LINCOLN COUNTY FARM FAMILY OF THE YEAR

Kelly and Nancy Krog and family have been selected as the Farm Family of the Year for Lincoln County.
The Krogs operate at their farm 10 miles west and eight miles south of Minneota.
They will be recognized during FarmFest on Thursday, Aug. 3 in Redwood Falls.
Farm families that will be honored cover a wide variety of farming, from traditional crops and livestock to community-based ventures focused on organics and traditional native foods. University of Minnesota Extension committees make their decision based on their demonstrated commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture.
The Krogs are the third generation to farm the family's land which was originally purchased in 1954 by Nancy's grandparents, Ernie and Lee Richmond. Kelly grew up on a grain and livestock operation near Lake Benton.
Kelly and Nancy purchased and took over operations of the current farm in Lake Stay Township in 2002. They have three daughters, Jenny, Megan and Molly.
Jenny is employed with Panka Insurance in Ivanhoe and is married to Alex Pohlen. The Pohlens live on Alex's grandparents' farm northeast of Minneota. Alex is joining the seed business and will be sharing the farm responsibilities as Kelly and Nancy see a need to teach, advise and create a plan to pass the farm to the next generation, all while keeping room for Molly and Megan to return to the farm if they wish.
Kelly and Nancy recently celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary. "We are very excited to begin out new job as grandparents in December as Jenny and Alex are expecting their first child," said Nancy.
Molly attends college at the University of South Alabama and will graduate in the spring of 2024. Megan just graduated from Minneota High School this past spring and will be attending South Dakota State University this fall where she will study Ag Business.
"We have tried to teach our girls the importance of communication and flexibility in farming," said Nancy. "Plans change often with circumstance and weather, and nothing is guaranteed.
"Sometimes things don't always end up the way you plan. It's important to have the ability to improvise and troubleshoot, which allows you to adapt to other life situations as well. It's not always just about profit. The ability to work together, enjoy each other in the process, and feel good about the things you accomplish when you utilize your talents. It's not just a job, but a way of life."
The Krogs have been operating Krog Seed Sales, a corn and soybean business since 2009. They grow corn and soybeans on 2,000 acres.
The three Krog daughters have been in 4-H for many years and raised and showed Boer goats at fairs.
Kelly is currently on the Lincoln County Fair Board and is also a member of the Lincoln County Corn Growers Association. He has also served on the Lake Benton Elevator Board.
For the past nine years, Kelly has volunteered with Farm Rescue, a volunteer organization created in 2006 which reaches out to assist farm families in crisis.
"Kelly read about Farm Rescue in a farm magazine. It sounded like a good way to help people who aren't able to help you back," said Nancy. "This missionary-type work involved activities he's comfortable with like planting and harvesting. Kelly felt like it was a good fit for him and he could share his time occasionally throughout the year."
Kelly and Nancy said working together every day and including their daughters in their operation was what they enjoy most about farming.
"Each day presents a variety of jobs and new challenges," they said. "It is satisfying to harvest a crop that you have planted, nurtured and taken care of all year long and seeing what kind of yield you and the good Lord can pull off together."