Benson Family
Paul and Michelle Benson say they have been blessed to have this farm in the family for three generations. Early on, the family farm raised dairy cows. In the early 1980s, the farm moved to raising beef cattle and small grains for crop rotation. As a family, the Bensons have been processing their own beef and pork for nearly 50 years, as well as maintaining a large garden that produces many of the vegetables that the family eats throughout the year.
The Bensons continue to raise beef cattle and small grains but are transitioning to more backgrounding and finishing cattle, some of which will be used to support the new USDA-inspected processing plant, Benson + Turner Foods, that Paul and Michelle are helping bring to their community this summer.
Paul and Michelle were both raised in farming families and continue to maintain the Benson family farm, where they raised their three children, Stephanie, Travis and Isaac. Each member of the family and much of the Bensons’ extended family have played integral roles in keeping the farm thriving and expanding.
In addition to bringing a processing plant to the community, Paul and Michelle have been active members of the Minnesota Farmers Union and had the opportunity to work on policies and lobby on the national level regarding issues that impact the local farming community.