Saturday, July 29, 2017
NICOLLET COUNTY FAIR
PAGE 5B
Nicollet’s Krohns to be celebrated as county Farm Family of the Year By NANCY MADSEN nmadsen@stpeterherald.com The Krohns keep farming because they love it. Warren and Rachel Krohn with their sons, Brent and Bryce, joke about the long hours that crops and hogs inevitably bring. “It’s just something you like to do,” Warren said. “If you didn’t like it, you wouldn’t do it.” Brent said, “We work with a lot of good people and that helps make everything go.” The family is the 2017 Nicollet County Farm Family of the Year. They will be recognized during the Nicollet County Fair at 1 p.m. Aug. 11 in Johnson Hall. The annual farm family recipient is chosen locally by a group of past Farm Family of the Year recipients and is based on their demonstrated commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture and community involvement. “The farm families receiving this year’s honors exemplify what makes Minnesota agriculture strong,” said Bev Durgan, Dean of University of Minnesota Extension, in a news release. They bring innovation, science and hard work to farming. They care greatly about the land and animals and delivering quality products to consumers worldwide.” The Krohns’ farm began in 1950 when Warren’s parents, Melvin and Vivian Krohn, bought 160 acres about six miles north of Nicollet in Granby Township. The farm has had dairy cows, Holstein steers, sows, finisher hogs and chickens. In 1978, Melvin and Vivian sold the dairy cows; in 1982, Warren took the lead on the farm. “My dad still helped,” he said. “He said, ‘Have it parked and ready. I’m not getting dirty no more.’” In 1992, Warren and Rachel added Prairieland Pork, a 1,200-
sow farrowing site, and Krohn Pork, four 1,000-head hog finishing barns. Prairieland Pork was sold in 2012. They now custom finish hogs for Wakefield Pork, Gaylord. “We have good family bonding time in the hog barns,” Rachel said. Over the years, the methods and technologies have changed. Equipment is bigger and computerized. “It is better, but it can be harder to figure out when something isn’t working,” Bryce said. Brent said using manure to fertilize has brought savings. “It’s one of the highest-quality fertilizers,” he said. And GPS and variable-rate seeding and fertilizing are more efficient, Bryce said. The family members agree they enjoy working with each other. “We each have a job,” Brent said. When they plant, Warren runs the digger, while Bryce takes the planter and Brent the sprayer. Those can be 20-hour days. Throughout the year, Brent takes the lead on paperwork, while Warren focuses on the animals and Bryce the equipment and maintenance. Brent and Bryce also have jobs off the family farm. They run a custom manure application business, Granby Pumping and Application, and raise crops near North Mankato. Bryce is a journeyman electrician and Brent has a structural engineering business with a partner in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In their few spare moments, they also DJ as BKDJ. “We’ve got about 15 weddings this summer,” Bryce said. They enjoy the time together and visits from Brent and Bryce’s sister Kelsey Horn and her husband Justin and children Karis and Logan. The Krohns are involved in Minnesota Valley Lutheran
The Krohn family was named Nicollet County Farm Family of the Year. From left, son Bryce, father Warren, mother Rachel and son Brent farm about six miles north of Nicollet. (Nancy Madsen/St. Peter Herald)
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August 9 - 13, 2017 High School, where Warren is a board member; Trinity Lutheran Church, Nicollet, and Nicollet County Pork Producers Association. The four Krohns value the time working together. “I grew up working with my dad and I wanted my kids to work with me,” Warren said. “It is the dream of most farmers, but perhaps not anymore.” Bryce said, “I always wanted to be on the farm when I grew up.” Brent said there’s great teamwork and flexibility in working with family members. “We can pick up the slack wherever it’s needed,” he said. “There are a lot of things we do that are not in the job description.”
Nicollet County Recorder Kathryn Conlon Nicollet County Sheriff Dave Lange Nicollet County Attorney Michelle Zehnder Fischer
The Govenaires are proud to present the
Drum Corps Expo Saturday, August 19 • 7:00p.m. St. Peter High School Football Field
Featuring:
SPHS Marching Saints
Minnesota Brass
No charge, free will donations accepted at the show. 90th Anniversary Buttons available for $10
Proudly supporting the future of agriculture.
The Nicollet/Sibley Corn and Soybean Growers are proud to support 4-H, FFA and future agriculturalists. With nearly all Minnesota farms family-owned and a part of those families for generations, farmers are committed to protecting our soil and water resources while producing a healthy, safe product for today and generations to come.
Brought to you by the Nicollet/Sibley Corn and Soybean Growers and their checkoffs.