WORTHINGTON - More than 220 Minnesota farms will be recognized this year as Century Farms. Among them are 26 farms from the six counties of far southwest Minnesota - Rock, Nobles, Jackson, Cottonwood, Murray and Pipestone.
In order to qualify for the Century Farm honor, each of these farms had to be at least 100 years old according to authentic land records; be at least 50 acres in size; and had to be in continuous family ownership for at least 100 years.
More than 10,000 Minnesota farms have been honored since the program began in 1979. Honorees receive a commemorative certificate and an outdoor sign signifying the Century Farm status.
Included in this edition are stories on a dozen of those farms. The remaining farms and their owners are highlighted below:
• Robert Henry Nienkerk farm, located in the southeast quarter of Section 4, Little Rock Township, Nobles County. The 160-acre farm was purchased by August and Vinnie Nienkerk on Aug. 30, 1905. They owned the land for 60 years together, and then Vinnie owned it for seven years before their grandson, Robert Nienkerk, became the owner 43 years ago.
• Gerald and Audrey Pieper, Rushmore, owners of a 160-acre farm in the southeast quarter of Section 10, Little Rock Township. The Pieper farm was originally settled by Gerald’s great-grandfather, Julius Pieper, on Oct. 18, 1913. The land later transferred to his son, Carl, then grandson, Harland, before Gerald became the farm’s owner in 1971.
• Hemme Family Farm, Hardwick, is currently owned by Lloyd and Gladys Hemme, Loren Hemme and Marlene Buboltz. The farm is located in the southwest quarter of Section 31, Denver Township, and Section 36, Rose Dell Township, Rock County. Now at 310 acres, the farm was originally purchased by Ernest Meyer in 1886 and has remained in the family since then.
• Fransen Family Farm, Jackson, was originally settled on March 1, 1915, by Carl Fransen. He remained the farm’s owner until 1971, when Russell and Merva Fransen and Leland and Evelyn Fransen became its owners. The 240-acre parcel is located in the southwest quarter and the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 7, Wisconsin Township, Jackson County.
• Mark and Susan Amundson, Windom, are the present owners of an 82.25-acre farm in Section 31, Christiania Township, Jackson County. The land was originally settled by Mark’s great-grandfather, John Amundson, with the west half of the northwest quarter purchased in 1889 and the east half of the northwest quarter purchased in 1896.
• The Herman Burmeister Family Farm is located in Section 22 of Heron Lake Township, rural Lakefield. Herman and Ida Burmeister purchased the west half of the northeast quarter in 1892, and the east half of the northeast quarter in 1901. The land later transferred to their son, Herman A. and Mildred Burmeister, and then to grandson Clyde Burmeister and Sandra A. Burmeister Doman.
• The Dennis Meyer Family Farm, Tracy, is located in Section 6, Holly Township, Murray County. Now a 115.46-acre parcel, the land was originally purchased by William Fergusen, great-uncle to Dennis Meyer, in 1889.
• The Anderson Farm in the northwest quarter of Section 14, Dovray Township, Murray County, near Westbrook, was originally purchased by John Riska Anderson in 1914. The 150-acre parcel is now owned by Over West, LLC, which is comprised of the five children of Elmer Anderson - grandchildren of John.
• Seth and Ashley Swan, Balaton, were honored for a century farm originally settled by Louis Daniel Scherbart in 1914. The 156-acre parcel in the northwest quarter of Section 12, Skandia Township, Murray County, is currently owned by Todd and Kelley Swan.
• Todd and Kelley Swan, Balaton, were honored for a century farm settled by Nels and Mathilde Swan in 1903. The 160-acre parcel is located in the southwest quarter of Section 23, Skandia Township.
• The Mildred Crippen Trust owns a newly honored century farm in the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 3, Germantown Township, Cottonwood County. The 80-acre parcel was originally purchased by C. H. Davis on Oct. 8, 1910.
• Loren and Dianne Ibeling and Darrel and Narisa Ibeling, Mountain Lake, are the owners of a 236-acre farm in the northeast quarter and the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 26, Selma Township, Cottonwood County. The land was originally settled by Jans Ibeling in 1915.
• The Will Family Farm was originally settled by Henry Will in 1915 in rural Windom. The 160-acre farm is located in Section 32, Dale Township, Cottonwood County. Henry Will owned the land for 53 years before it was transferred to his son, Lloyd Will Sr. After 22 years, it transferred to Henry’s grandson, Rodney Will, and is now owned by Henry’s great-grandson, Randall Will.
• The John F. and Marie Brown Farm is located in the southeast quarter of Section 12, Germantown Township, Cottonwood County. Present owners are Kevin and Vicki Brown, Lamberton. The land was originally settled in 1901 by Hermann and Augusta Brown.
