Fifth generation is on deck

WAVERLY, Minn. — For over a hundred and fifty years, the Boehlke family has been a part of the landscape of Waverly with plans to continue the legacy. Now, the Boehlke family has been formally recognized for their farm’s persistence, being named to the 2025 sesquicentennial farm list through Minnesota Farm Bureau.

“We didn’t think much of it until the day was there when we got the award,” said Eugene Boehlke, current owner of the farm. “We just were very proud to carry the farm on. You always hate to see the dairy farms end because they are dying off right and left. It’s a nice feeling to keep it carrying on.”

The Boehlkes milk 100 cows in their double-6 parlor, and farm 270 acres. They have three grown children, Brittani, Bridget and Eugene Jr.

Eugene is the fourth generation operating the farm. Eugene married Rita (Herrtzog) in 1984 and they took over ownership of the farm in 1993. He credits his wife and family for their hard work and moral support in expanding the barn and the dairy herd, as well as adding a freestall barn and milking parlor.

Eugene’s dad, Edward, died in 1975, and his mom, Anna, and his siblings rose to the challenge of running the farm with his brother, Everett, as manager. Under Everett, they added two loafing sheds, and did a barn remodel that added more stalls and a barn cleaner.

“I was only 13 when my dad passed away,” Eugene said. “I never met my grandpa. … My brothers were all hard workers and my dad was. You just did what you knew you had to do. My mother was a big influence on the farm. She was like the farm coordinator. She didn’t decide what crops were being planted or anything like that but she was a big pillar here.”

When Eugene got older, Everett bought property of his own and Eugene and Rita took over the family farm.

“We’re very fortunate to be the ones to carry this on,” Rita said.

According to a write-up done by JoAnn Boehlke Dimino, Eugene’s sister, for the Wright County Farm Bureau’s annual meeting, the farm originally started in 1875 with Ludwig and Christina Boehlke, who emigrated from Oldenburg, Germany. The couple, and their three children, came across the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Prince Albert in 1868 and settled in Wright County.

Ludwig and Christina purchased over 69 acres where the farm still stands today. They welcomed four more children into the home they built there. In 1897, their son, Frederick, and his wife, Lillian, took ownership of the farm, and built the house that still stands today.

Frederick and Lillian had four children, and in 1941, their son, Edward, took up the mantle as the third generation. He married his wife, Anna, in 1943, and they had 10 children together, including Eugene, JoAnn and Everett.

Through the years, the Boehlke family has faced challenges, including a shed catching fire in 1942 when a lantern tipped over and a tornado ripping across the farm and demolishing multiple buildings in 1952, JoAnn said. At the time of the tornado, Edward was milking cows in the barn when it collapsed around him, injuring him. The 16 milk cows were killed as a result of the tornado.

Silos were added over the years, and when the barn was rebuilt after the tornado a dance floor was added upstairs. Public dances started in 1956 and continued into the early 1970s, JoAnn said, but the space has been used more recently for family graduations and weddings.

A challenge they have faced Eugene said over the years are price fluctuations.

“There’s no consistency to our income,” he said. “You never know what you’re going to make year to year. It’s not like having a regular job. That’s always a challenge, to try and make a budget on an unknown income.”

Another factor is the weather, Eugene said. Years that are too damp or too dry can change crop yields, which can have an effect on the yearly income.

“We’ve been blessed very well in this area with enough moisture,” Eugene said. “We’re still fortunate to get a good crop. We’re fortunate to have God on our side every year with the weather.”

Though they have faced obstacles over their 150 years, the Boehlkes have continued to expand and try new ventures, including roughly a decade of mink farming on the property and a small herd of bison in the 1990s, JoAnn said.

Two smoke houses were added to the property over time, one for meats and one for fish, and are currently still used, as is the bar room that at one point was added next to the barn.

The farm received recognition in 1944 and 1957 for achieving great yields with the DeKalb Agricultural Committee, JoAnn said. The Boehlkes joined the Bongards Cooperative in 1975, and Eugene and Rita are still members. The farm was awarded in 1989 for reaching Century Farm status 14 years before in 1975. They also were recognized in 2000 for 125 years of ongoing agricultural contributions.

The Boehlkes are hoping to continue their legacy on the family farm with the fifth and sixth generation lending a hand with chores, JoAnn said. Eugene and Rita’s son, Eugene Jr., has his sights set on being the fifth generation.

“When I’m ready to quit, he’s ready to take over,” Eugene said. “He has worked with me ever since he was old enough to give me a helping hand. He’s very excited about taking it over at this time. Like I just told him recently, ‘It’s not that you’re ever going to get rich but it’s the lifestyle.’”