Waynes named Steele County Farm Family of the Year
The University of Minnesota Extension this week named the Wayne family of Ellendale as its 2021 Steele County Farm Family of the Year.
According to Extension, the knowledge of growing crops has been around for thousands of years and is often passed down from generation to generation. This year's Farm Family has had this passion passed down from their father and his father before him.
Brothers Greg, Brian, David, and Tom Wayne have worked on the family farm for as long as they can remember. The farm has been in operation since their grandfather, Manford Wayne, bought the original farm in 1943. Manford's son, Lyle, purchased the adjacent farm in the 1950s and it is currently the main location for the Wayne Brothers' operation.
As each one of the brothers graduated, Extension said, they stepped up and took a role in helping in the family operation. The brothers have worked to expand the family operation to 6,000 acres of corn and soybeans. Aside from some family friends who help during the busy seasons, it's a family-run operation. Greg, David, and Tom work together to do spring planting and the fall harvest. The fourth generation of the family has assumed roles as well. Greg's son Nathan, and David's sons, Dustin and Alex, along with Brian, do the tillage and herbicide applications.
According to Extension, the Wayne brothers have taken numerous approaches to innovative farming techniques. In the 1990s, the Wayne family was Conservation Farmers for their no-till beans. They have always made efforts in erosion control by incorporating berms and cover crops. Along with this, they have also run no-till soybeans in standing corn stalks since 1992. All of these techniques and continuous knowledge have helped the farm see many successful harvests.
When asked what was one of their better years to remember, they answered, "2020 was a fantastic year for us."
Each year the red Wayne Grain trucks can be seen hauling loads of corn and soybeans to all the local elevators. The brothers have been fortunate enough to expand their storage capacity as they have grown their operation. The original grain bin is still on site, put up in 1969 by Lyle. Renovations have happened twice since then, the first time in 1979 and the most recent in 2010. The bin site holds up to 450,000 bushels. There also are two dryers on the farm.
Each family member participates in numerous civic organizations, including school boards, the Ellendale Economic Development Council, and Ellendale and Geneva Commercial Clubs.
Each year, the Waynes' donate to the FFA's Camp Courage. Along with this, they award the Lyle and Helen Wayne Scholarship to graduates looking to pursue a career in the agricultural industry. According to Extension, as a wish from their father, they carry out their parents' legacy and the entire family's love for agriculture through this scholarship.
Not only do they promote agriculture to the youth, but they also provide support throughout the state by being members of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and the Minnesota Soybean Association.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Tom, David, Brian, and Greg Wayne farm 6,000 acres near Ellendale. Each year the red Wayne Grain trucks can be seen hauling loads of corn and soybeans to all the local elevators.