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Editors Note: Each year the University of Minnesota Extension Service recognizes outstanding farm families for their service to agriculture and the community. This year the Chisago County Extension Committee awards this honor to the Jim and Gwen Swenson family of Kost. The Swenson family will receive local recognition July 10 at the Chisago County Fair. They will also be honored with other farm families from around the state at Farmfest August 7.

Members of the Jim and Gwen Swenson family will be on a familiar turf when they accept recognition as Chisago County's Farm Family of the Year at the Chisago County Fair Talent Show in July. Jim and Gwen's volunteer work in Chisago County began at the 4-H building at the Chisago County Fair more than 30 years ago.

Jim had been farming before his graduation from North Branch High School in 1970. When his brother, John, graduated from high school, he joined Jim and they farmed together as "Swenson Brothers Farm" for many years. Gwen had grown up on a dairy farm near Bloomer Wisconsin. Jim and Gwen were both active 4-H, FFA and FFA Alumni members.

It was a natural fit for Jim and Gwen to accept county agent Barb Piehl's request that they volunteer with the 4-H program at the Chisago County and Minnesota Fairs in the late 1970's. Soon after, Jim and Gwen volunteered with the Happy Hiker's 4-H Club in the Kost area of Chisago County, and as their children reached the age of nine, they became 4-H members as well.

Jim and Gwen's children, Karl, Kurt and Katherine, have since graduated from 4-H, but the family remains active in 4-H education. Jim's area of interest is the 4-H livestock exhibition and auction, while Gwen works with the poultry show at the county fair and 4-H clothing projects throughout the year. The Swensons have a reputation among Extension staff as "go-to" volunteers who are always happy to do whatever needs to be done in any project or activity.

Besides 4-H and Extension, the Swensons are active on the state and local levels of other ag-related organizations.

The Grange is a national, grassroots fraternal organization of agriculturists with the purpose to serve agriculture, its members and communities. The Grange is not as influential or widely known in the Midwest as it is on the East and West coasts, but it is an active local organization. Gwen serves on the state board and recalled many Grange community service projects that the Swensons participated in throughout the years, including recycling and conservation activities, picnics and social gatherings.

Gwen enjoys her job off the farm as an office assistant at Farm Bureau Financial Services in North Branch. She has been a member of the Farm Bureau, "since birth," and believes in its mission to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans and to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities. Jim has been a board member of the Chisago County County Farm Bureau and served as its president.

Jim also served on the Immanuel Lutheran Church Council during the time the building was undergoing an expansion. Gwen's name appears on Minnesota State Fair awards lists, food manufacturer promotional recipe contests, and the highly competitive national "Make it with Wool" promotion. Gwen enjoys entering these competitions for the same reason she enjoys serving at church fund raisers. It is a way to share, promote, and enjoy good food and family living.

There is a lot of work on the 1200 acres that the Swensons farm in Sunrise Township. Jim and Kurt (25 years-old) farm full time. Karl (27 years-old) is a chef at Hazelden and works on the farm part time, as does Katherine, (19 years-old) who just completed her course work and is starting her career as a personal trainer.

The Swenson's raise corn, rye, soybeans and hay to sell and to feed their hogs, beef and poultry. On the day of the farm visit for this story in early June, the family was taking a few hours off from planting to prepare and transfer a batch of pigs from the farrowing barn to the feedlot. "We're a little overdue on this, but the planting had to be done first," Jim explained as we entered the long, narrow farrowing barn.

The farrowing barn is emptied and cleaned every few weeks to make room for the next litters of piglets, and from the jovial mood of the family, it is evidently a rewarding day's work. When asked, "How many pigs do you have?" Jim laughed and said, "When you have 120 sows, you never really know how many pigs you have."

Jim pointed out crossbred Hampshire, (black with white belts) Duroc (red) and Yorkshire (white) litters in the pens lining the sides of the brightly lit barn. The pigs took no notice of us, as their food and water supply is ample, although, as we proceeded down the center aisle, a more observant piglet would occasionally stand up on his hind legs and put his hooves over the top of the pen to be scratched behind the ears. Jim explained the marketing qualities of each breed, pointed out the litters he felt were interesting, and explained that when breeding pigs, white is dominant over colors and belts.

Kurt demonstrated the heating and cooling mechanism that keeps the barn at a constant 74 degrees. The family whole heartedly agreed with his comment that the barn is often more comfortable than the house or their workplaces.

For recreation, the Swensons hunt, fish, and enjoy the outdoors. They have traveled around the United States, but the consensus was that they most enjoy the day-to-day experiences of farming and being part of the East Central Minnesota community.

At the time of the interview the Swensons were sharing these experiences with a Swedish family. Through the years Gwen has stayed in touch with a classmate that she befriended while she lived in Sweden and participated in the AFS program. This spring her classmate brought his family to the United States for vacation, and the Swensons opened their home to them. What better way to help a visiting family learn about the Swedish immigrant experience in the United States than to have them stay with a typical farm family in Chisago County?

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