Emily Ponwith

Cleveland, MN

Farm wife, mother + educator

My husband and I farm near Cleveland, Minnesota. I am a former elementary teacher who recently left the classroom as we transitioned to owners of the farm after the loss of my husband’s father. We are the oldest generation on our 6th generation farm. We grow corn, soybeans, contract finish hogs, and finish steers for direct to consumer beef. We have practiced a combination of strip tillage and no till practices since 2009. Ryan and I began raising steers in 2016 as a stepping stone into farm income, we were both working full time off the farm at the time. In 2020 we purchased our first tillable acres and began raising our own crops. 2021 brought a year of grief and transition, but we are embracing change and moving forward together.

Our farm

Corn
Soybeans
Hogs
Beef cattle

My husband Ryan and I are the oldest generation on his family's sixth generation family farm. The two of us own and operate Ponwith Farms together. Our young children embrace the opportunity to 'help' when it is safe for them to do so.

I enjoy gardening, cooking, reading, being outdoors, family time, and sharing our family’s farm journey on social media.

There are real people with families and feelings growing and raising the food, fiber, and fuel our Nation and world need to survive and thrive. While farms may not all look the same or use similar production methods, our goal is the same: To provide a safe and sustainable product. At a time in history when there is a lot of noise around consumer trends, the voices of the agriculture industry are more important now than ever. We are here to answer your questions; we may even have similar questions! Conversations matter. Connections matter. If I have helped just one person get to know and trust a farmer, then my work is making a difference.

Our family has been farming in the Cleveland area since 1862. We are rooted in tradition and legacy, but also passionate about forward thinking, progressive decisions, and sustainability. Our family has been on a conservation tillage journey since the early 90’s and we are passionate about soil health. We implement a combination of no-till and strip tillage on our row crop farm. We are very proud of our soil and are honored to be stewards of the land.