The Schultz Family Recognized as 2023 Rice County Farm Family of the Year

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

The Schultz family has been named Rice County’s 2023 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota.

Jeff and Kathryn Schultz were married in 1995 and moved to Jeff's grandparents’ farm. Jeff's grandparents, Albert and Edna Schultz, bought this farm in 1937 and built every building; it was bare ground when they purchased it. In the height of the Great Depression, they saved money by constructing the buildings themselves. Albert and Edna milked cows, finished dairy steers, raised farrow-to-finish hogs, and had ducks, geese, and chickens for meat and eggs.

Grocery money was from selling eggs and broilers to the local grocery stores. The last dairy cows left in 1978 as Albert died in 1975. In the same section of land, Jeff grew up on his great-grandparents, Otto & JoHannah Schultz’s, century farm. Jeff's parents, Donald O. and Barb, milked cows and raised dairy steers. The dairy cows left in 1976. In 1979, Jeff started farming raising crops and finishing feeder pigs.

Currently on the farm, Jeff and Kathryn’s children Madeline, Hank, and Cal spearhead the cow-calf operation. They make the management decisions and perform all the marketing. In fact, they travel the midwest promoting their genetics while looking for opportunities to expand the operation with the hopes of making it a full time venture.

Madeline and Hank work for the Faribault school district while Cal is a student at Oklahoma State University. All three have been very active in 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) and have judged livestock shows since or while in college.

Jeff is a Farm Business Management instructor at South Central College. Jeff and Kathyrn were 4-H adult leaders, project development committee members, and project bowl coaches. Jeff has also been a school board member and church trustee.

The Schultzes are deeply involved in their agricultural community. Jeff serves or has served on several committees including the Rice County Pork Producers, the Dakota/Rice Corn and Soybean Growers, the Rice County Extension Committee, the National Farm and Ranch Business Management Education Association, and the Faribault FFA advisory board.

Source: ricecountymn.gov