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During Frank's last year in the Air Force, Frank and Betty bought a farm near Cove, Oregon, located on the eastern edge of the Grande Ronde Valley. This farm, located on Mill Creek, was about 100 acres in size, and included a farm house, a cabin, two functional barns, a tack shed, and an old log barn that was in a state of disrepair. During the summer of 1961, Betty and their 3 younger children (Dave, Danny, and Ron) moved into the cabin, as the farm house was still occupied by the previous owner. When Frank retired, the family moved into the farm house.
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Soon after moving to Cove, Frank and Betty bought a second farm, about a mile up Mill Creek Road from the home place. This farm included about 500 acres of timberland, bordering the Wallowa National Forest, and about 200 acres devoted to pasture, hay, grain, and cherry orchards. The farm included a large barn and an 80-year old, 3-story farm house. (The house burned down around 1967 due to a fire started by a renter).
In 1974, Frank built a new home on the original Mill Creek farm, in roughly the location of the old cabin, which was taken down.
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The second farm was the main source of farm income. The cherry orchard was expanded over the years, eventually reaching 85 acres in size (roughly 10 acres of which was located on the home place). In addition to the cherry orchard, the Nims' raised beef cattle, grain (soon discontinued), and alfalfa hay.
Also, while still in the Air Force, Frank contracted with Bonnie Parker, a noted breeder and judge, to travel to Wales and pick out a herd of Welsh Mountain Ponies for him. The herd, consisting of 12 mares and a stallion, were imported and moved onto the home place in Cove. Unfortunately, not many years after the pony business was started, the bottom fell out of the market, and ponies were selling for 10-20% of the typical prices when the original herd was acquired. Soon thereafter the pony business was discontinued.
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Over the years, the cattle business, always marginally profitable, was also discontinued, leaving the orchard as the sole source of farm income. 85 acres is a sizeable orchard, and can yield a substantial income in good years. Always active in searching out the best ways to market the cherries, Frank organized some of the neighboring orchardists and they started marketing their cherries directly. In later years, Frank acquired a used hydrocooler, restored it, and installed it in the big barn by the house. All the growers that worked with Frank hauled their cherries to this barn, where they were put through the hydrocooler prior to shipping.
As various parts of the farming operation were discontinued, Frank and Betty sold sections of the second farm, eventually keeping only the orchard. In 1989, with Franks's interest in conservative issues and Oregon State politics taking him to western Oregon more and more often, Frank and Betty sold their remaining farm holdings in the Cove area, and moved to Sherwood, Oregon.