Heritage Farms

The Heritage Farm Wall of Honor, located in the Atrium of the Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory, is a permanent display of bronze plaques describing each gift of agricultural property to SDSU. South Dakota State University has had a close working partnership with the farmers and ranchers in this region since it was founded as a land-grant college in 1881. Thousands of people have benefited from the university’s research, extension, and educational programs. Farm and ranch owners are able to give something back to their profession and achieve a charitable legacy with a farm or ranchland gift to SDSU.

Gifts of land, farm machinery, livestock and crops are among those honored with Heritage Farm recognition. A “Heritage Farm” is a farm, ranch, or rural property, which, in some cases, will have had the same owner for many years. Sometimes, several generations of a family will have been involved with this agricultural property. When a farm owner elects to make a charitable gift of all, or part, of the property or farm assets to SDSU, the donor, and the property, will be recognized permanently in the Heritage Farms display. This display provides donors with a permanent linkage between their family name and land that has been near and dear to them. These private contributions will make the promise of public research, education, and extension a reality for future generations.

Those who have received Heritage Farm recognition are:

Inducted to Wall of Honor on June 16, 2011

• Richard and Sharon Beitelspacher, Bowdle, SD
• Ortwin Buss, Clark, SD
• Mary Decker, Beadle County, SD
• Frank and Mildred Denholm, Brookings, SD
• Thomas and Marilyn Gannon, Sioux Falls, SD 
• Dale and Mary Harpstead, East Lansing, MI
• Dwane and Dawn Marsh, Humboldt, SD
• Roger and Arlys Tilberg, Montevideo, MN
• Robert and Eveleen Wilson, Lakeville, MN

Inducted to Wall of Honor on June 12, 2008

• David and Carol Anderson, Henry County, IN
• Deethardt Family, Brookings County, SD
• Roger and Marcia Gerdes, Hand County, SD
• Jerome and Carol Lohr, Clark County, SD
• Ray and Patrice Mayo, Brown County, SD
• Opportunities Farm, Lincoln County, SD
• Larrie and Beverly Quam, St. Croix County, WI
• Raymond Walz, Hutchinson County, SD

Inducted to Wall of Honor on May 15, 2006

• Vernon and Delores Bau, Truman, MN
• Isla Bortnem, Mesa, AZ
• Craig Bortnem, Portland, OR
• Cindy Curtis, Montgomery, MN
• Lonita Gustad Corothers, Sioux City, IA
• Orville and Kathryn Edwards, Vale, SD
• Frank J. Kaberna, Wagner, SD
• Norman Nerland, Westerville, OH
• Cynthia Bullard, Los Angeles, CA
• Lisa Deering, San Leandro, CA
• Serina Walker, Suisun, CA
• Francis “Johnny” Miller, Redfield, SD

Inducted to Wall of Honor on May 6, 2003

• Tom and Marjorie Aaker, Casper, WY
• Ralph and Betty Braun, Huron, SD
• Frank and Lela Christensen, Turton, SD
• Marilyn Christiansen, North Sioux City, SD
• Layle Evans, Conde, SD
• Rodney Evans, Aberdeen, SD
• Paul and Delores Gilbert, Fort Collins, CO
• William M. and Byrne Griffith, Huron, SD
• Donald Kinneberg, Florence, SD
• Earle and Ann Klosterman, Wooster, OH
• Bill and Helen McCone, Colorado Springs, CO
• Fayola Muchow, Sioux Falls, SD
• Melloie Oien, Brookings, SD
• George Rhea, Cherokee, IA
• Merrill Stiles, Falls Church, VA
• Marcus Zuber, Columbia, MO

Inducted to Wall of Honor June 27, 2001

• Jan and Coila Schoenmann Janecek, Fargo, ND
• Fredrick H. Krueger, Madison, SD
• Ken and Marjorie Glendenning , Arlington, SD
• Roland and Deloris Jensen, Golden Valley, MN
• Luverne Huber, Henry, SD
• Fred Matheny, Prescott, AZ
• Leo Clarin, Brea, CA
• Byrl and Luella Logan, Clark, SD
• Virginia Gordon, Dubuque, IA
• Dorothy Beverly, Poughkeepsie, NY
• Bob and Jean (Taylor) Bartling, Brookings, SD
• Anna Marie Soleglad-Sandberg, Madelia, MN
• Jerome Soleglad, West Des Moines, IA
• Marian Rude, Brookings, SD
• Harold and Gladys Harrison, Watertown, SD
• Ella Ollenburg, Brookings, SD
• Sophia Riddle, Mitchell, SD
• Delwyn and Ramona Dearborn, Lincoln, NE
• John and Dorothy Thompson, Brookings, SD
• Gordon Huber, Clark, SD

If you have arranged such a gift already, or to get a free brochure about membership in the Heritage Farm program, contact Jeff Nelson at 888-747-7378.