Winkelman Family Farms
Winkelmann Family Farms is a fourth-generation farm with the roots of the operation going back to 1950 when Clarence, Lee’s grandfather, had dairy cows and farmed the land. In the late 1950s, Clarence dispersed the cows and started farming with his son, Don, Lee’s father. Clarence and Don began finishing out feeder cattle and hogs and raised crops. In the mid-1960s they decided to make a switch to solely farrow-to-finish hogs.
In 1995, Lee began farming with his father. A year later, the operation changed again to become a wean-to-finish facility. Finally, in 2012, the farm changed again to custom finishing hogs in a nursery and finishing barn.
The Winkelmanns began their current cattle business in 2010 when the family began bottle-feeding calves. Four years later, they broke ground on a nursery barn for calves that would house 65 heads. The calves would be sold as feeder calves or market-ready cattle.
The current operation consists of backgrounding feeder calves and finishing groups. The family still farms the land and added a seed business. The fifth generation of the Winkelmann family, Mavrick, is in his second year of transitioning into the operation.
Lee is the operations manager of the land, cattle and seed business. Susie helps everywhere she can and prepares most of the field meals. The Winkelmanns have five children: Makenna helps with the cattle and various other farm work; Mavrick, supports the farm as a mechanic and helps with all other activities on the farm; Mogen hauls hay bales in the fall and cooks, preps and delivers field meals; Mavri assists with the cattle, rakes corn stalks and hauls bales; and Makay hauls bales and helps with meals.
Lee has served as a board member of the Redwood Area Cattlemen’s Association (RACA), as a board member with the Minnesota Beef Council and has served on the family’s church council. Susie serves on various local youth sports boards. All the Winkelmann children were involved in 4-H. Makenna was active in FFA and Mavri is a current FFA member. Makenna and Mavrick were RACA ambassadors. Mavri is a current ambassador.
The Winkelmanns have hosted many farm tours over the years including a visit by a group from Japan that wanted to learn more about U.S. beef production.