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www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
THE LAND — DECEMBER 11/DECEMBER 18, 2020
Le Sueur organic, sustainable farm gets national attention By TIM KROHN The Free Press Mankato LE SUEUR, Minn. — When Tim and Tom Nuessmeier were growing up on the family farm east of Le Sueur, the terms “organic” and “sustainable” weren’t really a recognized concept. But their parents liked to farm as naturally as possible. “My parents farmed conventionally,” Tim Nuessmeier said. “But they were reluctant to use agricultural chemicals and things of that sort. But my father wasn’t interested in making the jump to organic farming — that wasn’t even on the radar then.”
pork, beef and lamb and is the largest network in North America to be certified humane. They sell meats to restaurants and grocers. “It’s a nice recognition,” Nuessmeier said. “I admire the company for trying to encourage wild land restoration and things of that sort. I think it’s much needed.” The Nuessmeier farm, going on 150 years in the family, is a haven for livestock, animals and bugs. In the 1990s the brothers installed terraces to reduce erosion. They put land in the Conservation Reserve Program where they have seen robust pollinator life. They have dubbed the area a “songbird commons” because of the many ground-nesting songbirds among the native plants. “We have always believed that wild nature — birds, insects, mammals — should have a place to coexist on a working farm,” Nuessmeier said. Their pigs are pampered. “To be ‘sustainably raised’ you have a number of protocols — no antibiotics, no animal byproducts in the feed, animals need to be able to go indoors and outdoors and have straw to nest on.” The Nuessmeiers didn’t take the added step of raising “organic” hogs, which would also require they eat only organic feed, something that is twice the cost of normal feed. They do raise organic crops, which they market to a number of buyers in the Midwest With just 200 acres of land, the family members who have a hand in the farm all work off the farm. “A lot of people say you can’t make a farm this small work, but we regarded it as a challenge to see if we could make a go of it on that Photos submitted size farm,” Nuessmeier said. He said Left to right: Tom, Judy, Claire and Tim Nuessmeier are part of the the premium price paid for organic and family farm. humane-raised crops and livestock proBut the respect for the land and love of bees and vides the added income needed to make it work. songbirds and animals were passed on to the brothWith the brothers in their early 60s, they’re not ers. When Tim took over the main operations, he and exactly sure who will have a hand in the farm in the several other family members involved went organic future. Tim and his wife, Judy, have a daughter, and sustainable. Their commitment to pampered Claire, who is attending college and has a deep conhogs, growing organic grain and providing critical nection to the farm. “She would be the sixth generahabitat for pollinators and birds recently earned tion. But it’s too early to tell if she’ll be an active them the first ever Niman Ranch Sustainable Farmer participant in the farm or not.” of the Year Award. Organic network Last year Colorado-based Niman Ranch announced Nuessmeier said the many businesses that supply a $200,000 fund to help farmers in the network various organic and sustainable inputs to farmers expand or adopt new sustainable farming practices are a good resource for organic farmers, particularly to protect pollinators, build soil health and preserve those just starting out. One of the suppliers he relied water quality. Niman works with more than 750 on was the staff at Albert Lea Seed, which sells independent family farmers and ranchers who raise organic seed.
Nuessmeiers’ philosophy for raising hogs involves indoor and outdoor space and plenty of bedding. Co-owner Mac Ehrhardt said his grandpa started Albert Lea Seed in 1923 and in the late ‘90s they added organic seed to their inventory. That was a few years before the USDA even had an organic seed certification program. “We were maybe a little too ahead of our time. That first year we had one organic customer,” Ehrhardt said. “Now about half of all the seed we sell goes to organic farms.” He said they like to be a resource for starting organic farmers but are careful not to give advice on topics they’re not knowledgeable about. “We talk about agronomics and crop rotations and that side of it. There are a lot of resources available to organic farmers now, a lot more than there used to be.” Albert Lea Seed gets most of its organic seeds from area growers, but for some seed they have to source from other states, Europe and Brazil. Ehrhardt said farming will always be dominated by large operations, but he thinks the growth in demand for organics, including from small and medium farms is promising. “I think it’s good for rural America to have more smaller organic farms.” The Free Press and The Land are sister publications owned by The Free Press Media. v
