2024 Summer Tour Stops

Didrikson Farms

Didrikson Farms is a fourth-generation family cattle and grain farm in northwestern Minnesota. Didrikson Farms was founded by Norwegian immigrants and passed down with each generation adding to the ranch and learning to work with nature to produce a quality product and a sustainable enterprise. Didrikson Farms is still owned and managed by the current Didrikson generation – brothers Thor and Dana. 

DigiKey

DigiKey is recognized as a leading global commerce distributor, offering the largest selection of technical components and automation products in stock for immediate shipment. They have been a pioneer in the high-service distribution of electronic components for more than 50 years and continue to innovate to accelerate progress for every designer, buyer and builder.

Waage Farms

Waage Farms is a fourth-generation family farm in northwestern Minnesota. They grain farm corn, wheat, soybeans, and ryegrass. In addition, they have a 2,100 head feedlot with five hoop buildings and are a part of the Zehnder Waage Partnership which has a purebred Charolais herd and an annual bull sale at the end of March. 

Hanson's Dairy

Good-Vue Farms is a fourth-generation Ayrshire and Holstein dairy in eastern Pennington County. The dairy features a free stall facility built in 2016 and uses two Lely Astronaut Robotic Milking Systems for the 145 lactating cows. Unique to the facility is the crane and grabber Vector Robotic Feeding System which was the first one installed in the U.S. The farm uses beef on dairy via AI for approximately 40 percent of the herd. IVF and embryo transfer are used on the high genomic/type cows and heifers for showing, sale, herd replacements, and bull sales to the dairy AI industry. In addition to the dairy, Good-Vue farms 3,000 crop acres. The farm is owned and operated by Mike and Linda Hanson and their three sons, Steven, Matthew and David.

Northland Community and Technical College

Northland is a comprehensive two-year community and technical college located in northwestern Minnesota. Northland provides education that transforms lives and strengthens the communities they serve. Their Ag Food and Natural Resources program run by ADawn Nelson focuses on community engagement and partnerships to train future ag leaders through hands-on, real-world lessons. 

Greenbush Vet Clinic

I came to Greenbush in 1985 after 6 years in Milbank, S.D.  I purchased the practice of Dr. Allen Larson.  In the beginning, this was primarily a dairy practice, with beef work in the fall and spring.  There are now two dairy herds in the practice area.  I still do pregnancy checking of beef herds in the fall.  The spring beef work has changed dramatically.  Whereas in the past, there were a fair number of calving calls in the spring, I now see a small number of calving calls. This is primarily due to the improved breeding practices of the ranchers in this area.  I now do a significant amount of semen testing of bulls every spring.  To augment our seasonal cattle work business, we have expanded the amount of pet work we do in this area.  This expansion with the increased necessity for office space have led us to build a new office area which  should be opening in the spring of 2024.  We'd like to welcome the Cattlemen's tour and we hope you enjoy your tour of northwest Minnesota. (We do indeed have more than rocks and cows up here!)

Ducks Unlimited/Pheasants Forever

DU’s mission is to conserve, restore, and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people. Their positions are developed in partnership with the NRCS to provide technical assistance to livestock producers to implement and improve grazing systems on private working lands that foster sustainable and regenerative agriculture while promoting wildlife habitat conservation. In addition, DU grazing biologists work in partnership with other state, federal, and NGOs to write grazing plans on public lands and/or easements. 

Where to Stay?

GrandStay Hotel – Thief River Falls, MN – Click Here To Book

(218) 681-9988

C'mon Inn Hotel & Suites – Thief River Falls, MN – Click Here To Book

Seven Clans Casino – 16 Minute Drive from Tour Registration @ Huck Olson Memorial Center – Click Here to Book

Welcome to Thief River Falls

The town where two rivers meet! The city also known as Thief River or TRF, is a city in Pennington County, Minnesota. The population was 8,755 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Pennington County. The town is the home of snowmobile manufacturer Arctic Cat. South of Thief River Falls is one of the area's few Native American casinos, 7 Clans Casino, which also contains a hotel and indoor water park. Thief River Falls is home to the electronic parts distributor Digi-Key, one of the largest employers in the area, and was the birthplace of the vaunted Steiger Tractor, produced from 1958 to the late 1980s. Thief River Falls first developed as a lumber milling town. It also became a major agricultural service area because of the rich soil left by ancient, glacial Lake Agassiz. The unusual name, “Thief River,” was given to the river by the Ojibwe and Dakota people. “Falls” was added to the name of the new city in 1896 because a series of rapids in the river had been converted to a waterfall by the construction of the dam. Until 1904, an Ojibwe village of 40 families was located where the Thief and Red Lake Rivers meet. The Great Northern and the Soo Line Railroads brought prosperity when Thief River Falls became a center for shipping wheat. Today, the city continues its entrepreneurial spirit, preserving and respecting the past, yet growing and moving toward the future, especially in the manufacturing and distribution industries, both nationally and internationally. Please visit https://visittrf.com/ to learn more about hotels, dining, shopping and events in the area. 

Click Here for More Information on Northern Minnesota's Ag Data.