One thing is for certain, “if it ain’t Dutch it ain’t much” rings true on Discovery’s number one nonfiction program, Gold Rush. Tony Beets and his wife Minnie’s mining clan are redefining what a Millennial is and what their work ethic is all about.
We spoke to their only daughter Monica Beets a few clicks back and she noted that Netherlands’ work ethic and pride runs strong in the Beets family outlook. She and her two brothers are now a vital spoke in the Beets mining company wheel, overseen by her parents Tony and Minnie.
Speaking of Millennials, miner Rick Ness is at the top of the age range at 38-years-old, while Parker and Monica Beets are at the youngest of the age spread at 25-years-old. Kevin and Mike fall in the middle and round out the cast of really hardworking kids, who sort of demolish the running gag stereotypes of the generation.
A huge reason for that is that their parents and families engineered it as such. Schnabel’s family reared him in the mining world and provided great role models like his grandfather John, who he lost in the course of the series.
Parker is not the only one who suffered a personal loss. Rick Ness lost his mother to cancer before he embarked on his career as a miner.
As for the three Beets’ kids, they are going strong and are more involved than ever in their colorful father and more reserved mother’s mining operation up in the Yukon.
The Dutchman, as Beets is often called, is armed with subtitles on the series, and he presents a rough, pugnacious external demeanor. But he’s got a strong sense of humor and along with his bottom line loving, bean-counting childhood sweetheart Minnie, together the two have created a mining empire that is successful.
On a personal level, Tony and Minnie really are a special story, as the two met as children and later married, leaving their native country behind.
Together, they embarked on a faraway gamble from Holland, and have raised three unassuming, hard-working and problem-solving kids who are loyal to the Beets’ mission of getting that gold.
Are they a flashy, working-class bachelor catch like Parker who has earned his own spinoff series reward at the network?
Maybe not now, but the series has shaken out a lot of the less compelling and popular characters that rubbed the core cast the wrong way, and the Beets clan still remains highly watchable and downright funny as hell.
Their gruff, foul-mouthed patriarch’s quirks have rubbed off a bit on their kids, and despite the f-bombs that fly when we are watching the Beets clan move some dirt, don’t ever doubt that they aren’t thick as thieves. Their Gold Rush footage shows how kids can flourish in a family business and contribute to the whole. They get the f***ing job done, eh?
Maybe Tony and Minnie should consider writing a book about how to raise children the right way.
We spoke briefly to Tony and Minnie who we learned will never retire and are taking some time in Mexico for their very long hiatus between mining seasons.
Monsters and Critics: Tony, we are fascinated by Minnie and her role on Gold Rush. Is she the secret weapon to your success. Am I right or wrong?
Tony Beets: It’s a fifty-fifty game, lady!
M&C: Heh. Come on, Minnie is a great manager and she’s got a really good sense of business…
Tony Beets: Yes. That’s right.
M&C: Minnie, how did you meet Tony?
Minnie Beets: First of all, I met Tony [as a kid] on the street about 55-56 years ago. He moved into the neighborhood when he was seven and I was six. We lived in Holland, in the Netherlands. Later we went and made the decision with each other to head to Canada.
M&C: In a coming episode, we see how Monica, Kevin and Mike all have their own patch of land to work and their own solutions to a collective problem. Can you talk about them?
Minnie Beets: Yep. Okay. Well, Monica was raised just like the other kids. I mean, you have to remember they grow up in it and all around equipment. It is totally different for them than the people who come out and grew up in the city, right?
M&C: Monica has a very tenacious nature. She went to Hanker Creek where you thought it was all dredged out, but she did some test excavation holes and Tony came and panned the samples and you found gold. Talk about that.
Minnie Beets: Well here and I’ll let Tony talk about that one.
Tony Beets: Well, that was simple. We’ve had that property for years, so we kind of still knew what was there, really. And really the same for Mike. We knew was left there, and it was a great opportunity for them to go mine there by themselves, right?
M&C: What are Monica, Kevin and Mike’s individual strengths?
Minnie Beets: Well, Kevin, he is good as a mechanic. He doesn’t let up until he fixes it. Mike, he’s really, really, really good on equipment.
Tony Beets: And then Monica …she makes a good match between the two boys, she keeps them all nice and in line sometimes. They make a good group, the three of them.
M&C: Kevin actually uncovered some history in a coming episode. He uncovers an old mine.
Minnie Beet: Oh the shaft?
Tony Beets: Yeah. The shaft that goes over the property, those particular ones that were [old] working shafts. Like, they didn’t show it in-depth on TV, but the amount of dirt that those people dug out a hundred years ago. That was, that was quite something alright.
M&C: It had to be exciting, from an artifacts perspective.
Tony Beets: I mean, the exciting part is at least in that lease you know that they did that much work and they worked it that long and that hard, you know, so you know there’s half-decent gold in the region.
M&C: Your kids kind of grew up being filmed. How have you dealt with that?
Minnie Beets: Actually… The kids have always worked with us and that hasn’t changed, I mean it’s the business but as far as…
Tony Beets: …And basically they’re like how Minnie says, they’re always worked with us. And as long as they keep playing well…
M&C: Do people recognize the both of you when you’re out and traveling?
Tony Beets: Yes…you know that comes with it. And that way you get to meet a lot of nice people. Really.
Minnie Beets: Yes.
M&C: How long do you think that that you all and the kids will continue on, in television production, doing what they do?
Minnie Beets: You know, I really can’t tell, I can’t speak for my kids. They are all adults right? Right. It’s up to them if they want to continue. And if not, then … well, I can’t speak for them in that regard.
Tony Beets: If they do, fine. If they don’t, fine. Hopefully, they’ll find it. Hopefully, they find something that they like as much as mining, and perhaps that doesn’t necessarily have to be the mining part, whatever suits them. Right?
M&C: What does retirement look like for someone like you, who’s worked so hard to build a business on your own your whole life? What do you envision?
Tony Beets: Oh, for retirement, I don’t think we’ll ever retire. I can’t speak for Minnie, but we work seven months in the year and then we have five months of holiday already…
Minnie Beets: I think we have the perfect life, we work seven months and then we are off for five. It’s great.
Tony Beets: I mean, right now we’re sitting in Mexico on the beach, so we’re not complaining!
Gold Rush airs Fridays at 9/8c on Discovery.