Among them Butterfield’s Kurt Blomgren family
Eighty families from throughout Minnesota are being honored as 2015 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota at this year’s Farmfest on the Gilfillan Estate near Redwood Falls.
The farm families were recognized in ceremonies on Thursday afternoon, August 6, in the Wick Buildings Farmfest Center on the estate grounds.
Among those families feted was the Kurt Blomgren family of Butterfield.
Earlier in July, Kurt Blomgren, along with his family, received the 2015 Watonwan County Fair’s Farm Family of the Year Award during an awards ceremony held on the last day of the Watonwan County Fair.
About the Kurt Blomgren family
The Blomgren family farm, located west of Butterfield along Minnesota State Highway #60, was first purchased by Kurt Blomgren’s grandparents, who were immigrants to the United States from Sweden. Those grandparents, however, never actually lived on the land they had acquired.
It was Kurt’s mother’s sister and family that lived on the farm, operating it until his parents – Clarence and Vivian Blomgren, currently of Mountain Lake – took it over. They moved to the farm site when Kurt was six-years-old.
Kurt purchased the land and farm site area from them in 1993. His forward-looking dream is for his oldest son, Vance, to take over ownership and operations some day in the future.
Corn, soybeans and oats are raised on the farm’s 640 acres. He also does some custom-farming for other area farmers. In the spring and fall, retired local farmers provide Kurt with seasonal help in the field.
Until 2006, they operated a 60-sow farrow-to-finish operation. Today, Kurt buys feeder pigs and raises them to market. A family hobby is the production of beef, along with 4-H project cattle.
The farm – and the farmer – has recognized the value in diversification, as the markets and economies tend to be cyclical, and a diversity of livestock and crops maintains a healthy cash flow balance.
The expanding use of of technology on the farm has also been an asset, making agriculture more precise – from the animals, to the fields to the finances.
Kurt’s other adult children – Jenna and Stuart – help out on the farm when they can.
The family tragically lost their son and brother, Ross, who was a junior at Butterfield-Odin Public High School, in an automobile accident last December.
Kurt serves as Watonwan County Farm Bureau Vice-President and has served in various leadership positions with the organization on the state level. Kurt is also involved with the Minnesota Pork Producers Association and is a volunteer firefighter with the Butterfield Fire Department. He has also been an adult leader in 4-H for the past 20 years. He also DuPont Pioneer Seeds sales representative.
About the Farm Family Recognition Program
The Farm Family Recognition Program honors farm families from throughout Minnesota for their contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities. All of the honored farm families have made significant contributions to Minnesota agriculture and their communities.
The farm families represent each county participating in the program. They were chosen by local University of Minnesota Extension committees based on their demonstrated commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture.
The Farm Family Recognition Program has existed for over two decades and has been sponsored and coordinated by the University of Minnesota Extension, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.
To meet all this year’s farm, visit http://mnfarmfamilies.cfans.umn.edu/families-by-year/2015-farm-families/.
