U of M recognizes Gees as 2020 Lyon County Farm Family of Year

The Gee family of Cottonwood has been named Lyon County’s 2020 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota.
The Gee Family Farm is a Century Farm. It was established in 1902 by Robert’s great-grandfather. Robert’s grandfather and father worked the farm as well.
The family grows corn, soybeans, alfalfa/brome and wheat. The Gees also operate a farrow-to-finish hog operation and run a herd of 110 registered angus cows that calve in the spring.
Growing up on the farm, Robert worked alongside his father, Harold, and continued to do so until Harold’s passing. Robert currently works with his son, Jason. Jason and his wife, Tara, are the fifth generation of the Gee family to work the land. Robert’s wife, Paula, manages the farm’s bookkeeping. She gets and delivers machinery and equipment parts to the farm.
Robert and Paula raised four children: Bette, Coreen, Roxanne and Jason. All the children helped on the farm growing up. Now all four are married and are still involved in some type of agriculture. They also help on the farm when needed, as do the Gees’ six grandchildren.
Robert is a supervisor on the Stanley Township Board. He is a member of the St. Clotilde Church Cemetery Board and a past parish trustee. He is a member of the Lyon County Farm Bureau, Lyon County Cattlemen’s Association and the Minnesota Angus Association. Robert and Paula will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in September.
Though COVID-19 has forced cancellation of the annual Minnesota Farmfest, where the awards are presented each August, this year’s honorees will be celebrated in an online video tribute. The recognition, led by University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel, will be available at 1 p.m. on Aug. 6 at mnfarmfamilies.cfans.umn.edu.
Honored families are chosen, one per county, by local University of Minnesota Extension committees based on their demonstrated commitment to their communities and to enhancing and supporting agriculture.