Nelson Farm Earns Century Farm Designation
- Debra Meyer-Myrum
- 42 minutes ago
- 2 min read
by Debra Meyer-Myrum
For more than a century, the Nelson farm has bordered the banks of Dismal Creek near Clotho, weathering changing times while remaining rooted in family tradition.
That legacy was recently honored when the farm received the Minnesota Farm Bureau’s Century Farm designation, recognizing farms that have remained in the same family for at least 100 years.
Lawrence and Patricia Nelson, who have owned the land for nearly half of its productive life, were nominated for the honor by their three daughters.
The farm’s history dates back to 1907, when Lawrence’s great-grandfather, Olaf Nelson, moved to the area from southern Minnesota where farmland had become waterlogged. Olaf purchased 80 acres of oak- and brush-covered land with heavy soil and few rocks along Dismal Creek, laying the foundation for what would become a multi-generational operation.
Olaf’s son, Andrew Nelson, was born in Iowa and worked as a schoolteacher near Moorhead before returning to farming. In 1906, Andrew and his family began renting a neighboring farm, spending 12 years clearing land with a horse and plow. Buildings were added to the original property in 1919. That same acreage remains part of today’s 780-acre farm, with Dismal Creek still running through its center.
Andrew and his wife, Alice, owned the farm for 21 years before selling it in 1940 to their son, Merrill Nelson, and his wife, Wilma. Merrill and Wilma continued to grow the operation until Merrill was diagnosed with leukemia in his 50s. During that time, neighbors and family members—including Lawrence and his siblings—pitched in to keep the farm running until the next generation could take over...
