is now passed down to the third and fourth generations.
The Novotnys are
members of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Elks, American Legion,
VFW, and the South Dakota Angus Association.
Virgil Novotny is
starting his second term as a Tripp County Commissioner.
