‘Still excited’ to farm

During the 2023 Waseca County Farm and City Luncheon Thursday, March 16, local Charlie Priebe was recognized for his role in Waseca County agriculture earning the “Senior Active Farmer Award.”

“My life started with farming,” Priebe smiles. “I rented my first piece of land the spring of my senior year, and I went on from there.”

The son of Harold and Agnes Priebe, Charlie grew up on a family farm outside New Richland and went to NRH High School, class of 1962.

“I knew that's what I wanted to do as a kid,” Priebe says with confidence. “There was no question about what I wanted to do when I went off to college. And I knew I was coming back.

“I had a lot of mentors along the way,” Priebe recalls. “Mom and Dad, they were important to me. My teachers, all of them. I’m a country school kid after all… Mr. Broecker, the Ag teacher was probably my favorite.”

After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Soil Science from the University of Minnesota-St. Paul, Priebe and his wife, Bonnie, began farming on their own property outside of Waseca.

Starting with just a few hundred acres and dairy cows, the Priebe family eventually moved on to a hog operation. At their peak, they were managing 1,500 acres of land and over 3,000 hogs.

Priebe became an expert in his field, traveling to Mexico to share his best practices and assist with research to help other farmers.

“Agriculture, it's been such a ride,” he observes. “Growing up, the neighbor across the road from us was still farming with horses and a little tractor. To go from that to self driving tractors, yield monitors and monitoring systems. Farming used to be by the acre, now it’s by the square foot.”

In addition to his work in agriculture, Priebe has also sold crop insurance and Pioneer seed corn. He is well known for providing young farmers with more than just seed, helping them weigh their corn, organize their records, and set up tractor field mapping devices. He truly cares about their success and is willing to go the extra mile to help them achieve it.

Priebe is known throughout the community as a true advocate for farmers and the agriculture community as a whole. He is always willing to volunteer for local groups, including the University of Minnesota Water Experiment Station, SROC Advisory Board, and the Waseca Soil Conservation District Board. Charlie has also been a voice for farmers on the Waseca School Board.

Outside of his work, Priebe is active in his church, serving in numerous positions, and is a marriage mentor with his wife of 17 years, Monica. He is also an avid singer and has been a member of several local groups, including the Waseca Barbershoppers, Just Friends, and the Waseca Chorale.

What’s the secret to being a successful farmer?

“You have to keep two people happy,” he jokes. “One is your wife and the other, your banker.”

Today, Priebe hires out most of the family farm work, but said he still helps pick rock.

“I'm still excited about agriculture,” he admits.