David Bergeson

Farmer, Lac Qui Parle County

Along the Lac qui Parle River near it’s confluence with the Minnesota River, David Beregson grew up playing in the water, on the rocks and within floodplain.  Twenty-four years ago David got his own start in farming after falling in love with it as a young child following his father around.  “I grew up with this,” says David.  “I had it in my heart and mind since I was 6 years old.  I rode on the tractor all the time with my father and I learned the ropes with him.  It is just for me so relaxing, so fulfilling to just go out and watch the sunrise go over the hood as I am doing my job.”

After growing up on a family farm and getting help from his parents, David went out on his own in 1987 by renting around 100 acres.  Currently he is farming 720 acres of corn and soybeans.  This is compared to an average of about 900 to 1000 acres of the neighboring farms.  “I would say it is a manageable amount for a guy out there just doing it on his own,” points out David.  “We don’t generally hire extra help.  My father does help quite bit with tillage or hauling loads which is very nice to have.  He is a retired farmer in his 70s.”  The Beregson family roots in Lac qui Parle County goes back to the 1920s.

David Beregson has a lot of special memories of his family’s home along the Lac qui Parle River, the same place he grew up on.  “I was raised over here as a child,” states Beregson.  “We wandered these river bottoms forever.  We kind of grew up on the river.  There is about 100 acres on this farm of river ground and trees.  We kind of laugh and joke about how it is the 100 acre woods from the Winnie Poole series.  This was my playground as a child.  I loved being outside and being part of nature just running on the rocks and on the crossing or go swimming in the river or even just snagging a northern every now and then for fun.”

“Where we live right along the Minnesota and Lac qui Parle where our house is I can go out and see that sunrise come over the hood or as I am going up and down the field with the combine or chisel plow or whatever it might be I can watch eagles fly overhead or I can watch deer grazing along the edge of the river.  It is just wonderful and I think that is what people should focus on.  They can’t lose track of the finances of it because that’s part of the deal.  If you can focus on enjoying what you do just loving being there that is going to make it worthwhile.”

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David Bergeson