Klassen family Cottonwood County Farm Family of the Year
Sirrina Martinez
Multimedia reporter
smartinez@pipestonestar.com
In August of 2023, the family of Arlen and Cindy Klassen were named the Farm Family of the Year for Cottonwood County. The Klassen family farm was established in 1941 when Arlen’s parents, Frank and Adelaine Klassen, purchased the site nine miles east of Windom on July 5 of that year. Along with his siblings Joyce, Loren and Carol, Arlen grew up helping his father with all aspects of the operation including raising crops and livestock.
Reflecting on his childhood at the family farm, Arlen remembers one Christmas when he was surprised by a gift that he had always wanted.
“One year I got a pony for Christmas it was pretty special,” he said. “I didn’t have hardly anything under the tree and my brother and my sisters all had stuff so I was feeling pretty sorry for myself until my dad took me outside and showed me the pony in the barn.”
After 40 years, Frank and Adeline moved to town. Arlen and his wife Cindy whom he met when he was sixteen and married in 1976, took over the farm on May 5, 1981. Over the years the couple kept the family farm going while raising their four children: Trista (Klassen) Schuette, Tyler Klassen, Jason Klassen and Alyssa (Klassen) DeFrance. Now, Arlen is reflecting of some of his favorite memories of his children growing up.
“Some of the kids were in 4H and FFA,” he said. “They showed cattle and bottle fed the calves that were either orphaned or the cow couldn’t take care of them. Those were kind of the highlights of the kids growing up. Seeing them having an interest in what we do.”
Although the 80’s and 90’s presented some challenging years for the family operation, the Klassen’s pulled through with the help of other family members, friends, neighbors and landlords of some of the land they worked, Arlen said.
“I was able to work with two different guys and helped them farm and used their machinery to also farm my land,” he said. “It was tough for those years but some of the landlords have been really good to me and they had always been more than fair.”
There have been some changes on the farm site since the next generation took over in ‘81, Arlen said. The family has made upgrades to fencing, fixed up the house, planted trees and did some tiling. Today, Arlen, his older brother Loren, and Arlen’s son Tyler work together to run the family farm by helping one another and sharing equipment. Together they raise alfalfa, soybeans and corn and work over 2,000 acres together. Recently, Arlen sold his half of a cow-calf herd that he and Tyler shared to him. Tyler has been helping on the family farm since a young age, Arlen said.
“He’s been helping me since he was pretty young,” he said. “He’s been driving tractor since he was 10. Farming is what he has always wanted to do and we are trying to make that work.”
Beyond managing the family operation, Arlen has served in various capacities in his community including on his church board, the Farm Bureau board, his local co-op board and the cattleman’s board. Cindy has enjoyed raising their children, delivering meals, working her garden, helping to bring her family to and from working the fields and loving her grandchildren: Collin, Josie, Lincoln, Sully and Hayden.
The future of the Klassen family farm, Arlen said, will eventually be in the hands of his son Tyler and Tyler’s wife and son, as they are working to buy the operation and continue the family legacy. Arlen and Cindy are currently in the process of transitioning to a new farm site closer to where she grew up where they plan to build a new home. Eventually he will retire from farming, Arlen said, and knowing that the place he was born and raised on and worked hard to keep will soon be passed on to his son presents mixed buy happy feelings.
“It’s going to be kind of sad to leave but I am very happy that he wants to take over and be here too,” he said. “I’m still not quite done farming but we are in the transition stage to slow down and get out.”
Receiving recognition as the Cottonwood County Farm Family of the Year has been an honor, Arlen said.
“We are very honored to be able to have this award,” he said. “I feel like I don’t deserve it so it’s mixed feelings but I am very honored and yet humbled.”
Multimedia reporter
smartinez@pipestonestar.com
In August of 2023, the family of Arlen and Cindy Klassen were named the Farm Family of the Year for Cottonwood County. The Klassen family farm was established in 1941 when Arlen’s parents, Frank and Adelaine Klassen, purchased the site nine miles east of Windom on July 5 of that year. Along with his siblings Joyce, Loren and Carol, Arlen grew up helping his father with all aspects of the operation including raising crops and livestock.
Reflecting on his childhood at the family farm, Arlen remembers one Christmas when he was surprised by a gift that he had always wanted.
“One year I got a pony for Christmas it was pretty special,” he said. “I didn’t have hardly anything under the tree and my brother and my sisters all had stuff so I was feeling pretty sorry for myself until my dad took me outside and showed me the pony in the barn.”
After 40 years, Frank and Adeline moved to town. Arlen and his wife Cindy whom he met when he was sixteen and married in 1976, took over the farm on May 5, 1981. Over the years the couple kept the family farm going while raising their four children: Trista (Klassen) Schuette, Tyler Klassen, Jason Klassen and Alyssa (Klassen) DeFrance. Now, Arlen is reflecting of some of his favorite memories of his children growing up.
“Some of the kids were in 4H and FFA,” he said. “They showed cattle and bottle fed the calves that were either orphaned or the cow couldn’t take care of them. Those were kind of the highlights of the kids growing up. Seeing them having an interest in what we do.”
Although the 80’s and 90’s presented some challenging years for the family operation, the Klassen’s pulled through with the help of other family members, friends, neighbors and landlords of some of the land they worked, Arlen said.
“I was able to work with two different guys and helped them farm and used their machinery to also farm my land,” he said. “It was tough for those years but some of the landlords have been really good to me and they had always been more than fair.”
There have been some changes on the farm site since the next generation took over in ‘81, Arlen said. The family has made upgrades to fencing, fixed up the house, planted trees and did some tiling. Today, Arlen, his older brother Loren, and Arlen’s son Tyler work together to run the family farm by helping one another and sharing equipment. Together they raise alfalfa, soybeans and corn and work over 2,000 acres together. Recently, Arlen sold his half of a cow-calf herd that he and Tyler shared to him. Tyler has been helping on the family farm since a young age, Arlen said.
“He’s been helping me since he was pretty young,” he said. “He’s been driving tractor since he was 10. Farming is what he has always wanted to do and we are trying to make that work.”
Beyond managing the family operation, Arlen has served in various capacities in his community including on his church board, the Farm Bureau board, his local co-op board and the cattleman’s board. Cindy has enjoyed raising their children, delivering meals, working her garden, helping to bring her family to and from working the fields and loving her grandchildren: Collin, Josie, Lincoln, Sully and Hayden.
The future of the Klassen family farm, Arlen said, will eventually be in the hands of his son Tyler and Tyler’s wife and son, as they are working to buy the operation and continue the family legacy. Arlen and Cindy are currently in the process of transitioning to a new farm site closer to where she grew up where they plan to build a new home. Eventually he will retire from farming, Arlen said, and knowing that the place he was born and raised on and worked hard to keep will soon be passed on to his son presents mixed buy happy feelings.
“It’s going to be kind of sad to leave but I am very happy that he wants to take over and be here too,” he said. “I’m still not quite done farming but we are in the transition stage to slow down and get out.”
Receiving recognition as the Cottonwood County Farm Family of the Year has been an honor, Arlen said.
“We are very honored to be able to have this award,” he said. “I feel like I don’t deserve it so it’s mixed feelings but I am very honored and yet humbled.”