This story was part of the Janesville Journal’s “Life in the Country” special section. Check out this week’s paper for more information.
Every year, the University of Minnesota Extension gives the “Farm Family of the Year” award to one family in each county within the state.
This year, Sommers Brothers Custom Baling LLC was awarded the Waseca County “Farm Family of the Year” award, the most distinguished award in the county. The Sommers were honored at the Waseca Farm and City Luncheon on March 21 and Farmfest in Morgan in August. The business was run by brothers Matt and Brian.
It was a bittersweet celebration for the Sommers family. On January 9 of this year, tragedy struck when Brian Sommers passed away from what the U of M Extension described as a “workplace non-farm-related accident.” It was a heartbreaking loss for older brother Matt, who started Sommers Brothers Custom Baling with Brian, and for Brian’s wife, Kirsten, and children Owen, Caden, Evelyn, and Jameson. During the luncheon, Matt, his wife, Nicole, and children Danielle and Henry were also recognized.
Matt had graduated from Waseca High School the year before while Brian was still a senior. Both brothers always embraced the family farming life and the local agricultural community, as both were active in 4-H as kids. While starting their baling business and taking care of the Sommer family farm, both attended Ridgewater College in Willmar for Dairy Management, with Matt graduating in 2007 and Brian graduating two years later.
The two grew up on a 40-cow dairy farm – a tradition of the Sommers family for over a century – while farming about 320 acres of land near the center of Waseca County. “We also worked with our neighbors loading and selling pigs,” Matt added. “We helped them harvest their soybeans and all that stuff.”
Sommers Brothers Custom Baling began in 2006 after they purchased a square baler through an auction in Meriden. In 2009, the brothers bought part of a dairy herd and grew internally, eventually peaking at about 90 head of cows within their operation. In 2013, they added onto their cropland and worked about 600 acres at their peak. In 2022, the herd was sold, which was tough, especially considering the 135-year tradition of dairy farming.
“Brian and I talked about it,” Matt explained. “Brian wanted to continue dairy. But you have to invest money into it, up to $2 million. You can’t just like being a dairy farmer anymore; you have to go about it with a business mindset. We’d be lucky if everything was paid off in ten years.”
According to Matt, the average dairy herd in the United States was about 48 cows in 2005; the average herd now is about 380, mainly due to economics and technology changing how efficient farms can be, especially when talking about large-scale farms. Economics has also increased expenses for labor and repairs. “On a larger dairy farm, your efficiency level is much higher,” he said. “And it’s nothing against the big guys. But what changed was the ability to manage a large dairy herd individually has caught up with software.”
The rapidly changing dairy industry also profoundly affected the brothers’ baling business. Matt claimed that dew points have trended upward in the last 20 years, making it more challenging to bale hay. “A day to make hay would have typically been from noon to about 7 or 8 p.m.,” he elaborated. “Now, we only have a window about 3-7 p.m. due to our weather. The hay’s not drying as well.”
The business itself decreased over the years. At their peak, the two brothers were baling about 3,000 bales a year, but so far this year, the business has baled less than 800. With these issues in mind, the brothers had considered 2024 as the last year they operated the baling business.
Although the family’s dairy farming tradition ended, the Sommers are still heavily involved in the farming community within greater Waseca, with both brothers getting involved in the South-Central Technical College Farm Business Management Program.
Brian and Kirsten were active volunteers for the Waseca 4-H club and the Waseca County Dairy Association; Kirsten is still active in both. Matt is also active in the Waseca community as the supervisor of the Waseca County Soil and Water District. Matt also continues to farm, mainly focusing on crops. That has been another challenge for him, as 2024 has been an abnormal year weather-wise, starting with a drought in the planting season followed by a record month of rain in June.
“It’s been wildly challenging,” he explained. “Row crop wise, it’s been unbelievable. We had replanted beans and intended to do so two more times. But we couldn’t plant again until July. The weather is uncontrollable, and you have to roll with it. Changing markets have also affected us this growing season. You have to make hard decisions and stick with them.”
It’s difficult to express how Brian Sommers’s death has affected the family and the Waseca community. According to Kirsten, he was known as the primary contact for the brothers’ baling business. Matt also said Brian took over most of the dairy portion of the family farm until they sold the herd in 2022, which was tough, especially considering the 135 years of dairy farming. He was not only one of the hardest-working people Matt and Kirsten knew but also a family man.
“Losing Brian was like losing my left hand,” Matt said. “He and I could do what four people would do. We didn’t need to talk to each other while working. We knew what the other would do.”
“Our kids have been taught their entire life to work for what they want,” Kirsten shared. “You learn those lessons on the farm.”
As Kirsten shared in an acceptance speech at the Waseca Farm and City Luncheon, “If you didn’t find Brian, our kids, and I doing something agriculture-related, you would find Brian and I volunteering at our children’s sporting events, coaching our children’s sports, volunteering for their school, or volunteering at church activities.”
The Sommers family has received tons of support from the Waseca community. Kirsten and her kids were named honorary captains of the Bluejays football team during their season opener on 6. Waseca head coach Brad Wendland also presented them with Brian’s old jersey from his senior year; Brian was senior captain of the team when Wendland started coaching the Bluejays in 2006.
When the Journal asks farmers for their advice, we tend to look for info related to the day-to-day of farming itself. However, as it takes a family to help run a farm, we also get plenty of tidbits about appreciating your family. Matt and Kirsten’s words of wisdom were related to the latter.
“Brian and I had the saying, ‘faith, family, and farming,’” Kirsten said. “At the end of the day, faith is the most important thing. We had another saying, ‘Family isn’t an important thing. It’s everything.’ You can continue working hard for your dreams, but don’t lose sight of what’s most important.”
Matt shared similar advice: “Mind your Ps and Qs and take care of finances and family.” His brother’s passing gave him pause for thought, specifically about his wife and kids. “Reflecting on this year, before his passing, I wasn’t as willing to take those ten minutes of time to say hi to my wife and kids before getting to work. Now, I do. My family has been put on a much higher pedestal now than before.”
“Do not forget about your family,” he continued. “They are the only part of you that you can grab and hold. Equipment wears out. People come in and out of your life. But your family’s always there.”
Although it’s been a year of constant challenges, the Sommers have endured it with the utmost resilience. Kirsten concluded her speech at the luncheon with the following: “I know Brian would have been very honored to receive this award. We know he would be proud of us and our accomplishments. I know he is smiling down on all of us today.”
And it’s guaranteed he continues smiling down on all of us now.
