Mark and Sara Hewitt both grew up on farms, and now they are working to make sure the next generations, including their two children Harper, 6, and McCoy, 2, have the opportunity to come back to the farm if they choose.
Mark and Sara Hewitt, of Maple Wood Farms and Sweet Cheeks Honey, in Kilkenny, Le Sueur County recently were awarded the Excellence in Agriculture award, and will represent Minnesota farmers at the American Farm Bureau Federation next month. Their goal is to provide a connection from farm to table through beef and honey they raised. Pictured from left, Sara, Mark, McCoy, 2, and Harper, 6. (Photo courtesy of Rebecca Zoubek)
“We’re building opportunities if they want to come back to the farm. We want to support them in all of their endeavors, but it’s all about building something for them at the end of the day,” said Sara.
The Hewitts’ involvement in the Minnesota Farm Bureau, agriculture and leadership in their communities lead to their most recent achievement: earning the Excellence in Agriculture award at the Minnesota Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers leadership contest. The awards were given out at the 103rd MFB Annual Meeting on Nov. 20 in Bloomington.
(Photo courtesy of Sara Hewitt)
MFB Young Ranchers & Farmers Committee Chair Caitlin Keck, of Owatonna, said the award is based on recipients’ involvement in Farm Bureau, leadership and the agriculture industry, along with achievements made throughout their lifetime in the industry. Keck says the Hewitt’s willingness to share their farming story and experiences on social media was a big reason why they received the award.
Sara said the Hewitts are very active on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and have taken the stance that they are going to be transparent, and honest about the highs and lows of farming. Under the name Maple Wood Farms, the Hewitts’ market all their beef direct to consumers. In addition, they farm traditional crops like corn and soybeans. They also operate a honey business, known as Sweet Cheeks Honey, and direct market all their honey as well.
“We want to give people a view into what farming is,” said Mark of the importance of interacting with consumers. “We know only 2% of the population is farmers, while they may have an idea of what happens, they don’t see the day to day realities. We want to bring the farm to them.”
The judges score 80% on the application provided and 20% on presentation. Sara explains the application asks a variety of different questions, and applicants must have off-farm income. Both Mark and Sara work off the farm, though its in the ag industry.
The application covers into involvement in Farm Bureau, agriculture in general and the community. Sara says it also asks applicants to elaborate on three issues they want to see addressed.
The issues they focused on were social media/community involvement, opportunities in ag/careers and farm safety. Mark, who works as a service manager in ag and serves on the Kilkenny Fire Department, has come across many preventable farm accidents over the years. He says the whole process starts with understanding the dangers involved in farming, and thinking about little decisions that remove oneself from the possibility of danger. While it’s obvious some mistakes are unavoidable, Mark says most farming accidents that happen are preventable.
The Hewitts also own an apiary, Sweet Cheeks Honey, where they sell products their bees work so hard to give including bottled honey, wax and candles. (Photo courtesy of Sara Hewitt)
As for community involvement and opportunities available in ag, Sara says it’s important to continue to show up the community, as it creates a community around one’s own farm and food. In addition to the ag organizations they work with, and Mark being on the Fire Department, Sara is on her daughter’s School Board and on the board for a state leadership program.
“We’ve taken the stance of you have to be involved in your community, especially in rural areas, we need more people to show up and help to make these awesome community celebrations happen,” said Sara. “There’s opportunities in ag beyond just farming, too.”
Sara adds there are many opportunities in the ag industry outside of farming, and that is one thing that’s important for others to realize.
Building relationships
They will represent Minnesota at the American Farm Bureau Federation national competition in January in Atlanta, Georgia.
Regardless of if they take home national awards or not, Mark and Sara both feel just being able to have the experience of meeting other farmers across the country is an award in itself. They also look forward to representing the MFB and Minnesota farmers.
Since competitions were held virtually last month, Sara said they were able to watch the preliminary rounds online. They were both amazed by what other farmers are doing, especially given the fact all were young farmers — under 35 years old. Sara looks forward to meeting other farmers and learning more about what they are doing, and bouncing ideas off one another during the national competition.
“At the end of the day, I think we’re all trying to make that next future for ag, and do good things for it,” said Sara. “Farmers are humble by nature, so when you are trying to talk about what you’re doing, it’s amazing to see what they come up with as young farmers.”
(Photo courtesy of Sara Hewitt)
Mark, too, looks forward to seeing other farmers’ presentations and connecting with them to see if they can work together on certain issues. He says lessons learned from other farmers could change the whole trajectory of what projects they are working on.
The Hewitt’s have been involved in the MFB since 2013, when a new program was started to help train farmers about the best practices and how to speak to others about their farm operation. At the time, the MFB was looking for farmers willing to volunteer and learn. Soon after, Mark and Sara joined the local MFB, Le Sueur County Farm Bureau. Within that time, they’ve stepped up in various leadership positions, most recently finishing out their terms as District 2 representatives on the State Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. They also helped start their local Breakfast on the Farm in 2014.
Of MFB, Keck says it’s important to note that members don’t have to be actively farming to be a part of the organization, they just need to have a desire to support Minnesota agriculture. Membership dollars go to programming for leadership development, policy development for the ag industry, and two different kinds of memberships allow non-active farmers to be associate members. An upcoming LEAP Conference in the end of January is the next opportunity for young people to get involved with the farm bureau. Keck says participants will have the opportunity for numerous learning opportunities, tour the state capitol, participate in a mock legislative session and have a chance to go to a rodeo.
Mark and Sara Hewitt also grow traditional crops like corn and soybeans. Pictured, Mark pours a bucket of soybeans into the planter. (Photo courtesy of Sara Hewitt)
Above all, Mark encourages all farmers to tell their story tand o get involved and network with people in their local area. He points out the Farm Bureau is an easy place to start, and also recommends getting involved in the same way with their local communities.
“Just find somewhere to make a difference, it might be scary at first, but it ends up being a lot of fun,” said Mark.
As for consumers, Sara encourages those looking to support local, young farmers to connect with a farmer, purchase local, ask questions, share their business with a friend or like their pages on social media.
“If you have questions, reaching out and asking a farmer is so important,” said Sara. “We are open to sharing your story, and sharing what we are doing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”