Fourteen farms honored in southwest Minnesota

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WORTHINGTON — This year, 144 Minnesota farms are being honored for 100 years of continuous family ownership by the Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Farm Bureau. In the six counties of southwest Minnesota — Rock, Nobles, Jackson, Pipestone, Murray and Cottonwood — there are 14 families celebrating Century Farm status in 2012.

Their stories are included in these pages. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to connect with all of the Century Farm families, but we have information here about those farms.

l The Anderson Farm in Skandia Township, Murray County, near Lake Wilson was purchased in 1911 by Carl and Emma Anderson. They both came to the United States from Sweden and settled for the first few years in Springfield, Ill., before moving to southwest Minnesota.

Carl and Emma were parents to eight children: Ruth, Edith, Ethel, Easter, Theodore, Russell, Philip and Kenneth. Carl not only farmed but was also the local Justice of the Peace for Skandia Township. He was also a Deacon at the Sillerud Swedish Lutheran Church across from Current Lake.

After Carl died in the late 1950’s, Emma and the children became owners of the 180-acre farm. Theodore (Ted), the oldest son, farmed the land and all of the other siblings had either moved away or were enlisted in the Armed Services. Ted and his wife, Eunice, purchased the farm in 1961 from Emma and the remaining siblings.

Ted and Eunice grew oats, corn, beans and also had alfalfa. They were dairy farmers, raised pigs and chickens. Ted and Eunice’s two daughters, Linda Archibald of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Julie Roberts of Balaton, now own the original property, which consists of the farmstead, pasture and farmland. The original house still stands on the property. The original barn was taken by a tornado in the 1930’s but the “new barn” still stands. The original tool shed and chicken coop are also still part of the original 10-acre building site.

l Noel Rahn, Edina, is the owner of a newly recognized Century Farm in Mountain Lake Township, Cottonwood County. The now 700-acre parcel was purchased in 1893 by Rahn’s great-grandfather, Benjamin Pankratz. Benjamin owned the land for 32 years.

l The DeGroot Family Farm, now owned by Elaine (DeGroot) Altena, of Sioux Center, Iowa, was settled by her husband’s father, Heimerig DeGroot in 1910. The 160-acre parcel is located in the northeast quarter of Section 34, Moulton Township, Murray County.

l Lynn and Phyllis Weber of rural Sanborn are celebrating a Century Farm this year that was established by Lynn’s grandparents, Casper and Hilda Weber, in 1912. The 160-acre parcel is located in the northwest quarter of Section 13, Germantown Township, Cottonwood County. Casper and Hilda owned the land for 40 years before passing it on to their son, Arnold and his wife, Laura. Lynn and Phyllis became the farm’s owners 25 years ago.

Tags: century farm, agriculture