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Nathan and Jessica Morken, along with their three children – Izaak, 14, Lynden, 12, and Konnor, 9 – are all actively engaged in the family’s beef operations. This commitment reflects the essence of the “Three Musketeers” motto “One for all, All for one” as explained by the website Brainly.in. “They are loyal to each other and though they all have their own space and place, they believe in themselves and each other’s abilities, which makes them an unstoppable force when they are together.”
Nathan’s family has a rich farming heritage that can be traced back to Norway. He proudly shared a photo of the original Morken homestead located in Norway’s hilly terrain. He shared that his ancestors settled in the United States in the early 1800s near Blackhammer, Minn.
Listening to mom, dad and kids rapidly point out where Grandma Lois lives, and Nathan’s siblings live, it seems as if this stretch of Hwy. 11 should be renamed Morken Drive.
After attending college in Winona, Nathan returned to the farm and works full time on the farm. He explained that five family members created Morken Farms LLC, each owning 20% of the cattle, crops, tractors and turkeys. They work together as a family and are slowly buying out his father and uncle.
The family originally raised dairy cattle but sold the herd in 2000. The corporation manages 2,000 acres, including 1300 acres of corn and 400 acres of hay. They have an estimated 300 head of beef cows with babies and about 1,000 feedlot cattle a year.
Nathan explained that his great-grandpa has always raised Angus cattle. Over the years the family has expanded to crossbreeds, are feeding more cattle, buying Holstein cattle, and feeding out more beef cattle.
The youngest son, Konnor was eager to share that his mom was not raised on a farm. Jessica shared that she grew up in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wis. After high school, she attended Luther College in Decorah. In addition to working full time at WinnMed in Decorah, she is the athletic trainer at the Spring Grove and Mabel-Canton schools and sees physical therapy patients at a clinic in downtown Spring Grove.
Jessica chuckled when she referred to herself as a “beef show mom.” She also keeps busy shuttling the kids to their various activities and is a 4-H leader for her children’s 4-H club, the Black Hammer Swift Scooters 4-H club. Nate jokingly remarked that she’ll be a 4-H leader for life. The majority of the club’s members are Morkens. In the summer all 13 of the cousins get together and work with their animals to get them ready for the Houston County Fair. The county and Minnesota state fairs are the highlight of the summer.
For the past 5-6 years, Nathan has been an active member of the Houston County Cattlemen Association, where he currently holds the role of treasurer. The funds generated by the association support the skills certification for 4-H members, providing ear tags for all 4-H animals, offering scholarships, and sponsoring two awards at the Houston County fair, recognizing excellence in both beef and dairy categories. The Houton County Cattlemen’s Association promotes the cattle industry boasting a membership of 30-40 members.
What does the future hold for the beef industry? GPS technology is rapidly becoming common in the farming industry. Nathan emphasized its application on planters and sprayers, allowing planters and sprayers to automatically shut off at the end of each row and start up again, thereby conserving seeds and chemicals. Additionally, farmers continually strive to reduce nitrogen to grow bigger crops. Despite challenges such as urban sprawl leading to diminishing herds in the central and eastern regions and escalating land costs due to deer hunting, Nathan maintains a positive outlook on the beef industry’s nationwide strength.
Both Nate and Jessica expressed their hope that all three of their children will attend college because education is going to be important in continuing the family’s successful farming operation. All three of the children have expressed a desire to continue the family’s farming operation.
Nate offered some valuable advice to the next generation of farmers, “Study hard and get smart.”
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to witness the Morken family and their cattle in action at the 2024 Houston County Fair, taking place from August 14-18 in Caledonia.