The cache is located near the Farmer's Co-op in Readlyn.
Permission to place the cache has been given by Bruce at the
co-op.
Cache is an easy drive-by that will be obvious to experienced
geocachers. The cache is located across the road from the movie
filming site. Be mindful of co-op traffic, especially during the
busy farming seasons. Original contents include an FTF pin for the
First-to-Find, carabiner keychain, plastic bear claw, flashing
flip-flop necklace, and a buckeye.
The filming of Country, the movie
| Several scenes in the movie were
filmed at the co-op. The setting is the day after the movie's
opening scenes of a tornado hitting the Ivy farm. The storm hits as
the family is trying to finish the harvest and the tornado is seen
bearing down on the combine. The tornado flips the grain truck,
nearly causing a tragic accident as the Ivy's oldest son, Carlisle
(local Dunkerton teen, Levi Knebel), is buried in the spilled
grain. The next day life returns to normal after the scare and the
farm work must continue.
The first shot at the co-op is an aerial view of the elevator
with grain trucks pulling up to be weighed. A scene in the cab of
the Ivy's truck shows Gil (Sam Shepard) teasing his son Carlisle as
their truck waits in line and offering him his first taste of
"chew." An amused Grandpa Otis
(Wilford Brimley)
looks on. The trio gets out of the truck and Carlisle spits the
nasty stuff out on the ground as Gil crosses in front of the truck,
now parked on the co-op scale. Otis and Carlisle retreat to get a
soda as Gil enters the co-op office.
Inside he is met with news from the grain elevator operator,
Robert Schmidt (as himself), that he's been cut a two-party check.
The FmHA has Gil on a list of farmers who cannot cash their grain
checks without an FmHA signature. This is the first inkling that
there is trouble on the horizon.
Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange as Gil and Jewell Ivy.
The couple started dating during the filming of the movie
Frances in 1982 and developed a well-publicized romantic
relationship during the filming of Country. They have two
children together, Hannah Jane (1985) and Samuel Walker (1987), in
addition to Alexandra (1981) who was fathered by Mikhail
Baryshnikov. They raised their children together in their home in
Stillwater, MN.
Be sure to visit the other Country Tour caches,
The Ivy's,
Mt. Hope,
The Auctioneer,
Despair in the Barn,
The Funeral, and
Taking a Stand. Also check out
Readlyn, 875 People and 1 Old Grump, which mentions other film
locations that were used in town.
|
The film crew and equipment set up just outside the
Farmer's Co-op office. |
Photo taken during the actual filming of the scene
where Gil (Sam Shepard) rounds the front of the truck and chides
his son for spitting out the chew. Three local farmers are poised
just off-camera on the right of the photo, preparing to pass behind
Gil as co-op traffic coming and going. (I got chastised for
clicking the camera after they had called for quiet on the set!
Oops!)
Sam Shepard and Levi Knebel relax on the truck bumper
between takes.
|