Summer 2020
Special to The Globe
A photo of the land owners, taken in 2018, shows Emil Buresch Jr. and Martha Buresch with their sons (back, from left) Byron, Keith and Michael Buresch along with their great-granddaughters, Hannah & Karina Buresch.
Railroad and family ties bolster Buresch family farm for 100 years Buresch Farms, Buresch Seed 6XSSO\ ĂRXULVK HDVW RI /DNHāHOG
But that rarity and minor inconvenience also had benefits; Keith and his brothers Michael and Byron were the frequent beneficiaries of candy, courBy Jane Turpin Moore tesy of a friendly engineer. The Globe “He’d throw out a bag of candy on LAKEFIELD — Trains no longer hold Tuesdays and Thursdays,” said Keith, the same fascination for Keith Buresch noting the train passed through three as they did when he was a kid and a or four times each week. line of the Milwaukee Road Railroad “We always had to look both ways sliced through his family’s farmstead, when we crossed the track — lost a approximately 100 feet from their few farm dogs to the train — but that front door. engineer wrote us a letter once to tell
us we were the only farm he passed through between Madison, S.D., and his eastern destination.” Keith has sweet memories of hearing the train’s approach and “hightailing it out there” with his brothers to retrieve the brown bag reliably filled with Baby Ruths, Butterfingers or Wrigley’s Doublemint gum. “And around the Fourth of July he threw out a big pile of illegal fireworks from South Dakota,” laughed Keith. Such experiences were possible on
the Buresch family farm, located two and a half miles east of Lakefield on Jackson County 14 (also known as the Old Mill Road). The Buresches recently applied for and received Century Farm status for the site, whose original 160 acres were purchased in 1920 by the Buresch boys’ grandfather Emil Buresch Sr. and uncle James Buresch.
BURESCH: Page 10
2 • The Globe • Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Kudos to our newest century farms By Julie Buntjer jbuntjer@dglobe.com REGIONAL — Across Minnesota, 154 family farms are being honored in 2020 for reaching 100 years of continuous family ownership. These century farms qualify for recognition only if they are 50 acres or more in size and, through land records, are proven to have remained in the family during the 100-year period. In the six counties of far southwest Minnesota, 15 farms are being recognized as Century farms in 2020. Many of them are featured among these pages. The Globe would also like to recognize the following farms along the northern fringe of our coverage area. They include three Cottonwood County farms, near Jeffers, Lamberton and Revere; a Murray County farm near Walnut Grove and a Pipestone County farm near Pipestone. Congratulations to all Century Farm honorees. Ź Earl and Judith Enstad, Section 2, Ann Township, rural Revere, Cottonwood County. Their 160-acre farm was homesteaded in 1871 (149 years ago) from the U.S. Government
by Peder Enstad, great-grandfather to Earl. Peder emigrated to America from Lesja, Oppland, Norway, and constructed a sod house on the land for his family and animals. The family lived in the inner part of the sod house, and the animals on the outer part — their body heat keeping everyone warm. Twisted prairie grass was bundled and burned for heat. Peder’s homestead had a Sioux Indian trail traversing it, and one day a group of braves came by. One of them had a badly infected wound and Peder’s wife treated him with carbolic acid — the only antiseptic she had. When the remaining braves returned a few days later, expecting to find him dead, he was sitting up and eating. “They were amazed and delighted and stopped in friendship later when they came down that trail,” Earl and Judith wrote on their Century Farm application. Ź Robert and Marian Schoper, Section 6, Amboy Township, rural Jeffers, Cottonwood County. The 153.72-acre Schoper Farm was established in 1919 (warranty deed filed March 1, 1920) by Henry Schoper, who emigrated from Hehlen, Germany. A home was
built on the farm in 1921 and still stands today. Ź The Geraldine Hubert life estate, owners of the newly designated Hubert Century Farm, was once a 400-acre parcel in portions of Sections 2, 3 and 10 in Highwater Township near Lamberton in Cottonwood County. Today, 100 acres remains in the family. The land was settled by Gust Hubert in 1916. The house, barn and granary are among the original buildings still standing on the homestead. Ź Gary and Cathy Kassel, Section 22 of Holly Township, near Walnut Grove in Murray County. The Kassel farm was originally purchased as a half-section on April 28, 1911 by Fred Kassel at a cost of $75 per acre. Eighty acres from the original purchase remains in family ownership. The barn stands as the last original building on the farm, with a new home constructed in 1992. The Kassels grow corn, soybeans, cattle, dairy and hogs on the farm that has spanned three generations of Kassel family owners. Ź John and LaVonne Bucher, Section 14, Gray Township, Pipestone County. The original 80-acre Bucher Farm was purchased by William and
Dora Lubke in 1918 for $100 per acre from the estate of Ogden Smith. Smith had homesteaded the land in 1888. The original house, a 12- by 20-foot structure with a loft, was where William and Dora lived with six to eight of their 13 children, they noted on their century farm application. The house was converted into grain storage in the 1950s, and was destroyed by a small tornado in 1984. The barn, built in 1919, is the only original building remaining on the farm, with a new house constructed there in 1981 by John and LaVonne. John is the great-grandson of William and Dora. Ź The Janice Robertson Trust owns a 160-acre farm in Section 31, Indian Lake Township, Nobles County. All that remains of this farm is the tillable land and an acreage that includes the original grove, a shop and granary, according to Lloyd Robertson of rural Worthington. The land was purchased by his great-grandparents, Adolph and Selma Brink, on March 26, 1917, and transitioned to their daughter and son-in-law, Beda and Will Robertson, then their son, Herbert (Janice) Robertson. Today, the farm produces corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
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• Wednesday, June 24, 2020 • 3
Hog heaven Walhofs celebrate Century status on rural Edgerton farm By Leah Ward lward@dglobe.com EDGERTON — When it comes to raising pigs, rural Edgerton farmer Henry ‘Hiene’ Walhof sticks to tradition, using similar strategies as those his father and grandfather employed on their newly designated Century Farm. The Walhof farm was first purchased in 1918 by Walhof’s grandfather, Harm John ‘H.J.’ DeGroot. Thirty years old at the time, DeGroot grew up near Leota after immigrating to the U.S. at age 4. He bought the land and house near Edgerton on contract for deed, a financing method in which the buyer pays off the property in installments and the seller keeps the land title until the entire balance has been paid. The farm’s main source of income was hog farming, but the DeGroots also had a barnyard of other livestock and crops. They grew wheat, corn and oats; milked cows to sell the cream and feed the milk to the pigs; and kept chickens for both eggs and meat. Before tractors, they used horses for farm labor. Despite working hard and living frugally, when it came time to pay the farm’s balloon payment in 1928, DeGroot didn’t have the money. The beginnings of The Great Depression
— plus blizzards, drought and dust storms — had already taken a toll. On his way to tell the seller he would have to return the land, DeGroot stopped by his neighbor’s house. In the course of their conversation, DeGroot mentioned where he was headed, and his neighbor generously offered to loan DeGroot the money so he wouldn’t have to give up the farm. After the Depression passed, the DeGroots enjoyed many prosperous years. They eventually got a tractor to make their operation more efficient, added to the farm’s various buildings and, in 1941, installed electricity. Come 1950, H.J. and Alice DeGroot were ready to retire from farming and move to town. After that, the farm was occupied by various family members until 1964, when the DeGroots’ youngest child, Lavonne, took over the property with her husband, Allen Walhof. By this time, soybeans had become a popular new crop, and Allen Walhof decided to add it to the lineup of grains already produced on site. Instead of dairy cows, the Walhofs raised feeder cattle to market weight. Under Allen and Lavonne’s care,
Leah Ward/The Globe
Hiene and Karen Walhof have been managing the Walhof farm since 2007. the hog operation grew. They added a few more buildings on the farm, including a nursery, grower and finishing house. In 1972, Allen Walhof purchased the farm from the DeGroot estate and continued farming there until 1999, when he and Lavonne retired and moved to town. The Walhofs’ first-born and only son, Hiene, and
his wife, Karen, have been managing the farm ever since. Like his father and grandfather before him, Hiene prefers to raise hogs from farrow to finish. The farm typically has about 160 sows at any given time, with room to farrow up to 31 at once.
WALHOF: Page 7
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4 • The Globe • Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Caretakers of the land Bullerman descendents ensure farm reaches century status By Doug Wolter dwolter@dglobe.com LISMORE — Discussing the Century Farm where she and her husband Roy, and their children Dayton and Dayona, live in rural Lismore, Lori Bullerman Romans admits to a mixture of pride and sadness. Talking about it, she said, is bittersweet. Lori’s father, Lloyd, died last November. His life’s goal was to live to age 80, and to live to see his farm become a Century Farm. Unfortunately, the paperwork that allowed the family homestead to achieve the official designation was not finalized until after he passed away. “It’s so melancholy for me, knowing it was my dad’s dream. And it was delayed. It’s kind of bittersweet,” she said. Now — officially — the farm has been in the Bullerman family for 101 years. Herman Voss, who was born in 1866 and emigrated to America from Germany, purchased the property in 1919. He and his wife, Teresa, who were married in 1899, had 11 children. The land was later divided by Herman and Teresa, among their sons. Lori’s grandmother Alma, who married Leonard Bullerman of Adrian, purchased the parcel Roy and Lori live on now. Alma and her son Lorne worked the farm until they died six weeks apart. The other sons had expressed a varied interest in the farming opera-
tion and the homestead. Wayne opted for a career in the military, becoming a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and working on the pharmacy staff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Miles owned his own pharmacy in Wells and had no interest in farming. Lloyd was the oldest son, and Lorne the second oldest. “They were old enough to remember their father, Leonard Bullerman. Leonard and Alma’s dream was being on the farm and working on the farm. They had a working memory of how important it was to be on this farm,” Lori said. Today, Roy and Lori live on the 11-acre homestead, and they rent the pasture and farmland to others. It is their task to take care of the yard and the buildings. At one time, Roy and Lori raised fainting goats, chickens, ducks and geese. “Currently, we’re not raising any animals except two teenagers. And they keep us pretty busy,” Lori said. Dayton is 15. Dayona is 13. Ironically, Dayona holds the distinction of being the only female child raised in the house in 100 years, said Lori.
Submitted photo
The brothers Bullerman -- Lorne (from left), Lloyd, Wayne and Miles -- are pictured together in 2002. It was Lloyd's dream that he would see the family homestead become a Century Farm, but he died last November before the paperwork was complete.
Country life isn’t easy
Lloyd’s wife Kathy never lived on the farm. Lloyd lived on it until he went off to college. He later became a professor at the University of Nebraska, working in food microbiology.
BULLERMAN: Page 7
Doug Wolter/The Globe
The house on the Alma Voss Bullerman and Sons farm southeast of Lismore is original, with only some siding and add-ons attached. Roy Romans, who lives on the lot now with his wife Lori, keeps the 11 acres of yard immaculately manicured.
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Family ties By Julie Buntjer jbuntjer@dglobe.com LAKEFIELD — From fires to flooding, the Pohlman family farm in Heron Lake Township, Jackson County, has created its share of memories over the past 100 years. Newly recognized as a Minnesota Century Farm, the once 160acre parcel was purchased by Herman Pohlman on Feb. 24, 1920 for a mere $217.50 per acre. Today, 120 acres remain in the Pohlman family, with ownership split between three generations. “My great-grandpa was 7 years old when he came across on the ship … from Germany,” shared Doug Pohlman, who now farms the land. “I think they were just like everybody else; they were looking for a better life here in America.” Herman worked for a large cattle farm near Mankato until he had enough money to purchase a farm of his own, and that’s what brought him to the Heron Lake area, Doug shared. In the years that followed, he made the down payment on parcels for each of his five sons — August, Herman, Wilhelm, Walter and Arthur — to begin farming in Jackson County, including the land in Section 25 of Heron Lake Township that’s being recognized as a Century Farm this year. Each farm averaged about 120 acres. Walter ended up with his parents’ home farm on Heron Lake, while Herman settled south of Okabena, August’s farm was in Delafield Township, and Wilhelm and Arthur
had parcels side by side in Heron Lake Township, a few miles northeast of Lakefield. Wilhelm, who was the oldest of Herman’s children, moved onto the farm in Heron Lake Township after he and wife, Marie Brill, were married. At the time, it was a 240-acre parcel, and he farmed the entire piece until his brother, Arthur, became old enough to farm. “Arthur had the east half and Wilhelm had the west half,” said Doug, adding that Wilhelm raised hogs, cows and chickens on his homestead. Not long after Wilhelm and Marie welcomed the birth of their second child, Marie became ill and died of pneumonia. Wilhelm would later marry Frieda Robby, and they had one child together. The three — Norman, Dorothy and Leroy — became shared owners of the land upon their parents’ deaths. Today, Doug (son of Norman) farms the land that had belonged to Wilhelm, while his cousins, Kenny (son of Leroy) and Patricia Pohlman, reside on the acreage. Doug and his wife, Susan, own 40 acres, Kenny owns 13 acres, Kenny’s mother, Elaine Pohlman, owns 27 acres, and Doug’s daughter and son-inlaw, Kimberley and Brett Johnson, own 40 acres. The original two-story farmhouse was destroyed by fire during the era of Wilhelm and Frieda’s ownership of the farm, and they built a new home on the site.
POHLMAN: Page 11
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• Wednesday, June 24, 2020 • 5
Pohlman Century Farm shared by four owners
Julie Buntjer / The Globe
Owners of the Pohlman Century Farm in Jackson County are Pat and Kenny Pohlman (from left), Elaine Pohlman, Doug and Susan Pohlman, and Kimberley and Brett Johnson.
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6 • The Globe • Wednesday, June 24, 2020
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Strampe family celebrates fruits of their labor By Leah Ward lward@dglobe.com CHANDLER — A newly earned century farm designation is one more way the Strampe family of Chandler carries on the legacy of its ancestors. The family farm has been under the Strampe name since 1920, when William and Lizzie Strampe purchased the land for their son, Edward, who was serving in World War I in France. William was born in Hanover, Germany and had immigrated to the U.S. around 1870 with his parents and siblings. He and Lizzie operated a creamery in Paullina, Iowa. Great-grandson Curtis Strampe describes William as “a busy, talented man with many irons in the fire.� In addition to his regular living, William also kept busy with many side jobs. He was a skilled carpenter and helped build the Lutheran church in Germantown, Iowa. He helped his brother, Henry, run the Paullina meat market. The family owned Paullina’s silent movie theater, and two of William’s daughters played the piano to accompany the films. A year after William and Lizzie purchased the land in Chandler, Edward and his wife, Rose, were ready to buy it from them. Under the second generation of ownership, farming began on the
property. Edward and Rose grew small grains like oats and corn, and raised four children on the farm. Less than a decade into farming, the Strampes ran up against the Great Depression. “It was a struggle during the ’30s,� Curtis explained. “My grandpa (Edward) had a hard time paying his dad (William) back.� Although Edward and Rose considered other financial options, they were able to scrape by and keep their farm running through the difficult time. Edward, Curtis explained, “was known as a rock hound.� He didn’t just collect rocks, but he made art out of them, from corner rock posts on the farm to flower garden ornaments to Western bolo ties. Curtis recalled his grandfather’s collection of Prince Albert tobacco cans filled to bursting with rocks, which the grandkids loved to shake like maracas. Edward and Rose’s oldest son Vernon married his sweetheart, Beatrice, in 1951, and the couple lived on the farm while Vernon farmed with his dad. When they were ready to retire, Edward and Rose sold the farm to Vernon and Beatrice, who subsequently raised their children, including Curtis, on the land. Curtis shared that one of his happiest childhood memories was having his grandparents just across the
lawn. He liked to go to their house and eat raisins for a special treat. In addition to cash crops, the farm could practically stock its own farmers market, boasting a variety of fruits including apples, cherries, mulberries, chokecherries, raspberries, strawberries and grapes. Beatrice fondly recalled tending the fruit trees and canning the farm’s abundant produce, as well as raising chickens and collecting eggs from the chicken house. Unlike his father, Vernon hated rocks, Curtis noted. “If he had to pay for the whole piece of land, he was going to farm the whole piece of land,� Curtis said. While other farmers would simply work around rocks that were too big to move with a tractor, Vernon
wanted them gone. He would drive down to Slayton and buy dynamite, then blow the boulders to smithereens and get them out of his way. Vernon died in 2009 after more than 50 years of marriage to Beatrice. In 2013, the furnace went out in the original farm house, and Beatrice moved to Slayton. She still owns the original, tillable land, and Curtis now manages the acreage, using it to raise Holstein calves and sheep. The old chicken house is now used for lambing. As soon as the farm reached 100 years of Strampe ownership, the family knew it had to apply for the century farm designation. Both Beatrice and Curtis expressed how proud they are that their family has earned this honor.
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BULLERMAN From Page 4
But Kathy remembers the farm well. “I learned to drive one of the tractors on the farm,” she said, and she recalled a story of when she had to drive it with a loader attached to retrieve a wayward calf. Kathy pitched in to help with fieldwork and sometimes drove tractors in tandem to plow fields of dense alfalfa. But she claims she never became a true farm woman. “I think I’m a city woman,” she said. Lori, too, said she never became truly comfortable with the traditional farming life. She remembers spending a lot of time on the farm cleaning chickens. “It smelled, and it was hot,” she said. “I never was active in the killing part of it, but I couldn’t be around it. That was hard for me. And that’s why they called me a city girl.” Today, Lori enjoys gardening. She loves caring for flowers and vegetables. A family consumer science teacher by trade, she is now a substitute teacher working mainly in the Adrian school district. She admits that both she and Roy are fussy about the premises. “We prefer detail-oriented,” she says, smiling. Roy, retired as a foreman in the brick mason profession, oversees the farm buildings while keeping an immaculately trimmed yard. “It’s what made him a good brick-
• Wednesday, June 24, 2020 • 7
layer. He had to have his lines perfectly plum and level,” said Lori. “I used to golf before I got injured at work,” said Roy. “I need a nice, trim lawn. Maybe I mow more often than I should, but when it starts getting ratty you gotta trim it down. And I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on my yard.”
Family contemplates farm’s future ownership
Lloyd’s dream is secure because family members made it so. All of Roy’s family are still in the Lincoln, Neb., area where he and Lori first met. But he moved here with his wife so that Century Farm status could be achieved. “I’m happy that we were able to come up here and do it, and to help make it happen,” he said. “It was a team effort. I couldn’t have done it without him,” said Lori. Kathy is obviously pleased that it did indeed happen. “I think he (Lloyd) knew it would happen. It’s just that he couldn’t be here to see it actually happen,” she said. “When his mother passed away and it had to be sold for the inheritance, his brothers weren’t interested and neither were their families. But Lloyd and I and our children wanted to keep it.” Lori continues to contemplate the future. “We’re working it out as a family,” she explained. “Do we close it up and let somebody else be on our Century Farm? Do we end our Century Farm and let somebody else begin? But the next person, maybe they could have it and work toward a Century Farm. It could be a new beginning.”
Doug Wolter/The Globe
The Roy and Lori Romans family -- Dayton, Roy, Lori and Dayona -- pose at the dining room table at their Century Farm.
Special to The Globe
An aerial view of the Walhof farm in rural Edgerton.
WALHOF From Page 3
To ensure the best possible quality, Hiene keeps the sows separated into four different groups, based on their age, rotating them as finished hogs go to market and new piglets are born. Gilts are segregated from the others when they first arrive, to make sure they aren’t carrying any disease that could spread to the rest of the group. The farmer also feeds each age group in precise regimens so each hog is healthy and hearty. “From birth to market,” Hiene explained, “they get fed nine different diets.” Feed is processed on site by growing corn and mixing it with other elements, such as distiller and soybean mix. Occasionally, animal rights’ groups express concerns about modern hog farming, Hiene explained. People who aren’t familiar with the process sometimes think the pigs should be kept outside and free to roam, but Hiene noted that it’s actually more comfortable for the hogs to live in barns, where the temperature is reg-
ulated to combat the weather. The Walhofs love living in rural Edgerton. “There’s something about farm life,” said Karen, who also grew up on a farm. Although she works during the day at First State Bank Southwest, Karen enjoys tending the garden of vegetables and flowers that she and Hiene cultivate on the farm. Like many other agriculture professionals, the Walhofs felt the effects of COVID-19 when area processing plants closed earlier this year. “We have to know 10 months ahead of time if there’s going to be a place to take them (for processing),” Hiene said. It takes about six months for a hog to be ready for market, and with a gestation period of nearly four months, he has to have a processor in mind before breeding sows in the first place. The Walhofs were used to taking their hogs to Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, so when that plant briefly shut down, they could feel the effects. The Walhof farm is recovering, though, and the couple look forward to many more years of raising hogs. When it comes time to retire, Hiene and Karen plan to pass the management of the farm to their son, Daniel.
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8 • The Globe • Wednesday, June 24, 2020 Submitted photos
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Vacura sees value in keeping family’s Century Farm JACKSON — Jerald Vacura has a distant memory of being with his great-grandfather on what is now being recognized as a Century Farm. “I remember going to his house and listening to my dad and him talk in Czech, and I wouldn’t understand anything,� Jerald recalled. Those are the only remaining recollections he has of his great-grandpa, James Vacura, who settled on the rural Jackson farm in 1919 after purchasing it from Joseph Macek. The site had originally been railroad land. He bought the 80-acre parcel — where Jerald and his wife, Karen, now live — because of its proximity to his father’s farm. “My great-great-grandfather had a farm about a mile and a half to the northwest of this farm that is still in the Vacura name,� Jerald said. “My great-great-grandfather, Jan Vacura, was the first to settle in Jackson County on the farm still owned by Liz Vacura.� Upon buying his farm in 1919, James Vacura and his wife, Emma, grew mainly corn and some wheat and oats for livestock. They had nine children — among them Jerald’s grandfather, Wesley, who would grow up and farm near Clear Lake in Des Moines Township, also in Jackson County. That is where Jerald’s father, Walter — Wesley and Anna’s only child — was raised.
In 1949 Walter and his wife, Helen, bought the James Vacura farm for $15,000. “Back in 1949, $15,000 was a lot of money. It still is if you don’t have it or owe it,� said Jerald, who is a real estate broker dealing primarily in farmland. “The farm would sell for $8,000 an acre today,� he added. Jerald, as well as his brother and sister, grew up on the farm his parents purchased from his great-grandfather. He recalls many hours spent cleaning the hog house and checking feeders. “We also had chickens, a couple of cows and a horse for my sister,� he said. He attended country school a quarter of a mile away and remembered with a chuckle, “The snow got a lot deeper on our walk to school than it does now.� Growing up, Jerald wasn’t always sure he’d return to his parents’ farm and eventually take over operations. “When I graduated from college, I was a heavy equipment operator working road construction for a couple of years before I came back and started farming with Dad,� he said. “That was about 1974. Then, when Dad wanted to retire, I took over.� Jerald bought the farm in 1987 and farmed it until 1998.
VACURA: Page 11
A 2016 aerial view of the Vacura farm.
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Home is where the farm is Altena, DeGroot keep rural Leota farm in the family LEOTA — In the warm weather months, Elaine Altena often travels from Sioux Center, Iowa to the rural Leota farm she owns. Her son, Loren, grows corn and soybeans on 80 acres there. Previously, the farm was owned by Hemet DeGroot, the father of Elaine’s first husband, Conrad. She purchased the property on Feb. 26, 2018, and this year, the land is receiving recognition as a Century Farm. Even though she’s only had ownership of the farm for a short time, Elaine’s quite familiar with the site. After all, she called it home for a number of years. “When my husband and I got married, we got that (farm) from his dad,” Elaine said. “The original 160 acres was the same. … I’m not sure what crops he had originally, but I know when my husband and I started we (raised) corn, soybeans and alfalfa, and they had pasture. Eventually, he stopped with the alfalfa and raised just corn and soybeans.” Elaine and Conrad’s life together on the farm, however, was not long. “He drowned when we were in the Black Hills — that was in 1970,” Elaine said. “My son (Loren) almost drowned, too — he survived, but he was unconscious for a while. He was 4; my oldest was 7 and my youngest was just a year.” Elaine opted to rent out the farm initially. Years later, in 1996, Loren moved back to the farm on which he grew up — with his wife, Shelli — and in 2006 he bought the south 80 acres of the land (Elaine still owns the north 80). There have been some changes in structures on the farm over the years,
but not many. “Originally we had a garage on its own, and then later we built a garage as well as a laundry room onto the house.” Elaine shared. “My husband built a lean-to on the barn. Originally the barn was smaller, and there was a silo on the east side that was taken down.” Loren and his wife have four children, all grown. For now, it doesn’t appear the Century Farm will be actively maintained by the next generation. “It would be a surprise,” Elaine said. “His (Loren’s) youngest son is handicapped, and his oldest son lives in the Cities and I just wouldn’t anticipate him farming. His two sons-in-law live in Sioux Falls and have jobs, so I wouldn’t imagine it being carried on — but I could be wrong.” Elaine also owns a Century Farm just north (in Murray County) of the property that’s earning that designation this year. It was also once in her first husband’s family, and no one currently lives at the site. “I had a tenant there a few years ago and Loren now farms that land, too,” Elaine said. That’s 160 acres ... and then he farms a half section east of there and another 80 acres west of there. On the half section, there’s a large pasture that someone rents for their livestock.” The newest Century Farm will be visited by Elaine and several other family members later this month. In addition to Loren, Elaine has three daughters — two who live in Minneapolis and another who resides in Sioux Center. “This year we’re going to vacation out there for my birthday,” explained Elaine, who’s celebrating her 80th. “We usually camp every year together;
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Elaine Altena and her son, Loren DeGroot, stand with the original barn in the background of the family's Century Farm southeast of Leota on Chaney Avenue.
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that’s our yearly vacation. We usually find a state park and we camp together, but this year a lot of them aren’t open. So we just decided to camp on the pond at the farm.”
1408 P Ave Milford, IA 51351 • 712-338-2423 • Greenman4@milfordcable.net 1709 N. HUMISTON AVENUE, WORTHINGTON, MN 56187 | PH: 507-376-9788 • FAX: 507-376-9155 • 1-866-376-9788
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By Ryan McGaughey rmcgaughey@dglobe.com
10 • The Globe • Wednesday, June 24, 2020
(Special to The Globe)
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BURESCH From Page 1
Despite the wanderlust and adventurous spirit exhibited by their great-grandfather, Vaclav Buresch, Vaclav’s descendants have settled deep into the land to which he led them after a life that can only be described as remarkable. “Vaclav must have been quite a character,� agreed Keith. The Buresch family — largely of Czech heritage — arrived in Jackson County when Vaclav, his bride, Catherina, and their sons (Emil and James, both born in the late 1880s) answered the call for Vaclav to work as a field hand north of Lakefield in 1900. Their journey to Lakefield was the culmination of a lifetime on the move, and no doubt a farmyard with a train track running through it was the least worrisome element Vaclav had encountered in his life. Keith reports that Vaclav arrived in the United States in 1877 — Catherina came in 1884 — after Vaclav was conscripted into the Austrian army, where he spent 12 years. Once in the U.S., Vaclav went to
Chicago, where a large Czech community existed. He worked for a while helping rebuild the city, which was still recovering from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Vaclav met and married Catherina in Tama County, Iowa, before going to Omaha, Neb., where he labored in the packing houses as a scab. “It must have been interesting,� said Keith dryly. The senior Buresches were the victims of a land swindle near Duluth, where they lived for nearly seven years, before Vaclav’s reduced circumstances brought him to field hand status near Lakefield. And at times, Vaclav and Catherina’s immigrant status was an obstacle. “They both spoke fluent German — the Lakefield area was very German — so when my great-grandpa went into Lakefield, he was ‘German’ and when he went to Jackson, he was a Czech — and I’m not sure if anyone ever knew the difference,� said Keith. Although the road to Lakefield was far from uneventful, the Buresch family fortunes improved thereafter, with Emil Sr. and James buying the original 160 acres in 1920 at a cost of $165 per acre. In the early days they raised hay,
flax, oats, corn, soybeans and livestock, although corn and soybeans have been the farm’s primary crops for more than 50 years now. Emil Buresch Jr. married Martha in 1957, at which time they moved onto the farm and assumed primary responsibility for the farming operation. Although Emil Jr. died in January 2019, Martha Buresch continues to live in Lakefield and co-owns the Buresch Century Farm with her sons Michael, Byron and Keith. “Mike worked as an engineer for Case International Harvester until 2005 and lives with his wife Susan just a mile from the farm,� said Keith. “Byron and his wife Keri live on the original farm site, with the barn there dating to 1905,� said Keith. Keith and his wife, Pauline — a Mountain Lake native — currently live on Fish Lake nearWindom.
Sixth generation keeping farm in business
Buresch Farms is a thriving family enterprise, with Buresch Seed Supply as an off-shoot and numerous family members working cooperatively to operate it all.
“We grew up helping on the farm and fell in love with the land,� said Amanda Jandera, daughter of Keith and Pauline and the farm’s office manager. “We watched the crops grow and be harvested, and we wanted to continue being a part of it.� Amanda, her husband Casey, brother Luke and cousin Daron are all involved with the Buresch farming operation. “All three of us brothers and five full-time employees are a part of this,� added Keith. “I like it here, and I don’t know anything different, other than the years I spent in Brookings for college.� Luke, Amanda and Daron all earned ag-related degrees from South Dakota State University and are committed to continuing the family farm business as far into the future as they can see. “We’re on our sixth generation here and have been in this community for 120 years now, and that’s meaningful to me,� said Keith. With a keen eye, the former path of the farmyard-splitting railroad track — torn out in 1981 — can still be spotted, but for the descendants of Vaclav and Catherina Buresch, home is definitely at the end of that line.
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POHLMAN From Page 5
That then became home to their youngest, Leroy, and his wife, Elaine, who raised their family — the third generation of Pohlmans — on the farm. Years later, when Leroy and Elaine’s son, Kenny, was living on the farm, a second house fire claimed his place. He built a new home on the acreage within the last decade, noted Doug. Other buildings on the farm include a hip-roof style barn, built by Wilhelm, that could be one of the oldest remaining structures on the property. There’s also a chicken house and a corn crib, which has since been renovated into a machine shop. “There’s an old hog barn that was built way out in the grove and that’s kind of deteriorating,” Doug said. While Doug never lived on the Pohlman farm — he grew up on a farm eight miles down the road — he has many memories of family gatherings at “Grandma and Grandpa Pohlmans” when he was a kid. “It seemed like every Sunday we were over there if not for dinner, a late afternoon lunch,” he said. “It would
VACURA
be the whole group — the Ihrkes, the Leroy Pohlmans and our group (the Norman Pohlmans).” For Kenny, the best family gatherings were those when the power went out and the kerosene lanterns would be brought out of storage. To him, it was like going camping. The farmyard was a great place to play Kick-the-Can or start a game of baseball, while the surrounding grove offered many hours of exploration for the Pohlman grandkids. Making homemade ice cream is also a fond memory. Due to the lay of the land — the acreage is on a hill — Kenny and Elaine shared memories of their driveway being flooded and having to cross it by boat many times, including to reach the school bus when Kenny was a kid. The spring rains and snowmelt in the spring of 2019 put the driveway under water once again. For Doug, the Pohlman farm has special memories tied to farming. “As I grew up, that’s where I drove tractor,” he said. “To work with Grandpa, that was kind of special. “What amazes me now is that growing up I can remember that 120 acres had a pasture, hayfield, a little oats, corn and soybeans,” he said. Today, Dakota. It’s worked out really well for us. We’ve been very fortunate.”
From Page 8
Changes through the years
“In 1998, my wife decided she didn’t want to pick up rocks anymore and some health problems meant she couldn’t help with the farming like before, so we decided to rent out the ground,” he explained. “It was either that or buy new equipment, because ours was getting old. “The newest piece we had was from 1981,” he added. “ So, I rented out the land, sold our equipment and bought a couple of farms in South
The only building remaining on the farm built by James Vacura is the machine shed. “We straightened and tinned it just to preserve it,” said Jerald of the 1922 structure, adding that the building is too small for modern day equipment. “We’ve torn down the granary and the barn. Dad built a new hog house, about a 50-sow unit, in 1960. It’s still there.” The original house succumbed to a fire in 1978 and a new house was
• Wednesday, June 24, 2020 • 11
Special to The Globe
This 1920 image of Marie and Wilhelm (Bill) Pohlman was taken on their rural /DNH¿HOG IDUP the pasture is gone and the land is planted to corn and soybeans. Doug said the plan is to keep the Pohlman farm in the family, and with ÌÏĈ ³ ėÆÌđºĄ ɯ ê³ ĈóêɢÏêɢá ģ óģêÏêÆ 40 acres of it, it’s already poised to continue on for another generation. “Hopefully they can hold it together for another generation,” he added. Having the land in the family for 100 years is quite a feat, and one that isn’t built shortly after. “We planted an evergreen tree where the old house stood, just to mark the spot. Today that tree stands halfway between the house and the machine shed. It’s a good reminder.” Jerald and Karen raised three children on their farm; Jarrod, Neely and Tracy. They don’t foresee any of the children actively farming in the future, but expect the farm to remain in the family. “We put the land in trust,” Jerald said. “The farm has been very good to us. When we were farming, it was a great place to raise our children and be connected to my family. Now that
lost on Doug. “When you get out there and think about the Pohlman generations that have gone across this land — you’re going over the same ground Grandpa did, and when you pull a post out, you think Grandpa probably put that in,” Doug said. “When you’re a farmer, this probably means more to you than non-farmers. We get kind of tied into this land.”
Submitted photo
we are retired and living on the farm where it all started for me, I am just grateful that my great-great-grandfather decided to farm here and I can still be a part of it.”
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