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Aksarben announces Farm Family Award recipients for 2021.

Since the 1950s, the Aksarben Foundation has been celebrating Nebraskan farm families with its tradition of awarding Pioneer and Heritage Farm Family Awards. To date, nearly 10,000 families have been recognized at their county fair with this distinction. Aksarben partners with Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers on these awards each year, honoring families for 100 or 150 years of consecutive family farm ownership in Nebraska.
“These families exemplify the dedication and strong Nebraska values that set our state apart. Aksarben has celebrated agriculture for over one-hundred years, and these families are what the Spirit of Aksarben is all about,” said Sandra Reding, Aksarben Foundation President.
Mark McHargue, Nebraska Farm Bureau president adds, “Nebraska Farm Bureau is proud to be part of this long-standing program. Farm and ranch families deserve to be recognized with this coveted and prestigious award which includes nearly 10,000 families in its alliance. These awards recognize the commitment to preserve and build Nebraska agriculture for future generations.”
To commemorate this milestone, each of these families will receive an engraved plaque and gatepost marker at their respective county fair this summer.
Heritage Farm Families = 150 years of ownership | Pioneer Farm Families = 100 years of ownership
- Adams County
Pioneer Award: Randy Kennedy – William Berg Farm, established 1920 - Banner County
Pioneer Award: Dan and Linda Barrett – Anderson Barrett Farm, established 1921 - Boone County
Pioneer Award: Orshek Family Farm, established 1911
Heritage Award: Keith and Mary Ann Maricle – Maricle Family Farm, established 1871 - Boyd County
Pioneer Award: Nola Hagberg – Hagberg Family Farm, established 1917 - Buffalo County
- Pioneer Award: Randy Bauer – Bauer Family Farm, established 1901
Heritage Award: Steven and Jennah Henninger – Henninger Family Farm, established 1871 - Burt County
Pioneer Award: Nancy Alleman – McBride Family Farm, established 1912
Pioneer Award: Doyle and Cheryl Huffman – Huffman/Pond Family Farm, established 1920
Heritage Award: Jason and Kylie Penke – Sklenar Family Farm, established 1871 - Butler County
Heritage Award: Grace Duren Trust – Haney Family Farm, established 1871 - Cass County
Pioneer Award: Dale and Nancy Nutzman – Nutzman Family Farm, established 1921 - Pioneer Award: Sue Schlichtemeier-Nutzman – Schlichtemeier Family Farm, established 1894
Pioneer Award: Jim Group – Heil-Group Family Farm, established 1882 - Cedar County
Pioneer Award: Warren and Corlynn Wilbeck – Pearson/Wilbeck Family Farm, established 1919
Pioneer Award: Lyle and Rhonda Lammers – Lammers Family Farm, established 1917
Pioneer Award: Jerry and Glenda Johnson – Johnson Family Farm, established 1869
Pioneer Award: North Star Farms, Inc. – Brodersen Family Farm, established 1914
Heritage Award: Brad and Wendi Klug – Klug Family Farm, established 1869 - Colfax County
Heritage Award: Sandra Novotny – Novotny Family Farm, established 1871
Heritage Award: Robert and Debra Klitz – Klitz Farms, established 1871 - Cuming County
Heritage Award: Terry and Kristy Jahnke – Jahnke Family Farm, established 1868
Heritage Award: Gary and Linda Kuester – Kuester Family Farm, established 1866 - Dawson County
Pioneer Award: Laurens and Alice McCain – Tederman Family Farm, established 1919 - Dakota County
Pioneer Award: James and Judy Twohig – Twohig Family Farm, established 1904 - Dixon County
Heritage Award: Thomas Edward and Nancy Walsh – Scollard Family Farm, established 1860 - Dodge County
- Pioneer Award: Jeff and Audra Uher – Uher Family Farm, established 1914
- Heritage Award: James and Cheryl Pribnow – Pribnow Family Farm, established 1870
- Heritage Award: Gary, Kyle and Ross Kroenke – Kroenke Family Farm, established 1871
- Fillmore County
- Pioneer Award: Julie Cowan Novak – Novak Family Farm, established 1921
- Pioneer Award: Marla and Robert Galusha – Lauenstein Family Farm, established 1921
- Pioneer Award: Randy Kennel and Joni Nuss – Kennel Family Farm, established 1920
- Franklin County
- Pioneer Award: Jerry and Lori Fouts – Dunn Family Farm, established 1896
- Pioneer Award: Jack Johnson – Johnson Family Farm, established 1917
- Pioneer Award: John and Sandra Schegg – Schegg Family Farm, established 1911
- Gage County
- Pioneer Award: Franzen Family Hone LLC – Franzen Family Farm, established 1920
- Pioneer Award: Fred and Marilyn Root – Root Family Farm, established 1921
- Pioneer Award: Cindy Wiese – Schroeder Family Farm, established 1921
- Heritage Award: Dennis, Gail, and Douglas Russell – Russell Family Farm, established 1869
- Gosper County
- Pioneer Award: EG Gosper, LLC – Geiger Family Farm, established 1919
- Hall County
- Pioneer Award: Gerald and Pat Poehler and Lucille Woodring – Poehler Family Farm, established 1893
- Pioneer Award: Robert and Jane Allan – Allan Family Farm, established 1919
- Harlan County
- Pioneer Award: David and Marilyn Snodgrass – Snodgrass Family Farm, established 1909
- Hayes County
- Pioneer Award: Colleen Palic Sellers – Palic Family Farm, established 1905
- Howard County
- Heritage Award: Arterburn Farms LLC – N.J. Paul Homestead, established 1871
- Jefferson County
- Pioneer Award: Harold and Arlene Ebke – Ebke Family Farm, established 1919
- Pioneer Award: Robert and Naomi Schroeder – Schroeder Family Farm, established 1918
- Pioneer Award: Burkhard-Florell Family Farm, established 1920
- Pioneer Award: Tracy and Elise Jane Graves – Graves Family Farm, established 1881
- Kearney County
- Pioneer Award: Eugene and Marjorie Olson – Olson Family Farm, established 1920
- Keith County
- Pioneer Award: Spurgin, Inc. – Spurgin, Inc., established 1915
- Pioneer Award: Janice Spurgin – Spurgin Family Farm, established 1920
- Knox County
- Pioneer Award: Terry and Larry Thunker – Thunker Familiy Farm, established 1889
- Lancaster County
- Heritage Award: Michael and Chere Kane – Kane Family Farm, established 1871
- Heritage Award: Nancy Mocroft and David Paulson – Mocroft Family Farm, established 1870
- Lincoln County
- Pioneer Award: Colleen Palic Sellers – Hruza, Buzzell, Palic Family Farm, established 1905
- Madison County
- Pioneer Award: Dorothy Maurer Trust – Maurer Family Farm, established 1920
- Morrill County
- Pioneer Award: Chris and Heather Amateis – Amateis Family Farm, established 1921
- Nance County
- Pioneer Award: Kelly Lesiak – Lesiak Family Farm, established 1918
- Nemaha County
- Pioneer Award: Myrna Esluer – Grube/Oestmann Farm, established 1893
- Otoe County
- Heritage Award: Lavern and Barbara Wolf – Wolf Family Farm, established 1869
- Heritage Award: Mary Lou James – Anthony James Farm, established 1838
- Pawnee County
- Pioneer Award: John Belcha – Belcha Family Farm, established 1888
- Pioneer Award: Richard and Mary Ann Blecha – Blecha Family Farm, established 1897
- Phelps County
- Pioneer Award: Kermit and Ruby Wilke – Federick Wilke Farm, established 1878
- Pierce County
- Pioneer Award: Paul Polt – Joe Polt Family Farm, established 1917
- Heritage Award: Robert and Sandy Hoffmann – Hoffmann Family Farm, established 1871
- Platte County
- Pioneer Award: Nancy Scheffler – Walter Family Farm, established 1910
- Richardson County
- Pioneer Award: David and Diane Curtin – Fritsch Family Farm, established 1919
- Saline County
- Pioneer Award: Rose Zoubek, Life Estate – Smith, Sasek, Zoubek Family Farm, established 1913
- Saunders County
- Pioneer Award: Joseph Havlovic – Havlovic Family Farm, established 1897
- Heritage Award: Patricia Voss – A.M. Smith Farm, established 1871
- Heritage Award: Jerry and Barb Soukup – Soukup Farms, established 1871
- Seward County
- Pioneer Award: JoAnn and Thomas Sieck – Klintworth Family Farm, established 1921
- Sheridan County
- Pioneer Award: Martha Woodhouse – Woodhouse Family Farm, established 1921
- Pioneer Award: Jean and Kristy Winter – Winter Family Farm, established 1904
- Sioux County
- Pioneer Award: Leslie Anderson – Roos Family Farm, established 1907
- Stanton County
- Pioneer Award: Roy and Laurie Pinnt/Dave and Lori Pinnt – Pinnt Family Farm, established 1918
- Valley County
- Pioneer Award: Susan Zikmund Bute – Zikmund Family Farm, established 1920
- Pioneer Award: Sonja Franzen – Franzen Family Farm, established 1909
- Wayne County
- Pioneer Award: LeRoy and Eileen Damme – Suehl/Damme Family Farm, established 1921
- Webster County
- Heritage Award: Diane Strobl, Sarah, Marion, and Mark Arneson – Arneson Farms, established 1871