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Clay County Farm Family

Askegaard Organic Farm

Askegaard Organic Farm is a sixth-generation family farm located two miles north of Comstock. The farm is operated by Mark Askegaard, whose great-grandparents emigrated to Minnesota from Norway in the late 1800s. Mark’s grandfather settled on the farmstead where Mark and his wife, Barb, now live.

The family’s farm operation consists of 980 tillable acres. All the farm’s acreage has been certified organic since 1997. The main crops grown are soybeans, spring wheat, flax, oats and a variety of cover crops. The Askegaards mill and package their organic flaxseed on-farm and distribute their products via grocery retail outlets, wholesale outlets, schools, hospitals and bakeries. They also sell direct to consumers.

Barb and daughters Claire and Beth, and Beth’s husband, Tony are involved in the farming operation, especially during the busy spring planting and fall harvest seasons. Barb is employed by Bell Bank. Claire is a pharmacist, Beth farms with Mark, and Tony is a physical therapist.

Mark serves on the Comstock Church Council. In the past, he’s been a member of the CW Valley Co-op Elevator Council, the Clay and Wilkin County Soybean Growers Board, the Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership Board, the Northern Crops Institute Board, the Minnesota Grown Advisory Board, and the Clay County Extension Committee.

Barb is active in the Comstock Church WELCA and has served on the church council. Beth has served on the board of the Cass Clay Food Commission and is also the parish secretary at Comstock-Hoff Lutheran Church.

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