Lessons learned on dairy farm lead to Valedictorian honors

PELICAN RAPIDS, Minn. – Maggie Knorr, a graduating senior from Pelican Rapids high school, credits her academic achievements to the work ethic she has learned on her parent’s dairy farm. 

“Working gets you places in life,” said Knorr, the daughter of Brad and Jane Knorr. 

Maggie is the oldest of their four children.

Knorr, along with two other students, received top of their class honors at her school May 27. 

In August, while her fellow classmates move into dorms, Knorr will take a year off to participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange to Finland. She said it will be new and adventurous leaving the country life. 

“I have always lived on a farm and I want to try something different,” said Knorr.

The first week in Finland she will go through an orientation to help her learn the language and culture. Her first home will only be a half hour away from the Russian border. The year after, she will attend Hamline University in the cities where she hopes to major in Spanish.

Although she is leaving, Knorr said she has enjoyed making memories on their 58 cow dairy farm.

“We had so much room to play and I don’t think my sister and I would have had half the imagination if we didn’t grow up on a farm,” said Knorr.

One time she said she was playing “airplane” in the barn when she tripped in the gutter and split open”her forehead. She said she has the scar to take with her. 

Knorr is not just a straight “A” student but has been actively involved in school plays, soccer and is employed at Strand Hardware in town. 

When Knorr is not busy with work or school she heads out to the barn. Since seventh grade, it has been her responsibility to feed the cows in the evenings. She also helps her dad with loading the big square bales of straw on the hayrack in the field and stacking the small bales.

Knorr credits her parents for being good role models and helping her in school. She loved that they were home on the farm and they could read to her and her siblings. Math has always been her favorite subject and she remembers her parents helping her with her equations in the barn.

“My dad would write out a math problem in the dust on the walls,” said Knorr.

She said not all the lessons were academic. One very important lesson she learned from her parents was the value of hard work. She said the farm has taught her that getting good grades is not always about being smarter but about a good work ethic. 

“A lot of it is how hard you work at it,” said Knorr. “On a dairy farm you can’t just put off feeding the cows.”

She said this work ethic has helped her to be successful in school and has given her so many opportunities in life.