Eminent Farmer
County: Hutchinson
William Rames, Menno, is known for his soil conservation practices and crop selections for his particular land. He got his start in crop selection in 1908 while working with N. E. Hanson, famous South Dakota State College horticulturist.
The present Rames farm, of 1000 acres located four miles west of Menno is a neat homestead with buildings in good repair and paint. It is completely labor saving and modern.
Rames was born in Hutchinson County and spent his early years there. He homesteaded for five years on land 70 miles west of Pierre from 1907 to 1912. After returning to Hutchinson County he married Anna Steffen in 1916 and four years later moved to his present farm. They have one son, Earl, who is married and farms the home place.
Rames has carried his interest in crop varieties and selection to great lengths on his farm from the start. He devotes a portion of his land to testing and demonstration of both varieties and soil practices. Before hybrid corn was developed he took great care in the selection of his seed corn from the best specimen in the field. The principle crops of the 570 acres under cultivation are corn and oats.
In soil conservation Rames is proud of the fact that his farm land is in better condition now than when he took it over. He has two excellent dams, and follows an extensive practice of plowing under sweet clover as a green manure crop. His hillside land has been terraced and planted to brome grass. As a surveyor he also takes charge of staking out dams and ditches in his county.
Rames is recognized in his area for his leadership in farming. In 1937 he was selected to represent his county on a tour through the South to inspect farm conditions and practices. He received the Skelly award in 1949 for outstanding work in agriculture.
He has been a long-time member of the county extension board and served as chairman. He takes part in AAA and crop improvement association programs. He has served for many years on his school board and in the Immanuel Lutheran Church. During World War II he was a member of the farm machinery ration board and was active in bond drives.