PIPESTONE COUNTY, Minn. — The DeGroot family has been named the Pipestone County Farm Family of the Year, recognizing three generations of farming and service to the local community. DeGroot Farms was established in 1956 when Bert and Lucy DeGroot purchased the farm. Their son, Jay, and his wife, Vi, began farming nearby in 1967. Jay and Vi's son, Mik, joined the operation in 1996 and now lives on the original farm with his wife, Angie. In 2022, Mik's son, Tucker, became part of the operation, making it a three-generation family farm. Today, the family farms 1,100 acres of corn, soybeans [...]

MURRAY COUNTY, Minn. — The Hellewell family has been named the Murray County Farm Family of the Year in recognition of its commitment to agriculture, innovation and conservation. Blair Hellewell grew up on a sheep farm in New Zealand and came to Minnesota in 1997 through the University of Minnesota's Minnesota Agricultural Student Trainee (MAST) program. He was placed at Coorain, a 1,400-acre grain farm near Balaton owned by Ron and Connie Schwartau. During that summer, he met Tami, and the couple later joined the Coorain operation full-time before gradually taking ownership of the farm. Today, Blair and Tami operate a [...]

MARSHALL, Minn. — Farm profitability, government policy, rising production costs and the need for stronger advocacy were among the major topics discussed Tuesday during the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce's ninth annual State of Agriculture event at the Lyon County Fairgrounds. Moderator Ken Franzky of Centrol Crop Consulting led a panel featuring Minnesota Farm Bureau Vice President Carolyn Olson, farm management analyst Kent Thiesse, livestock producer and broadcaster Ryan Vos, and Jack Long, agricultural legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach. The panel agreed that while some sectors of agriculture are performing well, many crop producers continue to face financial challenges [...]

ROCK COUNTY, Minn. — The Elbers family has been named the Rock County Farm Family of the Year, recognizing three generations of farming, community involvement and a strong commitment to agriculture. The family farm is operated by Kurt and Lanette Elbers, with help from their children, Brock, Whitney, Sean and Lanae. The farm was established in 1947 when William Elbers purchased the property. Kurt's father, Gilbert, later rented the farm while raising his family there, and Kurt purchased the operation in 1989, making it a third-generation family farm. Today, the Elbers operate a 400-head feeder-finish cattle enterprise and rent out 124 [...]

MARSHALL, Minn. — The Lyon County Museum will host a free genealogy program, "Family History: Fact or Fiction," presented by Sarah Lockwood on Monday, Aug. 3, at 1:30 p.m. The presentation will explore how family histories are built from a variety of sources, including oral traditions, official records and previous research. Lockwood will discuss ways to verify information and strengthen family history research to create accurate and reliable records. Lockwood founded AncestryHelp in 2022 after using forensic DNA matching to identify her birth parents as an adoptee. She now helps others research their family histories and teaches genealogy research skills. She [...]

RENVILLE COUNTY, Minn. — The Wertish family has been named the 2026 Renville County Farm Family of the Year, recognizing more than 80 years of farming and community service. The family farm was established in 1945 when John and Dorothy Wertish purchased their farm in Emmet Township. Their son, Gary, and his brothers, Richard and Doug, grew up working on the diversified grain and livestock operation. Today, Gary and Jeanne Wertish's son, Tom, and his wife, Jessica, own and operate the fifth-generation farm with the help of their children, Annabelle, Jack and Kalleigh. The family raises corn and soybeans, along with [...]

NOBLES COUNTY, Minn. — The Widboom family has been named the 2026 Nobles County Farm Family of the Year in recognition of more than eight decades of farming, conservation and community involvement. The family farm was established in 1939 by Vernie and Ruth Widboom as a turkey and crop farm with hogs and dairy cattle. In the early 1970s, John and Gloria Widboom expanded the operation by developing a beef finishing feedlot and increasing crop production. Today, Matt and Teresa Widboom are raising the fourth generation on the family farm, which includes 1,600 acres of corn and soybeans and a 1,500-head [...]

LAC QUI PARLE COUNTY, Minn. — The Stratmoen family of Dawson and Boyd has been named the 2026 Lac qui Parle County Farm Family of the Year. Stratmoen Farms traces its roots back to 1896, when Edwin and Esther Stratmoen established the family farm. Their son, Roger Stratmoen, and his wife, Beverly, continued the operation while raising seven children and welcoming 18 grandchildren. Keith Stratmoen and his wife, Janet, have operated the farm since 1984. The diversified operation includes grain production, hogs, trucking, tiling and manure hauling. The farm remains a multi-generational family business. Keith is one of four brothers who [...]

KANDIYOHI COUNTY, Minn. — The Fixsen family of Fixsen Farms has been named the Kandiyohi County Farm Family of the Year. The farm has operated in Kandiyohi County since 1908 and is now in its fifth generation on the original homestead. Hubert and Linda Fixsen represent the fourth generation and remain active in the operation as leadership transitions to their daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Mike Leshuk. Their daughter Megan and her husband, Chris, also help on the farm with their children. Fixsen Farms raises corn and soybeans and has adopted conservation practices and new technologies to promote soil health and [...]

JACKSON COUNTY, Minn. — The Post family has been named the 2026 Jackson County Farm Family of the Year. Brian and Melanie Post began farming in 1993 and built a diversified operation while raising their three children, Zach, Tanner and Maggie. Today, they continue their row crop farm with a strong focus on conservation practices, including strip-till, no-till and cover crops. Their son, Zach, and his wife, Amanda, joined the operation after moving to the home farm in 2024. Along with row crops, the family manages a Simmental cattle herd and a commercial sheep flock. Brian and Melanie have been active [...]