Dave and Sue Borman are the fourth generation of the Borman family to reside on the family farm. The weekend of Sept. 10 the Bormans will celebrate the quasquicentennial with friends and family.
“It’s not every day that farms stay in the family that long,” Sue said. “It should be something to be celebrated.”
Despite being in the family for 125 years, not much is known about the history of the Borman farm, according to Dave and Sue Borman.
“The Bormans weren’t very good historians,” Sue said. “But they thought it was important, and really nice, to keep it in the family.”
Sue and Dave do have the original abstract for the property, which offers a few details as to who owned the farm over the last 125 years.
Dave’s great grandfather, Conrad Borman, purchased the 160-acre farm on Sept. 3, 1891. It was passed on to Conrad’s children, with Henry, Dave’s grandfather, eventually taking over the farm. Alva, one of Henry’s sons, purchased the farm around 1972 before Dave and Sue purchased it from Uncle Alva in 1991.
“We’re hoping it will stay in the family for another 25 years for sure,” Sue said.
Dave’s father, Clarence Borman, was born on the family farm in 1922, and raised there with three brothers Alva, Archie and Floyd and one sister, Leona Hoem. Clarence’s mother passed away and his father, Henry, remarried, adding to the family a half brother, Gleave, four step sisters and one step brother.
Dave has two siblings, Dale Borman and Diane Scotting.
He remembers spending quite a bit of time on the farm with relatives growing up.
“My brother and I helped here,” Dave said.
Over the years the farm was a family operation, with all family members helping out the crop and livestock operations to make a living off cattle, hogs, and dairy cows.
Currently, Dave and Sue have a stock cow operation and farm corn, beans and hay.
Dave and Sue took over the farm just before the centennial. The Bormans registered the 100-year-old family farm with the state of Minnesota and were recognized at the Minnesota State Fair as a Centennial Farm.
Sue contacted the state of Minnesota, hoping their farm could be recognized for 125 years, but learned Minnesota does not recognize the quasquicentennial. The family farm will not be recognized again by the state of Minnesota until it’s 150 years old.
The Bormans, both 70, don’t expect to be around in 25 years for that celebration, but hope that the farm will still be owned by the family at that time. They have two children, Jason Borman and Jo Borman Kor. Jason Borman has two children, Jasi and Jaden, with wife, Tammy. Jo Borman Kor has two children, Dalton and Darbi Jo, with husband, Brad.
Jason lives near his parents in Holland and farms with the family, but hopes to eventually take over the family farm. Dave and Sue’s grandchild, Dalton, would like to become part of the family farm operation as well.
“When they feel they’re ready to take it over, we’ll be ready to pass it on,” Sue said.