Commercial • Residential • Agricultural Horse Barns • Storage
Providing Quality Building Supplies at Affordable Prices since 1974
hometownsource. com / heartland / Stories of the Heartland • Sunday, April 19, 2026 Page 41
Agate farm invites visitors to dig for treasures
BY SHEILA MCCOY STORIES OF THE HEARTLAND
RANDALL – When people think about farms, what usually comes to mind is beef cattle, milk cows and planting and harvesting crops, with a few stray cats running around. Less common is the idea of finding and picking agates in the middle of a corn or soybean field.
Yet that is what Agate Farm in Randall prides itself on.
Richard Waagen, owner of Agate Farm, said the idea to allow people to search his family’ s farmland for agates came to him as a way to distract himself from the heartache of his girlfriend of five years breaking up with him. While she was contemplating leaving the relationship, he was looking at wedding rings.
Waagen said that one day, as he was feeling outright depressed, he decided to walk to a nearby field. Before long, he looked down and saw the most beautiful agate he had ever seen. It felt like the moment in a cartoon when a character gets a bright idea and a light bulb appears above his head.
“ Well, why don’ t I do that? I need a distraction,” he said.
Agates / See page 46
Besides digging for agate treasures in a 180-acre tilled field, visitors also embrace a photo opportunity with the farm’ s mascot Hank, a 1950- 1960s Super H International tractor that still runs and drives. Pictured is Richard Waagen.
Commercial • Residential • Agricultural Horse Barns • Storage
Post Frame Buildings & Farm Supplies
Providing Quality Building Supplies at Affordable Prices since 1974
Free Estimates!
16255- 117th Ave., Milaca, MN 56353 Phone: 320-983-6304, 1-800-818-1846
Visiting Family? Distant Learning? Working From Home?
WeHaveYouCovered!
Get the latest and the greatest Fiber To The Home high speed internet service!
• Includes a modem with a wireless router.
• No required contract. No data limits.
• Billing through ebill. A $ 2 / month surcharge will apply if invoice is mailed.
One-Time Installation Fees:
• $ 100 existing fiber customer- or free with 12-month contract
• $ 1200 new fiber customer or free with 24-month contract
• A $ 100 deposit is required and will be refunded after 12 months of on time payments, this in addition to the non-refundable install fee
• If your computer does not have wireless capabilities, additional equipment may need to be purchased.
Now Serving Bowlus, Flensburg, Holdingford, Rural Little Falls, Pillsbury, Sobieski, Swanville, & Upsala.
You may qualify for a discount on your telephone or internet bill. Visit https:// www. lifelinesupport. org / to see if you qualify!