By Jolene Farley
Spencer and Pam Sells, Beaver Creek, have been selected as the 2001 Rock County Farm Family of the Year by the Rock County extension committee.
This annual award honors families for their contributions to agriculture and their community.
Members of the Rock County extension committee, which is comprised of six elected officials, two commissioners and an administrator, and winners of the award for the past three years submitted the names of 12 Rock County families they felt deserved the award this year. The extension committee then voted on the nominees.
The Sells were soon notified they were the recipients of the award. "It's a nice honor," Pam said. "It's nice to be selected."
Spencer added, "You write down all you are involved in, and it's surprising. Sometimes you don't see it all."
The program goals include: demonstrating appreciation of agricultural families living in Minnesota; fostering appreciation for local extension education programs and the land grant mission of teaching, research, and outreach; communicating the importance and role of agriculture to the citizens of Minnesota; and supporting the exchange, learning and challenge of information, ideas, resources and assumptions related to agriculture.
The selection of the Sells as Rock County Farm Family of the Year seems to fall in line with these goals. "They are top class. They richly deserve it," said extension educator Fraser Norton. "They were runners up last year. I was really pleased to see they got it this year."
Spencer, Pam and their two children, Lindsy and Lee, currently live on the farm north of Beaver Creek where Spencer grew up. They operate a corn and soybean farm and produce alfalfa. They feed out cattle and finish 6,000 hogs per year.
When asked about the future of farming, Spencer said, "It is pretty uncertain right now. The strong dollar doesn't help exports. With several years of excellent crop yields, a new president, and Starlink I am not sure how it will shake out."
"Most farms have tried to specialize and raise a few more of something. Right or wrong that is just the way it is," Spencer said.
Spencer and Pam are both directors of the Rock County Pork Producers Association, members of the Luverne Music Boosters and are active in church activities.
Spencer is a director of the Rock County Corn and Soybean Growers Association and a member of the Rock County Fair Board. He also serves on the Luverne Public School agriculture committee.
Pam is a family and consumer science teacher in Adrian, and serves as the secretary of the Rock County extension committee. The whole family is active in 4-H.
The Sells also participated in Communicating For Agriculture, a program that matches farmers from other countries with United States farmers. The farmers stay in the United States for six to nine months learning more about our farming operations.
The Sells and other honorees will be recognized at a banquet on March 1 at the University of Minnesota.