Christian Towalski | The Central Minnesota Catholic
Barney Riestenberg had always dreamed of owning his own farm but wasn’t in the financial position to do so. He took a job working in the mines in Butte, Montana,and slowly saved the money he’d need to finally purchase his own land. Along the way, he met Rosa, whom he married, and the two established a farm near Perham together in 1884.
After Barney passed away, the farm moved to his son John Riestenberg and then to Art Riestenberg. As Art got older, he struggled to keep up with the demands of the farm, so in 1990, Barney’s great-grandson Mark Riestenberg and his wife, Annette, made the decision to move to Perham and take over the family business.
“The first thing we needed to do was to fix up the old house so we could live in it,” Mark recalled. “I started raising pigs and helping Art on the farm. Annette started working at the Perham nursing home. In 1990, we officially bought the farm where we raised hogs, corn and edible beans.”
Today, Mark and Annette have five children, all of whom were raised on the farm. His oldest son, Joseph and his wife, Anthea, recently returned to the farm to take over pork production.
Mark said throughout the farm’s 100-plus year history, his family’s Catholic faith has played a major role in the way the farm was run.
“My faith is everything to me. My faith gives me hope when things are not going as planned. My faith gives me someone to turn to in times of trouble. I would always pray for the ability to make the best decision for my farm. God has helped to guide me when making those difficult decisions,” Mark said.
“Mark is a very faithful man,” said Deacon Randy Altstadt, who serves the Northern Cross Area Catholic Community, which includes the parishes in Perham, Butler, Dent and Rush Lake. “He sings at church, he’s a sacristan and lector and leads the rosary before Mass Sunday mornings.”
“As I get older, I realize that we only have control of this land for about 30-40 years and then it goes to the next generation. I feel that the land is not really ours but something that we just get to use for a few years. I truly believe that God has successfully guided our family through the many challenges we face on the farm and raising a family.”
The family will be honored this year with a Catholic Century Farm Award. The award, given annually, recognizes Catholic-run farms that have been in operation for 100 years or more.
Mark says receiving the award is a great honor.
“I take pleasure in the small successes, like a litter of pigs that were just born or a beautiful green field of corn that is so thick that you can’t see the rows,” Mark said.
“As I near the end of my farming career, I take a very satisfying deep breath and say to myself, ‘We made it.’ This award is the cherry on top,” he said. “It ties all of that together and reminds us how deeply ingrained our faith is in our lives on the farm,” he added