Rolling into Summer: Moen Farms Rewards Perfect Attendance
M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer
With the school year now wrapped up and summer officially underway, some local students are enjoying the sunshine on some brand-new wheels. Before the final bell rang, Pam Moen and her family carried out a unique and incredibly generous tradition that has kept Watford City kids motivated for over a decade: rewarding students who achieved perfect attendance with brand-new bicycles.
Pam Moen, a longtime educator who just wrapped up her 34th year in the classroom, is deeply rooted in the community. Her husband’s family are homesteaders in McKenzie County, with a family farm and ranch that has been active since 1909. After a 19-year stint teaching in Nevada, the couple returned home in 2011 to take over the historic family operation, Moen Farms.
When Pam began teaching for the McKenzie County School District in 2012, she brought back an inspiring idea from a larger school district just outside of Las Vegas. “One of the things we had always talked about was how do we incentivize kids coming to school?” Moen recalled. In Nevada, a local business had donated a couple of bikes for an attendance raffle. But when the Moens looked at the students in Watford City, they decided to take the concept a step further.
Instead of a raffle, Moen Farms committed to buying a brand-new bike for every single student who achieved perfect attendance. “We just decided that any kids who had perfect attendance, we [our farm] would just buy a bike,” Moen said. “We just decided to reward the kids who actually were in the desk.” Achieving perfect attendance is no small feat, especially navigating North Dakota winters, seasonal bugs, and illnesses. Because the milestone is so difficult to hit, the Moens also wanted to recognize the students who came incredibly close. For students who miss just one single day of school throughout the entire academic year, Moen Farms presents them with a brand-new scooter. This past school year, the grand total came to nine student rewards: two students, one first grader, and one fourth grader earned brand-new bikes, while seven other students took home scooters for missing only one day.
Over the past 14 years, the numbers have fluctuated, but the generosity hasn’t wavered. “Some years it’s only been a couple, and I think our biggest year was 10,” Moen said, estimating that the farm has given away between 40 and 50 bikes since the tradition began in the 2012–2013 school year. The logistics of pulling off the surprise are a labor of love.
Because the final attendance numbers can’t be locked in until the final days of the school year, the family must move quickly to gather the prizes before the final school assembly. Pam takes great care to find out who the winning students are ahead of time so she can physically go out, pick up the inventory, and personally match each bicycle to the correct size of the child.
It has also become an intergenerational family project. Pam’s grandchildren frequently tag along to help her pick up and haul the bikes to the school. “My grandkids have come and gone with me and picked up bikes and helped me get bikes picked up for kids,” Moen said, noting that it has been a wonderful way to instill the values of giving back to others.
The legacy of education runs incredibly thick on the Moen property, which the family lovingly refers to as the “Moen Compound.” The farm is home to four families, 13 people in total, including Pam’s in-laws, her husband, and her two oldest daughters’ families.
Remarkably, both of her adult daughters are also local teachers, with one working alongside Pam at Badlands Elementary and the other teaching at the middle school.
For Pam, the ultimate goal of the bike giveaway matches her philosophy as a teacher and a grandmother: getting kids moving. While the family briefly considered other prizes over the years, like pool passes, they realized a bike provides an independent avenue for fun. “A bike, they can go out and go biking...anytime,” Moen said. “I hope it keeps them outside, outdoors, instead of in front of a computer.”
As for the future of the giveaway, the Badlands Elementary tradition isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Pam’s husband, Kurt, has already given his word that the farm’s commitment to the kids will outlast their time in the school system.”Kurt said as long as we’re alive, we’re going to be doing bikes, even if I retire,” Moen confirmed.