Redwood County, Minnesota - Chapter 37: The Redwood Holstein Farm, 1916

One of the important features in the development of Redwood county agriculture has been the Redwood Holstein Farm. It was the activities of Richard W. Sears and William H. Gold, the owners of this project, that first turned in this direction the attention of the Iowa and Illinois farmers, and started the influx of these desirable citizens to Redwood county. The coming of the experienced farmers from older parts of the country has brought about a rapid rise in land values in the past few years, and has also brought to the county a distinct advance in educational, agricultural and social life.

In speaking of the genesis of this movement, Mr. Sears himself has said: "Being a native of Minnesota, and having in my younger days resided in Redwood county, I gradually began, later in life, to invest in Redwood county lands.

"These purchases began on a basis of about $10.00 an acre and gradually from year to year I made purchases at advancing prices, and at the present time (1914) these Redwood county land holdings would be valued conservatively at from $65.00 to $100.00 an aere.

"For years Redwood county was one of the great wheat-producing counties of the northwest and these lands were largely given over to the raising of wheat. The method of handling was such that I, as owner, would share in the crop with the renter, commonly on the basis that I, as owner, would furnish the seed and receive one-half of the gross proceeds of the wheat and other grains, the renter receiving the other one-half.

"For years the land in the county was turned over to the raising of grain, principally wheat, later gradually the more progressive farmers began to turn their attention to diversified farming and the number of cows in the county rapidly increased. Creameries sprang up here and there, part of the acreage formerly devoted to wheat was put in corn, hay and grains for feed, and as this evolution from the wheat-growing to the rather diversified farming developed, the lands rapidly increased in value, the county increased in wealth, bank balances in the different banks began to swell in volume, existing mortgages were paid off or renewed at much more favorable rates. The old straw sheds for cattle and horses gave way to large modern barns, good houses, outbuildings, wire fencing, a higher and higher state of cultivation and this work of a higher development is still aggressively going on.

"It was about this time that William H. Gold of Redwood Palls, of Minnesota, approached me concerning the purchase of a mortgage on a certain farm near one of mine, when I volunteered the remark that in my judgment it was too big a loan, and that he (Mr. Gold) was placing too high a per acre value on the property. I stated to Mr. Gold that I would be very glad to sell my land at a slightly lower price per acre than the land in question had by Mr. Gold been valued, whereupon Mr. Gold stated, 'If you will allow me to direct the management of these farms of yours and will subscribe to my method of transforming them into diversified farming, and will co-operate with me in developing a breeding farm for dairy purposes that will make money for us, it will not only develop but will further enhance every acre of your land and will stimulate the value of everybody's land in this territory. Do this, and while I won't agree to buy every acre of your land outright at the price you name, but I will be glad to buy one-half interest at your own price, as you have suggested.' The deal was closed immediately and Mr. Gold became a one-half owner in all my Redwood county lands and immediately he began the work of converting the various farms into a diversified class of farming, especially encouraging the dairy end. Mr. Gold contended that in dairying, as then conducted in Redwod county, there were a large percentage of cows that did not yield returns sufficient to pay their board ; that a poor cow consumed as much food as a good one, and required as much labor and care as the good cow and the annual yield of the one might be but a fraction of that of the other. This condition in Redwod county, he contended, as in all other counties, would have to be corrected before any great measure of profit could come out of farming these lands, before we would have a right to claim from $100.00 to $150.00 values for our lands, before we could show a profit of 4 per cent to 6 per cent per annum on a $200.00 per acre value.

"Mr. Gold contended we must first select better grades of cattle, we must cull out the poor cow, sell it, kill it, or in any way eliminate it from our herd, providing the cow was not producing a minimum of 350 pounds of butter-fat per year and would not bear a calf that would be worthy of its raising.

Mr. Gold's contention, immediately on becoming a half-owner in the Redwood county lands, was that on these farms we should work strongly into the dairy side, improve the grade of our cows by careful selection and elimination, and we must look for further improvement by introducing strong blood lines of the best milk and butter strains to be had. Mr. Gold insisted that in striving for the upbuilding of our dairy interests and the increase of earning power of our lands, we should take a very active part in bringing into Redwood county, and here developing one of

"On Mr. Gold's recommendation, we selected one of our choisest farms of about 600 acres, located in the central part of the county, about fifteen miles south of Redwood Falls, and about two miles from Wabasso. The farm was first put in good condition by a complete system of tiling, wire fencing, and cross fencing, proper stables, water system, needed buildings and equipment.

"Mr. Gold made his first selection of Holsteins, choosing from the very best families, the greater part of the herd being found in the different parts of New York state. With this foundation, by culling, eliminating, adding, strengthening, etc., one of the best herds in the country has been built up.

"We have received a large measure of encouragement in our efforts to upbuild our land values, thus working toward the bringing our land values up to an equal to the land values of $100 and $200 an acre in our nearby states."

The establishment of this herd, and the educational work conducted thereto, not only advertised Redwood county throughout the country, but brought an immediate improvement to Redwood county agriculture. The farmers found that the cost of keeping a poor animal as great as that of keeping a good animal, and the Holstein herd of Messrs. Gold and Sears made it possible for the farmers to obtain the best of blooded stock, at a reasonable price, and on favorable terms.

Mr. Sears and Mr. Gold disposed of a part of their lands from time to time, to renters, largely from Illinois, taking a small payment down, and the balance on easy terms, thus securing to Redwood county some very desirable farmers. This policy was followed up to the time of the death of Mr. Sears, in September, 1914, at which time the company still had about 3,000 acres of land which is still owned by the Sears heirs and William H. Gold. The Holstein cattle business was also continued to the time of Mr. Sears' death and then taken over by Gold, Wise and Gold, who developed 400 acres of land for the purpose of handling their herd three miles south of Redwood Falls, during the year of 1915. About $20,000 was spent in barns, silos, tiling, fencing, etc. The herd now consists of 100 head, of the very choicest Holstein families in charge of Fred A. Wise and Glenn W. Gold, son of William H. The aim of the owners is to furnish foundation animals so as to increase the dairying business in Redwood county with the hopes of making a Holstein center such as exists in southeastern Minnesota, namely, at Northfield, Minn. It is apparent that a good animal means better buildings, better care and an increased interest and a help in keeping the boys on the farm and there is no part of farming so conducive to increased income as dairying.