2022 Catholic Century Farm Awards

Since 2018, Catholic Charities along with Bishop Kettler of the Diocese of St. Cloud, has honored Catholic families in the diocese who have been farming the same land for at least a hundred years, with the Catholic Century Farm Awards. On August 14th, 2022 Catholic Charities and Bishop Kettler will once again present these awards at the Diocesan Rural Life Celebration. 

This year we will be recognizing six farm families who have cared for God’s creation in our Diocese. Honorees will be receiving a Catholic Century Farm Award certificate signed by Bishop Donald Kettler and Director of Social Concerns, Kateri Mancini, along with a special gift for their home in recognition of their outstanding legacy in faith-based family farming within our diocese.

The Catholic Century Farm Awards are a way that Catholic Charities and the Bishop of St. Cloud honors those Catholic families who have farmed and nurtured the same land for 100 years or more. Different from the state or county-based century farm registries, the Catholic Century Farm Awards are an opportunity for our whole diocese to recognize the deep connection between our faith and farming traditions, and reflect on our many neighbors who are living out the Catholic social teaching of care for creation through their vocation of farming and stewardship of the earth. It allows us to share our gratitude for the nourishment they provide to our communities in more ways than one through their faith in God and the work of their hands.

The six families we will be honoring this year come from multiple regions of our diocese. All six honorees come from different parish communities across five different counties. Our longest standing farm is celebrating 150 years this summer! The “youngest” farm honoree is celebrating 107 years farming in our Diocese. All our recipients have a strong focus on the importance of family and the legacies created through farming.

This year’s Catholic Century Farm Award recipients include:

• Bauer Family Farm, established 1915
• Czech Family Farm, established 1899
• Ebnet Family Farm, established 1906
• Kern Farm, established 1914
• Michael Farm, established 1910
• Rausch Family Farm, established 1872*

* Indicates a sesquicentennial farm.

What 2021 Catholic Century Farm Award Recipients Said About Their Farms

When farm families apply for the Catholic Century Farm Awards, they are asked to tell us a little bit about why the farm and farming is important to them. Here are some of this year’s recipients’ comments:

Bauer Family Farm. The farm is a great place to raise a family. Everyone helps with all of the work to be done.

Czech Family Farm. Being born and raised on a family farm has given me such incredible roots. Raising my family on this farm has been incredible. We love the whole part of it, the animals, crops, garden, yard, outside is where we’ll be! We are so proud to be here, caring and loving this farm. 

Ebnet Family Farm. Our family takes great pride in our farm, and we consider this farm our home. Since this farm had the first contour strips in Stearns County, we take great care in maintaining it. Our three children grew up helping with every aspect of the farm and all have a fantastic work ethic because of it. We are lucky to have raised them here.

Kern Farm. This farm is where our family has worked, played, hunted, and celebrated many events over the years. Not having this land would leave a void in our lives.

Michael Farm. This farm is our home. It is where we raised six children and milked cows before later switching to beef cattle. We couldn’t do the work without our children.

Rausch Family Farm. We take pride in the hard work that so many generations have put into the farm. We love that we can count on family and extended family to continue to come back and support the Rausch Family Farm. Working together and supporting each other keeps us close.

If you or someone you know has a Catholic Century Farm, or will be celebrating your family farm’s 100th year in 2023, visit the social concerns website to learn more and apply for this special honor. Applications submitted between now and June of 2023 will be honored at a special Mass with Bishop in August of 2023.