100 years, four generations, one farm

STEWART, Minn. — For 100 years and counting, KurthHaven Farms has operated as a dairy owned and operated by the Kurth family. This year, KurthHaven Farms was named the Renville County Farm Family of the Year.

Michael Kurth and his wife, Kacie, are the current owners, but the farm still has several other members of the Kurth family involved in its day-to-day operations.

“It was exciting to hear we were named farm family of the year because we truly are a farm family,” Michael Kurth said. “This is all run by family, and everybody is involved in the farm.”

The Kurths milk 87 registered Holsteins in a tiestall barn that was built in 1912 and farm 800 acres near Stewart. KurthHaven Farms was also recognized as a century farm by Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation and the Minnesota State Fair this year.

“My mom has kept everything over the years so my daughter-in-law, Rachel, went through everything with them to get the information for century farm status,” Kurth said. “Mom is very good at that and has calendars from each year of what day they started planting and what day we finished harvesting and everything in between. It is really neat to look through all that.”

Kurth’s great-great-grandparents, Karl and Emilie Pless, first settled on the farm in rural Renville County in 1891. Karl’s son, Otto, purchased the farm in 1951 and from there Otto’s daughter, Gladys, married George Kurth and they took over the farm in 1957. In 1969, Kurth’s parents, Leroy and Susan Kurth, took over the 100-acre farm and named it KurthHaven Farms.

The tiestall barn, which is over the 100-year milestone, has undergone a few upgrades since its beginning in 1912. The Kurths installed gutter cleaners in 1975, a pipeline in 1978 and added another 20 stalls and group pens in 1995, increasing their herd from 50 cows to 75. In 2024, the Kurths built a new calf barn.

In the 1980s, Kurth and his sister, Kari (Kurth) Swanson, were active in 4-H, and they decided to make the transition to having a registered Holstein herd.

“They were 4-H projects,” Kurth said. “It was a slow transition, but eventually, we got them all to be registered.”

In 2016, Kurth and Kacie assumed ownership of KurthHaven Farms.

“I’ve known since I was a kid that this is what I wanted to do,” Kurth said. “I just enjoy farming the land and milking the cows. Now, as I get older, it is also because I know I am making a quality product to feed lots of people.”

Even though the fourth generation has taken over, Kurth’s parents still come to the farm on a regular basis to help. Swanson is also involved overseeing the calves, and her daughter, Sierra, works full time on the farm and is the herdsman.

“Dad still comes out every day,” Kurth said. “Between Mom, Dad, my sister, her kids and my kids, everyone is involved in the farm. Some have jobs off the farm, but they all help out when they can.”

Kurth and Kacie’s son, Chandler, and his wife, Rachel, manage the family’s show herd, which consists of 6-16 dairy heifers each year. Even though the Kurth children have all aged out of 4-H, the family continues to show at open shows at local county fairs, the Minnesota State Junior Holstein Show, the Minnesota State Fair and World Dairy Expo. The Kurths received first place for their March calf and second place for their winter yearling and were recognized as the premier breeder and premier exhibitor of the heifer show at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. At this year’s WDE, the sisters won the junior champion banner at the International Red & White Junior Show.

It is a good time seeing the kids show, Kurth said.

Last year, they exhibited a fall yearling at WDE that eventually earned Reserve All-American laurels and a winter yearling that was sold and then nominated All-American.

“That has been a highlight of our family’s showing career,” Kurth said.

In the past, Kurth has served on boards at the local and state levels with their church and cooperative and the Minnesota Holstein Association. Today, his children volunteer with and serve on local boards. Included in this group are the McLeod County Holstein Association, the McLeod County 4-H dairy project, the state and national Red & White breed associations, and the state and national Holstein breed associations. They also host area dairy judging teams for practice.

“It is good to help the community and try to get as many people aware of what we are doing on the farm,” Kurth said. “We bring people out to the farm to show how and why we do what we do.”

Kurth said having their family recognized this year was an honor.

“I am proud to be a century farm; being on a farm for that many years is awesome,” Kurth said. “Being recognized as a farm family of the year is something to be proud of because we have many family members who are involved in the farm. Having high-type animals and success in the show ring is certainly an honor too.”