In the ever-evolving landscape tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby city of Oak Harbor lies the Hilberdink Family Farm, a quaint 48-acre oasis that is marking a rare milestone.
This September, the farm celebrates its 100th anniversary, a century marked by unwavering faith, proud Dutch heritage and deep community roots. On Labor Day weekend, the extended family and friends are celebrating the occasion with a large get-together on the farm.
Just 1% of farms in the state are considered centennial farms, according to the Washington Department of Agriculture.
The Hilberdinks’ story began in 1910, when Henry Hilberdink and his parents left Holland in search of a better life in North America. Their journey was inspired by a well-dressed man in a buffalo robe coat, according to a family story. After trying their hand at farming in Alberta, Canada, the Hilberdinks remained unfulfilled. Then they heard about Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, a place with a thriving Dutch community and a climate reminiscent of the one they’d left behind.
In September 1925, Henry Hilberdink purchased what would become the family farm and, shortly after, married Stena. Hank and Betty are the last surviving children of Henry and Stena. Hank still lives on the farm with his wife, Ruth. Betty lives nearby.
The property features pastures, rolling hills, woodlands and a tranquil marsh.
Over the decades, the farm has been home to a variety of animals, including turkeys, horses, ducks, peacocks, goats, cats and dogs. Today, the Hilberdinks raise Hereford beef cattle and chickens. While the cattle are raised for meat, some cows have lived on the farm for over 20 years, continuing to nurture calves that are never separated from their mothers.
The family members credit their faith for blessing the farm, allowing them to raise three generations of children on the land.
“The Hilberdinks have always been very faithful to the Lord, and the Lord has been good to them,” Ruth said. “The Lord’s love endures. His faith continues through all generations.”
Betty, one of Henry and Stena’s four children, spoke of the warmth and hospitality that defined farm life.
“Church members and friends and neighbors knew the coffee pot was on 10 o’ clock in the morning and 3 o’clock in the afternoon,” she recalled. “People stopped in unannounced constantly. It was a big thing.”
The community, too, has always played a vital role in supporting the farm.
“If a neighbor had something that needed to be done, the rest of the neighbors came and joined them,” Betty said. “It was a truly neighborly neighborhood.”
And even now, people still offer to help on the farm.
Hank and Betty reflected fondly on their upbringing. Betty, born shortly after the Deception Pass Bridge was built, arrived with the help of a doctor from Anacortes whom her parents paid with the exchange of a cow.
Hank, who took over the farm from his father, still handles farm work and animal care, though he has swapped the horses for a more modern tractor.
Though overall, he said, the place has stayed remarkably the same.
Betty said the farm became a center for all their kids’ friends as well. There was so much to do, she said.
“There’s lots to explore as a kid,” agreed Carrie, the daughter of Hank and Ruth. “Barns to explore, big fields to explore … woods, stream, marsh, lots to check out.”
They would often have a baby calf that needed a bottle or a baby chick that needed to come inside.
“So we have so many pictures of us and our Sunday clothes, and Papa brought in a chick that needed attention,” Carrie remembered.
The Hilberdinks continue to honor their Dutch heritage by incorporating Dutch touches around the home and enjoying traditional foods. Every year, the family helps sweep the streets during Oak Harbor’s Holland Happening parade.
Over the years, the family home has served as a backdrop for everything, from childhood playdates to coffee gatherings and even a wedding.
Emily, Hank and Ruth’s daughter, said she hopes future generations can continue to share her family’s history and “the happy, happy memories” they have made at the farm.
A print version of this story misspells Stena Hilberdink’s name. We regret the error.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Three generations of the Hilderbrink family gather around the table.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) There is always a puzzle going at the Hilberdink house.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Betty Dyke laughs inside her family home.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Three generations of the Hilderbrink family gather around the table.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Ruth Hilberdink and her daughter, Carrie Riepma, made this recipe using zucchini from their garden and fresh eggs from their own chickens.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Ruth looks for the biggest zucchinis to give away to neighbors and friends.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Sadie Riepma, the granddaughter of Hank and Ruth, wears crocs to jump across the giant hay bales.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Sisters Carrie Riepma and Emily Smith get spooked by a baby snake in the grass.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Sadie Riepma walks in between the beams of light in the old barn.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Sadie Riepma, who is Hank and Ruth’s granddaughter, is doing one of her favorite activities on the Hilderbink farm.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Sadie enjoys the tire swing on the Hilberdink Farm.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Hank Hilberdink sits in his new tractor.
Photo by Marina Blatt Hank and Ruth Hilberdink smile in front of their farm’s sign.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Sadie Riepma climbs up a hay bale.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Sadie Riepma jumps off stacked hay bales, just like she’s done countless times before.
(Photo by Marina Blatt) Sadie Riepma jumps off stacked hay bales, just like she’s done countless times before.
