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ASA Member:
Robert Nelsen, Westbrook, Minnesota
Photo:
Robert Nelsen is standing in the back, with (Left to Right)
Robert's grandsons Theo Johnson and Alex
Johnson, granddaughter Madeline Johnson
and Robert's wife Sally Nelsen.
Robert's daughter Elizabeth
Johnson, who is also an ASA member, is not in the picture.
Farm Description:
(As
described by Robert's daughter Elizabeth Johnson) Farming has
always been a major part of my family’s life. My Mom's family farmed in
New York State. My father’s ancestors were farmers who came to Minnesota
looking for more land. My great great grandfather, my great
grandfather and grandfather were farmers in southwestern Minnesota. I am
the sixth generation of farmers in my family in America .My Dad started
farming in 1961 in southwestern Minnesota. My parents have spent their
entire married life on the farm. In 1970 they bought the "home place,"
where they still live today. I started farming in 1991. I was a housewife
with two sons, My husband owned a trucking company, my younger brother had
left for college and my Dad needed some help with planting and harvest. In
2001 my Dad retired and I decided to try to keep farming the land that my
grandparents and parents had farmed since 1935. I just farm 320 acres of
my Dad's ground. My husband, two sons and one daughter now help me with
the farm work. We work it as a family. My parents help us during the busy
times. We are not big farmers, my husband Casey and I have jobs other than
the farm. He still owns a trucking company. He hauls all of our grain to
market. I work at the local bank as an office manager. Our children have
learned to enjoy farm life even though we live in town. They all talk
about some day that they will be connected to the farm. I hope that one of
them will be able to fulfill this dream.
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