Oct. 8, 2019

For three days in 1960, even future U.S. presidents thought the Ode farm was the place to be.

Because of the Ode family’s support of federal conservation programs, the property less than two miles west of Brandon played host to the National Plowing Contest, a celebration of agriculture the pitted tractors and plows against one another to see which worked the best.

The ag-driven audience appealed to politicians too, drawing John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon to speak there over the three-day event.

Four years later, it served as the site of the National Corn Picking Contest, where speakers included Hubert Humphrey, the Democratic nominee for vice president, and Barry Goldwater, the Republican candidate for president.

Pete Hegg was there.

“It was fantastic,” he said. “We just had no idea the crowds would be coming. The cars parked along Brandon Road went all the way to Brandon. It was just amazing.”

Hegg, the chairman of Hegg Cos., is related to the Ode family, which has farmed the property – now almost 108 acres – since 1885.

Four generations later, Hegg is the listing agent as the family puts up the land for sale.

“Across the road, it’s all housing right now,” Hegg said. “I don’t anticipate it being a farm for very many more years.”

Demand for the property is growing as the city limits of Sioux Falls keep getting closer, he said.

“We’ve had interest in pieces of it, but they want to sell the whole thing,” Hegg said.

It’s listed for $3.42 million.