Farmers Rock

Farmers Rock AG WORLD Ag World 13-1-17 'We farmed around this rock for years and finally just decided to dig it up and put it in the yard," says Kathy Novak about the huge 110-ton boulder that sits in the yard of her and her husband Wally's farm near Kilkenny, Minn. Kathy says the top of the granite rock had been visible for years in a field only about 300 ft. from their house. "It came up to about your knee. The rest of it was buried." Other farmers in the past had tried to destroy the rock. One former owner of the farm blew up a whole case of dynamite on it and only managed to break off a small piece. Others tried to dig it out but with no success. Kathy and Wally finally decided to try their luck. They hired two Caterpillar D-7's to do the job. The machines cleared dirt away from around the rock but weren't able to move it. Luckily they found a contractor with two bigger Cats - a D-8 and aTerex 82-50 - who said he loved big rocks and would help them. The two big machines slowly pushed and rolled the rock to its resting place in the yard, making only a few scratches on it in the process. The Novaks spent months cleaning the granite surface of the boulder and then laid smaller field rocks around the base of it. The rock has been estimated to weigh 110 tons. "We've never heard of anyone digging up a bigger rock to use as a lawn ornament," says Kathy. Word traveled fast about the big rock and visitors from as faraway as Ireland, California and Oregon have stopped by to have their pictures taken with it. Sometimes people just drive through the yard, look at the rock, and leave. "I wish they would stop because we like to meet them and find out where they're from," says Kathy.

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