Learning to respect life, nature and be stewards of the soil

“I just love it,” he said of farming. “Just the sense of accomplishment to go plant a crop and then you pray

for weather and then all of the different factors and then the harvest and marketing. It’s a challenging business, but it’s sort of an independent business.”

“It’s in your blood,” he added.

Dan Pumper says he has a few thousand clients as an insurance agent through Farm Bureau Financial services in Faribault. In his spare time, he farms on land west of northfield, carrying on the tradition left by past generations of his family. (sam Wilmes/southernminn.com)

a sign on Kevin Pumper’s garage signifies the 115 years the family has farmed west of northfield. (sam Wilmes/southernminn.com)

al and Joyce moorhouse stand in the yard of the farm site where they lived for 18 years. today, their oldest daughter marie lives in the original house. the barn burned down in the 1970s and the old machine shed blew down in a storm. marie put a new building up to replace the old shed. the three-car garage al built sits in the background near the old stone house, garage and smokehouse. (michelle Vlasak/southernminn. com) By MICHELLE VLASAK thankful for the pictures Al’s family 1871, Richard Flood Moorhouse Edward) serve in World War I. michelle.vlasak@apgsomn.com members took and the history they and his wife Leticia (Dack) pur- When her son George A. Moorleft behind. chased the land they had farmed house married Verna Mildred CANNON FALLS — Whether you since 1869. The land was 160 acres Miller on June 30, 1925, Emilie grew up on a farm or lived on one “We have to be really thankful to and sold to them by Aruthur Clif- purchased a home in Cannon Falls most of your life, you quickly realize have lived a godly life,” said Joyce ford for $1,300. Later they acquired on the west side of town. George there’s a lot more than what meets of the time they spent on the farm. smaller tracts. In 1883, Richard’s and Verna farmed the family farm the eye. “I always think, we don’t really own wife died of cancer and he married in shares with his mother. They this farm, it belongs to God.” Emilie Amelia Zemke. She helped had four children: Grayden, ElAllard and Joyce Moorhouse, who’ve raise his Richard’s four children and wyn, Allard and George Winton. lived on their sesquicentennial farm “I think when you were raised on had nine of her own before Richard In May 1943, Verna died follow-in Cannon Falls for 18 years and the farm you respect and you learn died in 1901. Emilie Amelia then ing goiter surgery in Red Wing. tor, which Greg’s father later bought raised their four children there, say to respect life and nature and the settled with Richard’s first four chil- The children were 17, 15, 13 and -by having lived on a farm, they’ve soil,” said Joyce. “To be stewards of dren by giving the sons each a team 4 years of age. George and his sons tor is still used frequently on the farm enjoyed something that many peo- the soil is very important.” of horses, and $200 for each of the farmed the land. Daughter Elwyn to this day, and Greg and his father ple will never experience. daughters. married during this time and AlBuilding history and memories on lard graduated from Blooming Looking back on the history of the the farm At 16, Emilia Amelia Zemke Moor- Prairie High School. farm where they began their life after getting married, Joyce says there’s The Moorhouse family farm hishouse and her parents came to the U.S. from Germany. She saw her Moorhouse so much value in the past and she is tory began in 1869. In March of sons (George, Arthur, Herman and Continued on page 20

With fast, local decision making, visit an Ag Banker at First National Bank Minnesota about how we can help your operation gr .ow

• A al Eeg R st oanse Lta • A evig / L oansk Locst

• ginancinuipment FqE • ineL edits of Cr