On a crisp fall day just outside Fountain, Minn., the hum of harvest activity fills the air at the Leiding family farm. While Todd Leiding was busy tuning up equipment for the season, his wife Stacy Leiding and her mother Shirley Fingerson graciously sat down to share the story of a multi-generational family farm rich in history, hard work, and heart.
The Leiding family farOms on County Road 11, where Todd and Stacy now operate a crop and custom heifer-raising business on 350 acres across two properties. The family’s legacy stretches back decades.
Stacy’s parents, Tillman and Shirley Fingerson, purchased the home farm in 1958. The couple raised registered Holsteins under the name “Shir-Man,” a blend of their names, and worked side by side milking cows and building the dairy operation. Shirley shared that she did not grow up on a farm and did not know what a dairy was, but she was “a willing farmer’s wife” and her husband was a hard-working farmer.
“My dad was already farming before he even graduated high school in 1957,” Stacy shared. “Back then, it was buckets and pails. In 1972, the non-existing barn with 47 stalls on the farm was built.” Shirley confirmed that at that time the family milked an estimated 20 cows.
Though Todd and Stacy stepped away from milking just three years ago, the influence of dairy farming remains deeply ingrained.
Todd and Stacy, both graduates of the University of Minnesota, returned to the family farm in 1995. At the height of their dairy operation, they were milking approximately 130 cows. Today, they focus on raising crops and custom heifer raising for neighbors.
Todd works for the USDA under the National Agricultural Statistics Service, while Stacy is a bookkeeper and teller at the First State Bank of Fountain. Todd also delivers the Fillmore County Journal on Fridays.
The couple raised two daughters, Haely and Kayla, on the farm just like Stacy was. Family vacations were often spent traveling to dairy shows, a tradition the girls embraced wholeheartedly.
Kayla, now married and farming with her husband in Millville, Minn., continues the dairy legacy with registered Holsteins, keeping the Shir-Man prefix alive. Kayla also works off the farm for Minnesota Ag Group. Haely, meanwhile, serves as an Agricultural Education Teacher and FFA advisor in Lake City and supports her sister on the farm.
Looking back, Stacy beams with pride as she reflects on the many achievements of their herd and the joy of showing cattle as a family.
“One of the most rewarding parts of farm life is accomplishing things together,” she said. “We had a strong herd of registered cows that competed well. The hard work, the dedication, it’s all worth it when you see the results. That’s what’s special.”
For 35 years, the family opened their farm and hosted numerous 4-H, FFA, and the University of Minnesota’s dairy judging team. Stacy shared that she coached the Fillmore County judging team for 30 years, was involved with quizbowl, and is still working with the project development committee. It is something that is very dear to her heart.
When asked about the future of the farm, Stacy paused. “It’s hard to say,” she admited.
Shirley added, “I think crops will be the focus going forward.”
While the daily rhythm of milking has changed, the heart of the farm beats on through the next generation. Both daughters remain passionate about agriculture, something their parents and grandmother are especially proud of.
“Being a farmer is very stressfull,” said Stacy. “It’s very rewarding, but it’s also very stressfull, too.”
The Leiding family story is one of legacy, love for the land, and a deep commitment to agriculture that continues to inspire the next generation.
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