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Sheehans honored as Olmsted County Farm Family of the Year

The dairy farmers have been milking in Olmsted County since 1945, when patriarch James Sheehan returned from World War II.

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Ellen Sheehan brushes some bedding off a calf Friday, July 30, 2021, at Shee Knoll dairy farm southeast of Rochester. The Sheehans were named the Olmsted County 2021 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota. (Brian Todd / Post Bulletin)

Taking care of the land and the animals is an important part of running a dairy.

That, said Ellen Sheehan, part of the third generation running Shee Knoll farm on the south side of Rochester, is how the Sheehan family has been doing it for more than 70 years.

"It’s been a standard set by my grandparents and my dad and my uncles to take the best care of our cows and our land," Sheehan said. "We do a really great job of producing high-quality cows who produce a healthy and nutritious product for our consumers."

ALSO READ: At Olmsted County Fair, a 'miracle'

It's that dedication that helped the Sheehans earn the title of Olmsted County's 2021 Farm Family of the Year from the University of Minnesota.

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The Sheehans, along with other great farm families all across Minnesota, will be honored during Farm Fest, Aug. 3-5 at the Gilfillan Estate, near Redwood Falls.

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Members of the Sheehan family, from left, include Jeannette, Robert, Marilyn, Michael, Ellen, Jerome, Karen, Ben, Steve, Jim and Mary, with dogs Magic and Scout, gather at the family's farm southeast of Rochester in this undated photo from 2021. The Sheehans were named Olmsted County's 2021 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota. (Contributed photo)

“These farm families are a major driver of Minnesota's economy and the vitality of Minnesota's rural communities,” said Bev Durgan, dean of University of Minnesota Extension. “The University of Minnesota is proud to recognize these farm families for their contributions to agriculture and their communities.”

The Sheehan family began its dairy operations shortly after World War II, when patriarch James Sheehan returned from the war, and he and his wife, Helen, began milking cows.

In 1965, the family moved to its current location, southeast of Rochester near Simpson, with their six children, Michael, Mary, Jim, Robert, Jerome and Ann. Eventually, three of those children returned to the farm to make their living; Jim in 1971 after serving in the military, Jerome in 1977 after college, and Robert in 1984 after another farm location was purchased to expand the family business.

Currently, the family milks 270 cows at the original home farm's milking parlor and another 60 head at the stall barn, selling their milk to First District Creamery in Litchfield, Minn. They also raise all their replacement heifers, which is part of the job Ellen does each day, bottle-feeding the youngest heifers and ensuring the automatic feeders are loaded for the older heifers.

About once a week they sell the young males to other farms.

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In addition to raising their own cows, the Sheehans grow their own feed on 850 acres they own – planting corn and alfalfa – and another 150 acres they rent.

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Calves gather in the barn at Shee Knoll dairy farm Friday, July 30, 2021, southeast of Rochester. The Sheehans, who began dairy farming in 1945 and moved to their currently location in 1965, were named the Olmsted County 2021 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota. (Brian Todd / Post Bulletin)

A third generation returned to the farm when brothers Steve and Ben, Jim's sons, came back, and Ellen, Jerome's daughter, returned after college in 2018.

The family is involved in local, state and national Holstein organizations, and they also work together making sure the farm runs smoothly each day, Ellen Sheehan said. In the end, it's not just about the business -- running the farm the right way is an investment in the family, now and in the future.

That dedication led the Sheehans to work toward earning the Minnesota Water Quality Certified Farm designation, meaning they follow groundwater practices including the use of buffers along waterways and the planting of alfalfa, which helps prevent soil runoff.

"It's a great place for us to come back to and continue building onto the foundation that has been built for us," she said.

Anyone interested in attending 2021 Farmfest can pay $5 in advance or $10 at the gate, Aug. 3-5 at Gilfillan Estate, near Redwood Falls. Farmfest is open each day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., sponsoring units of the University of Minnesota including University of Minnesota Extension, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine.

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For more information, visit Farmfest online at www.ideaggroup.com/farmfest .

Southeast Minnesota's Farmfest families

Dodge County: Rod and Vicki Jorgenson.

Working on land purchased by Harry and Blanche Jorgenson in 1933, Rod and Vicki Jorgenson grow corn and soybeans. Rod manages the farm and takes care of the day-to-day operations. Vicki helps wherever she is needed, including running the dryer in the fall and overseeing the rock-picking crew in the spring.

Fillmore County: Jahn Family Farm

Starting in the 1930s, Rick Jahn's great-grandparents, William and Nora, raised beef cattle and ran a commercial chicken business. His grandparents, Robert and Maxine, continued raising beef cattle until 1966 when the farm transitioned to a hog finishing business.

Richard Jahn, Rick's father, grew up on the farm and, along with wife Sharon, purchase a second farm 2 miles west in 1969, raising their children there. While Dick and Sharon still live on that farm, Rick and his wife, Gina, raised their three children on the original Jahn farm. Currently, the farming operation consists of 2,700 acres of corn and soybeans on owned and rented land.

Goodhue County: Eugene and Sherri Betcher

Eugene Betcher started farming in 1978 on shares with a neighbor, eventually buying out that neighbor. He married his wife, Sherri Betcher, in 1999, and the couple moved to their current location in 2004. The Betchers operate the farm and do custom planting, spraying and combining. Sherri also owns a floral business.

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The Betchers’ farm consists of 500 acres of corn, soybeans and hay. In addition to their custom planting, spraying and harvesting work, they custom feed 100 head of cattle in the fall and winter. They also raise Shorthorn cattle and a few hogs for 4-H projects.

Houston County: Dan and Cheryl Wiste & Bjorn and Amanda Rud

The Wiste farm was purchased in 1947 by Dan Wiste's grandparents, Reuben and Sarah Wiste, and was passed down to Dan's parents, Robert and Helen Wiste, before being purchased eventually by Dan.

Dan and his wife, Cheryl Wiste, along with son-in-law Bjorn Rud and their daughter Amanda Rud, milk about 50 dairy cows and raise their own replacement heifers. They have around 40 beef cows and feed out all their steers, both dairy and beef. The family grows corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats.

Mower County: Jon and Ruth Jovaag

Three generations of Jovaags are currently involved in the family farm, including Arvid and Lois Jovaag, who began farming the land in 1981; second generation Jon and Ruth Jovaag, along with Jon’s sister, Kari; and Jon and Ruth’s teenage children, Alex, Ava, Archer and Alayna.

With certified organic land, the Jovaags roller-crimp soybeans into standing rye, use crop rotation, cover crops and interseeding. They also raise antibiotic-free pigs in a farrow-to-finish deep-bedded system, Katahdin sheep, and have started grass-fed beef and growing organic produce for local markets.

Wabasha County: Darrel and Gwen Klein

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Darrel Klein’s parents, Alfred and Freida Klein, purchased the farm in 1948, raising various livestock with their three boys.

After serving in the Army, Darrel returned and eventually took over the famly farm in 1978. He raised feeder pigs and fat cattle. He married Gwen in 1980, and they started a farrow-to-finish hog operation along with raising a herd of beef cattle.

The family now grows corn and soybeans on 500 owned acres and 1,200 rented acres. Their two boys, Jason Klein and Cory Klein, help out on the farm, and Cory hopes to take over the farm from his parents.

Winona County: Sobeck Brothers Farms

Gary and Jim Sobeck’s parents, Eugene and Arlene Sobeck, purchased the family’s farm in 1950, milking 26 cows. In 1980, Gary and Jim rented the farm and milked 60 cows. Eight years later, the brothers purchased their uncle’s farm and milked 60 cows there as well.

Today, the brothers milk 260 cows three times a day, raise all the calves on their farm, raising heifers on one site and steers on the other. They also grow corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and barley. Crops that aren’t used to feed their cattle are dried and stored on the farm and then sold.

Brian Todd is the news editor at the Post Bulletin. When not at work, he spends time with his family, roots for the Houston Astros and watches his miniature dachshund sleep, which is why that dog is more bratwurst than hotdog. Readers can reach Brian at 507-285-7715 or btodd@postbulletin.com.

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