Hastings — Heatherow Farm, one of Minnesota’s oldest family farms, was homesteaded in 1848 near Hastings.
Thomas and Jane Hetherington traveled from Cornwall, Canada, near New Brunswick, a year before Minnesota became a territory. They homesteaded 120 acres, not realizing that over 160 years later one of their fourth-generation descendants would own that land.
David Rowe, the current owner, inherited the land in 2003 after the deaths of his parents Bob and Mary Rowe, who owned the farm from 1947-2003.
Mary named the farm Heatherow, a combination of Hetherington and Rowe, shortly after assuming ownership. She was the niece of the second owners, Eli “Bunt” and Nellie Hetherington, who owned the farm from 1913-47. Eli was the youngest of eight siblings.
The land was ready to farm when Thomas and Jane arrived. Trees on the wooded acres had been destroyed when Indian fires in the area got out of control and burned a large portion of land. The Hetheringtons also owned 40 acres across the border in Wisconsin where they harvested wood for heat and cooking.
According to Jody Berg, David Rowe’s daughter, the Hetheringtons grew wheat, hay and oats. Today the farm produces soybeans and field corn. Indian corn, popcorn, barley, rye and flax have also been grown over the years. Livestock included cattle, hogs and chickens.
“Uncle Bunt had Red Polled cattle and Grandpa Bob had Polled Hereford,” Berg recalled.
“Grandpa Bob always had a bull named ‘Ferdinand.’ The ‘Ferds’ were always tamed enough to walk up to and hand-feed corn cobs and husks. Horses were used to work the land up until Uncle Bunt died in 1947. After that, horses were for pleasure. One named Lady was struck by lightning and killed in the upper pasture in the ’50s.”
The farm survived droughts in the ’30s, grasshopper invasions and potato bugs. As a young boy, David walked through the potato plants, plucked the bugs from the plants and put them in a mason jar of kerosene.
Vegetable gardens have provided produce for canning since the first garden in 1848. The Washington County Fair has been a summer highlight.
“I have a display box that Grandpa Bob put together for the Washington County Fair. Grandma Mary showed everything from homemade wine to needle work,” Berg said.
When asked if future generations will continue on the farm, Berg said, “the land will stay in the family forever. Each generation teaches the next generation to respect, appreciate and enjoy the land. We currently share crop with other farmers in the neighborhood and will continue to do so.”
