Sjostrom Farms
In 1980, when Steve was just 19 years old, Lowell and Steve formed the “Sjostrom Farms” partnership. Prior to this Lowell and his wife, Adrianne, milked 65 cows. With the new partnership, the herd was increased to 80 milking cows along with expanded facilities, while continuing to farm approximately 500 acres. Then, like now, all young stock was kept and raised. Although Lowell is now semi-retired, he still works on the dairy farm about eight hours a day and usually seven days a week.
Steve and his wife, Deb, are keeping the farm running, and their son Jacob has joined the operation. The dairy herd is nearly 100 animals currently and the family farms 900 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa. In 1998, the barn was again expanded along with the addition of a lagoon manure system. The family continues to raise their own, as well as purchased, dairy steers. With Jacob’s help, they operate a fair share of custom work including round baling, silage harvesting, and trucking.
Off-the-farm jobs include Deb as the postmaster in Winthrop, and Jacob who does additional trucking, while his wife Lindsay is a busy realtor. Adrianne has long retired from daily milking but she and Lowell continue living on her family's “Sesquicentennial Farm” where she enjoys gardening and baking.
In addition to their son, Jacob, Steve and Deb have two older children: Megan and her husband, Karl, and their family who reside in Champlin, and Lucas and his wife, Alise, and their family who live in rural Brooten. In their growing up years, the entire family was active in 4-H and the boys were involved in FFA. Steve and Deb have seven grandchildren, six of which are boys. Steve, Deb, Lucas, and Megan all attended and/or graduated from the University of Minnesota colleges, while Jacob completed his degree at South Central College.
Steve, Deb and Jacob enjoy being part of their community, being involved in several organizations. Each has active roles in their church, the Nicollet County American Dairy Association, Nicollet County DHIA, and/or the Lafayette Lions. Steve continues to be an active representative of the Heartland Ethanol Board and Bernadotte Township.
The farm would not operate without the help of a number of very reliable part-time workers who help with fieldwork, or the dairy, and allow the family a bit of time “away” as well.