State recognizes area Sesquicentennial, Century farm families

Julie Buntjer, The Daily Globe, Worthington, Minn.
·4 min read

May 29—EAGAN — The Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Farm Bureau are recognizing 89 Minnesota farms as Century Farms, and the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation is recognizing 43 honorees of Sesquicentennial Farm awards in 2023.

To qualify as a Sesquicentennial Farm, the farm must be in continuous family ownership for at least 150 years, be 50 acres or larger, and currently be involved in agricultural production.

Century Farm awards are presented to farms that have been in continuous family ownership for at least 100 years and are 50 acres or more.

Sesquicentennial farm families will receive a commemorative certificate signed by Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and MFBF President Dan Glessing, along with an outdoor sign signifying Sesquicentennial Farm recognition. Century Farm honorees receive a commemorative sign, as well as a certificate signed by Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Farm Bureau presidents and Gov. Walz.

In addition to the area farms featured in The Globe's special Today's Farm edition, the following also are being recognized as Century Farm honorees in 2023:

* The Koopmann Farm in rural Fulda, Murray County, is currently owned by Jean Guyse, Rochester. The farm was originally purchased by Henry Koopmann in 1898, and transferred to his son, Jacob Koopmann, 15 years later. Jacob owned the farm for 60 years, and then it went to Jacob's daughter, Mabel Koopmann Meier, for three years. Jean Meier Guyse, daughter of Mabel, has owned the farm for 47 years. Jean said the 80-acre farm was purchased from the Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad Company for $15 per acre. Henry Koopmann had emigrated from Vormstegen, Germany, and worked on the railroad while creating a home for his family on the plot of land. Today, the farm produces corn and soybeans.

* Barbara Ann Everson, Wichita, Kansas, is the owner of a newly-designated Century Farm in Section 27 of Graham Lake Township, Nobles County. She is the granddaughter of John E. and Anna A. Johnson, who purchased the farm in 1915. It currently consists of 153.7 acres. John owned the farm for 10 years, with Anna taking ownership at the time of his death. She continued the farm for 31 years before it was taken over by their son, Leonard S. Johnson. He owned the parcel for 23 years and, upon his death, his widow, Hilda M. Johnson, and daughter, Barbara A. Everson became the farm's owner. Barbara has owned the land on her own for the past 23 years.

* Donald and Janet Sieve, Wilmont, own a 154-acre parcel in Section 7 of Summit Lake Township, Nobles County, that has been in the Sieve family since 1909. They applied for Century Farm status this year for what has always been dubbed the Sieve bare quarter, as it's always been strictly farmland. Donald's grandfather, August Sieve, originally purchased the parcel and, upon his death, it was owned by August's wife, Caroline. Their son, Henry, eventually became the farm's owner, and owned it for 35 years before his son, Donald, gained ownership. Donald and Janet have owned the land for the past 43 years.

* Jesse Feeken, Rushmore, currently farms the Reiter and Feeken family farm in Section 18 of Ransom Township, Nobles County, that is newly listed as a Minnesota Century Farm. The 160-acre parcel was purchased by Reint Reiter in 1923 for a mere $50 per acre. Reint had emigrated from Germany to pursue his dream of farming, and he remained owner of the quarter section for 18 years. His daughter, Florence Feeken, and her husband, Elmer, were the farm's next owners. They maintained ownership for 29 years before ownership transferred to their daughter, Grace Feltman. Grace has been the owner for the past 53 years. Today, the farm produces corn, soybeans and cattle.

* Gary and Elizabeth Erdmann, Balaton, are the owners of a newly designated Century Farm in Section 22 of Springwater Township, Rock County. The 160-acre parcel was originally purchased by Gary's grandfather in 1922 through a foreclosure sale. Over the years, the farm has produced corn, oats, hay, hogs, cattle and horses. The original home was taken down in 2021 and what remained of the 5-acre building site was sold. Today, there are no buildings left to indicate there was a homestead there.