Meet the 2026 Steele County Farm Family

ST. PAUL, Minn. (7/23/2026) — The Schmidt family from Steele County will be honored in August as one of 86 Farm Families of the Year.

 

The Schmidt family farm began in 1884 in Meriden Township and has been recognized as a Century Farm. For five generations, the Schmidt family has been dedicated to dairy farming.

 

Today, Schmity Holsteins is owned by Jon Schmidt. The operation includes 250 milk cows and 250 head of young stock, primarily registered Holsteins with a few registered Jerseys. The farm includes 250 acres that support the herd’s feed needs. Schmity Holsteins has received the Holstein Association’s prestigious Progressive Genetic Herd Award for the past 20 years and has bred and developed more than 50 females classified as excellent.

 

The farm is managed almost entirely by the Schmidt family. Jon serves as owner and overall manager. His wife Kim works at Federated Insurance. Their daughter Madi Murphy is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and owns several Jersey cows and heifers she exhibited in 4-H.

 

Jon’s parents, Myron and Sandy Schmidt, continue to live on the farm, with Myron caring for the baby calves. Jon’s sister Andrea Slater and her husband Chris Slater are also actively involved. Chris oversees feeding, fieldwork and farm maintenance.

 

Their children, Steven and Jacob, work on the farm full-time assisting with milking and fieldwork, representing the sixth generation of Schmidts involved in the operation.

 

Jon is a member of both the National and Minnesota Holstein Associations, and he chairs the I-35 Holstein Club and the Steele County American Dairy Association. He also serves on the AMPI corporate board of directors and was recently selected to serve on the board of directors for World Dairy Expo. Chris serves as a Meriden Township supervisor.

 

The University of Minnesota honors families and growers from across Minnesota, culminating in the 2026 Farm Family of the Year ceremony at 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6 at the annual Minnesota Farmfest near Redwood Falls. The event will be held on the Gilfillan Estate in Wick Buildings Farmfest Center.

 

Honored farm families cover a wide spectrum of farming, from traditional crops and livestock to community-based ventures and operations producing an array of fruit, vegetables and flowers. They were selected by local University of Minnesota Extension committees based on the honorees’ demonstrated commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture.

 

“This year's Farm Families of the Year reflect the impressive strength — and incredible variety — of agriculture in our state," said Extension Dean Bev Durgan. "The University of Minnesota is proud to honor these families and their innovation and dedication to Minnesota agriculture." 

 

Photographs of families who attend the recognition ceremony will be posted online by mid-August at z.umn.edu/farm-families-2026.