Building on tradition

OWATONNA — For the Schmidt family, dairy farming has been a way of life for more than a century.

Today, Jon Schmidt owns and operates Schmity Holsteins near Owatonna with his wife, Kim, who works off the farm, and several members of his extended family. The family milks 250 cows, cares for 250 head of youngstock and farms 250 acres of crops for cattle feed.

The Schmidt family was recently awarded as the 2026 Steele County Farm Family of the Year award.

“It wasn’t a big surprise to me when we got selected, as I already knew we got nominated,” Jon said. “It was nice to get recognized.”

The farm is truly a family operation. Jon’s parents, Myron and Sandy Schmidt, live on the farm, with Myron helping feed calves each day.

Jon’s sister, Andrea, and her husband, Chris Slater, are actively involved in day-to-day operations. Jon’s nephews, Steven and Jacob, are full-time employees, helping with milking and fieldwork. The family also has two part-time employees.

“Steven and Jacob help every day on the farm,” Jon said. “They are the sixth generation of farmers.”

Outside of the farm, the Schmidts are notable members of the community, serving on many local and national boards. Chris serves as a Meriden Township supervisor, and Jon is a chair member of both the I-35 Holstein Club and Steele County American Dairy Association. Jon also serves on the board of Associated Milk Producers Inc. and was recently selected to the board of directors for World Dairy Expo.

“(The family) probably feels like I am gone a lot for meetings,” Jon said. “But we get it all done.”

Breakfast on the Farm events have been a hit for the Schmidt family, as this year marked the third time they held the event at their farm.

“We served around 1,200 visitors with a two-hour wait to get food,” Jon said of their most recent Breakfast on the Farm event. “There were around 1,500 people here that day.”

Beyond opening their farm to the public, the Schmidts provide opportunities for young people to experience dairy farming through 4-H. The family leases calves and cows to local 4-H members. This year, the family leased calves to families in four different counties.

“One family that is leasing took some winter calves; the kids (of the family participating in 4-H) are super young,” Jon said. “Their dad thought it would be something to try out. Hopefully they enjoyed it.”

Dairy has also been a major part of Jon and Kim’s immediate family. His daughter, Madi Murphy, grew up showing dairy cattle at the Steele County Fair and Minnesota State Fair. She has also served as a Steele County Dairy Princess for multiple years.

The family’s commitment to dairy genetics has also been recognized. Their operation has received awards for outstanding genetics from Holstein Association USA Inc. for 20 consecutive years.

The farm has played a role in developing the next generation of advocates as well. Jena Hanson, the newly crowned 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way, was a previous employee of Schmity Holsteins.

“Jena asked me one day how she could run for dairy princess even though she didn’t grow up on a dairy or show dairy,” Jon said. “She worked hard while on our farm and was eager to learn all about dairy.”

The Schmidt family has been farming since 1884, and their farm is recognized as a Century Farm. The Schmidts have been dedicated dairy farmers for five generations.

In 2034, the Schmidt family will be celebrating their farm as a sesquicentennial farm.

“It’ll be exciting for the farm to reach 150 years,” Jon said.