Hellewell Family
Blair Hellewell was raised on a sheep farm in New Zealand. His passion for livestock and farming brought him to Minnesota in 1997 through the University of Minnesota’s Minnesota Agricultural Student Trainee (MAST) program. Blair was placed at Coorain, a 1,400-acre grain farm near Balaton owned by Ron and Connie Schwartau. He met Tami that summer, and they eventually joined the Coorain operation full-time, with Ron and Connie inviting them to partner and gradually take ownership of the farm.
Today, the farm is a diversified operation that includes crop and livestock production. Their cropping operation includes corn, soybeans, and alfalfa, with a commitment to land stewardship and to using practices such as strip-till and vertical till. They operate a sheep enterprise that has grown to 500 breeding ewes. Through this operation, they have developed value-added products, including wool pellet fertilizer made from wool not suitable for textiles and wool pet beds. They enjoy sharing their experiences and knowledge with those interested in sheep production and value-added agriculture.
Blair and Tami’s three daughters, Ashley, Jayda and Joelle, have been an essential part of their farm, helping with lambing, feeding, sorting, vaccinating and shearing. They have all been involved in 4-H and FFA. Jayda will be joining the operation full-time after graduating with a degree in agriculture production and technology.