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by Luther Dorr
Hanenburgs have been farming a parcel of land about a mile and a quarter east of Pease for 80 years and it doesn’t appear things are about to change.
Jeff and Jan Hanenburg, honored recently as Mille Lacs County Farm Family of the Year, will likely continue a family tradition that began in 1928.
Jeff’s grandfather William bought the farm in 1928 and it has been in the family ever since, Jeff’s father Harlin taking over in the early 1950s.
Jeff and Jan and son Bryan, a sophomore at Milaca High School, live on the farm in a house that was built in 1907.
Oldest daughter Sara has completed college and is seeking to become a veterinarian, and daughter Dana will be a college junior.
Jeff and Jan are both graduates of Milaca High School and attended the same church in Pease.
Jeff began a partnership with father Harlin in 1984 on what had once been a typical 120-acre dairy farm that included chickens and pigs, a big garden and the raising of corn, oats and hay. Jeff and Jan moved to the farm in 1990 and his parents moved across the road.
Jeff soon began raising Holstein steers, bought an additional 80 acres and also worked at Westling Mfg. in Princeton for a few years. He bought the entire farm from his father about 10 years ago.
The Hanenburgs made a big change in 2001 when they sold the dairy herd of about 40 Holsteins, bought 80 more acres and began renting other land to focus on crop farming.
They also bought 10 Gelbvieh/Red Angus beef cows, have between 30 and 40 now, and hope to increase the herd.
“That’s about what the pasture can handle,” Jeff said.
They have about 50 acres of pasture among the 240 acres they own and are farming about 700 acres between the land they own and rent.
They raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa and have raised some wheat the past two years. Jeff estimates they use about 10 percent of their crops and sell the rest.
Switching from a dairy operation to crops and beef has been a good thing, they agreed.
“We haven’t regretted it for a day,” said Jan, and Jeff said he hasn’t missed the twice-a-day milking at all.
The Hanenburgs would probably be considered conservative farmers in that they make use of used equipment.
They have four tractors, the newest a 1996 model, and they own a 1998 combine.
Their children were a part of work on the farm, all of them involved with baling and picking rocks.
Son Bryan and daughter Sara were involved with 4-H, Bryan showing a steer at the Mille Lacs County Fair last week. Sara showed horses when she was in 4-H.
Jeff has served four years on the FSA (Farm Service Agency) county committee that combines with Benton County. He has also been on the 4-H auction committee at the fair for three years and has been a barn supervisor the past four years there.
Jeff went to college at the University of Minnesota at Crookston, intending to get involved in forestry or becoming a game warden.
“But there weren’t many jobs [in that field] then,” he said last week, “and Dad asked me if I wanted to farm.”
Jan said she didn’t envision living on a farm when they got married but she likes the life now. She has been an X-ray technician for 25 years and works for the Fairview Health System now. She quipped last week that “it has been the only regular check” through their years of farming.
Jeff said last week that unless land prices “go way up” in an economy turnaround, they’re likely to keep the Hanenburg farming tradition alive for quite awhile.
“I enjoy being my own boss,” he said. “I always liked the outdoors and I like being with cattle and being in the field.”
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