Kurt enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard as a Combat Engineer right after high school. In 2013, he deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan with the 849th Mobility Augmentation Company. Their job was route clearance, making sure roads were safe for other units. He worked as a nopen‑turret gunner and mine‑roller driver, doing the day‑to‑day work the mission required. He earned the Combat Action Badge during that deployment. Kurt came home in 2014 and finished his service with an honorable discharge in 2017.
Kurt is still in the early stages of his involvement with the Farmer Veteran Coalition, but even at this point, FVC has had a meaningful influence on how he's shaping his path in agriculture. The resources, stories, and veteran community have helped him see what’s possible as he continues building his family farm and growing his role in it.
"What’s been most helpful so far is simply knowing there’s a network of veterans who’ve taken similar steps into agriculture. Seeing their experiences has given me direction and confidence as I work through my own early decisions — balancing a young family, a full‑time career, and the long‑term goals for our organic operation. I’m just beginning to tap into what FVC offers, but the sense of community and shared purpose has already made an impact. As I keep developing my skills and expanding our farm, I’m looking forward to becoming more involved and learning from others who’ve walked this path."
Century Oaks Organic Farm is a certified organic livestock and crop operation based in central Minnesota. Their family has cared for this land for more than 100 years, and today they focus on raising grass‑fed beef (grain finish also available) and producing organic corn and hay that support both their herd and local markets. They operate on a practical, regenerative mindset: building soil health, managing cattle with low‑stress handling, and keeping equipment and systems simple enough to stay reliable. As a beginning farmer Kurt is steadily expanding the grazing program, improving forage quality, and strengthening the long‑term plan for the farm.
Alongside production, he is developing a small but growing education and consulting side of the business. He shares what he has learned with beginning and veteran farmers especially those navigating land transition, organic certification, and the realities of balancing farm life with full‑time work and family.
"Our goal is straightforward: raise good cattle, take care of the land, and build a resilient operation that can be handed down to the next generation."
"I grew up on this very farm, so coming back to agriculture after the military wasn’t a big moment or a sudden decision — it just felt familiar. After deployment, I wanted steady work and a place that made sense to me. Being back on the land I was raised on gave me that. Working with cattle, fixing what needs fixing, and taking care of the fields felt like a natural way to settle back into life at home. I didn’t return because I had everything figured out. I came back because this is where I learned how to work, how to be responsible, and how to show up everyday — lessons that matched what I carried home from the Guard. I’m still growing, still learning, and still building the farm into what it needs to be for the next generation. But being on the same ground I grew up on makes the work feel honest and worthwhile."
For Kurt, farming keeps that sense of service alive for him because it’s real work that matters day in and day out. To him, it's not about grand statements. It’s about showing up, taking care of the land he grew up on, and doing the work that keeps a farm moving forward. The responsibility that goes with it feels familiar to him after the military — steady, practical, and rooted in doing what needs to be done.
"Being an American farmer, to me, means carrying on something that started long before I was here. It means raising good cattle, keeping the soil healthy, and maintaining a place that’s been in my family for generations. It’s not about attention or recognition. It’s about doing honest work, and doing things right, and leaving the farm in better shape for the next generation. I’m still learning and still growing, but the work feels honest, and it feels like home."
