Friends and neighbors,
Since 1979, the University of Minnesota Farm Family Recognition Program has honored farm families from each county for their meaningful contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities. And recently, the University of Minnesota announced the 2023 Farm Families of the Year.
In our community, the following local families are Farm Families of the Year:
- Olson Family – Big Stone County Farm Family
- Fernholz Family – Douglas County Farm Family
- Reents Family Farms – Pope County Farm Family
- Janski Farms– Stearns County Farm Family
- Golombiecki Family – Stevens County Farm Family
- John and Heidi Beyer – Swift County Farm Family
Congratulations to all the families recognized as 2023 Farm Families of the Year! Our state and communities are so appreciative of your great contributions to the agriculture industry.
Families will be recognized at Farmfest in Redwood County this year. The Farm Family of the Year Recognition Ceremony takes place on Thursday, Aug. 3, at 1:15 pm at the Wick Buildings Farmfest Center. If you plan on attending Farmfest, I invite you to stop by and congratulate them!
Additionally, the Minnesota Farm Bureau, in partnership with the Minnesota State Fair, announced the 2023 Century and Sesquicentennial Farms. This program recognizes farms that have been in continuous ownership by a family for at least 100 years (Century Farm) or at least 150 years (Sesquicentennial Farm). The farms must also be at least 50 acres in size and are currently involved in agricultural production.
In Senate District 12, the following farms have been recognized this year:
- Beardsley – Erickson Farms, 1914
- Ortonville – Wellendorf, 1918
- Cyrus – Ervin J. Hagen Trust, 1872
- Chokio – Twait Farm, 1920
Thank you to these multi-generational farm families for your decades of dedication to supporting our rural communities and state! Your dedication to food production and our agriculture legacy is inspiring and is to be applauded.
Recipients receive an outdoor sign designating the farm as a “Century Farm” or “Sesquicentennial Farm” and a certificate signed by the governor of Minnesota and presidents of the Minnesota Farm Bureau and the Minnesota State Fair. Information on the farm recipients will be available at the Minnesota Farm Bureau exhibit during the State Fair.
Contact My Office
I always encourage constituents to contact me with any questions or to offer their ideas. Please reach out by email at sen.torrey.westrom@senate.mn or by phone at 651-296-0556.
Sincerely,
Torrey