Engeseth-Rinde Family History
Origins of the Engesth-Rinde Farm
The Engeseth family, of Norwegian descent, built their homestead on the 160 acre farm in the 1800s. Helena Rinde married Andrew Engeseth in the mid 1800s, and the farm was a gift to the newlyweds from Andrew's father. Andrew and Helena raised seven children on the farm; their eldest sons Ingebret and Russel helped manage the property and eventually took over the farm.
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Don Nelson Acquires the Farm
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In 1982, when no one in the family was in a position to take over the farm, Don Nelson and his brother bid on the land to keep it in the family. Although Don and his siblings grew up in Minneapolis, they visited the Engeseth-Rinde farm several times a year and grew connected to the land. Don rented out the agricultural land to neighboring farmers, and also began planting trees on the property as a hobby.
Conservation
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In 2015, Don placed the Engeseth-Rinde farm in a permanent conservation easement through the Minnesota Land Trust. The land was then sold to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the proceeds were donated to Northfield Shares, a community foundation centered on philanthropy. The money as been used to create an endowment to support education, research and restoration activities at the Engeseth-Rinde and Koester Prairie Sites.
At present, most of the Engeseth-Rinde site is being rented by local farmers, and the land will be restored to native habitat over a period of around ten years. Work is being done to open up the land for public use, and the land will gradually return to prairie, wetland and oak savanna.
to hear audio recordings of Don Nelson's connection to the land, how he acquired the land and his hopes for restoration