Corey and Kaye Hansen are big fans of the Mower County Farm Bureau’s Breakfast at the Farm.

The rural Austin farmers have attended every Breakfast at the Farm for the past six years.

“One year we didn’t know if we were going to make it or not,” Corey said. “The kids were really disappointed, but in the end we did end up making it.”

The Hansens got to do one better this year: They played host to the 2014 Breakfast at the Farm on their property in the south part of rural Austin.

“It was a real short drive,” Corey said with a smile. “We just walked out the door.”

Hundreds of people attended this year’s Breakfast on the Farm to see what life is like at Hansen Farms. The Hansens said it took months of preparation to get ready for so many people, but it was worth it to educate families who may not know about farms on land just minutes away from downtown Austin.

“Part of farming is family,” Kaye said. “We’re very passionate about family, farming and growing a healthy product.”

Other activities included farm tours by horse-drawn wagons, a petting zoo, a scavenger hunt, 4-H demonstrations and a meet and greet with Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

Hansen Farms has been in the family since 1880 and is where Corey grew up. Both Corey and Kaye say they’re pleased to educate people about everything from corn and soybeans — which is what the Hansens farm — to chickens, which according to Kaye is a traditional source of extra income for families and for children.

“It’s always good for a little extra spending money, she said.

The Hansens, like many farmers in the region, have been affected by the recent spate of continuous rainfall over the past few weeks. Some of their crops have been lost to flooding though they haven’t lost whole fields yet.

“It’s sad to see those little plants disappear,” Kaye said.

“I always apologize to [the plants],” Corey added. “I say ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’”