Staff photo by Fritz Busch Mary and Tim Waibel of rural Courtland receive the New Ulm Farm-City Hub Club Service to Agriculture Award at the New Ulm Community Center Monday.

NEW ULM — It was truly a family affair for Mary and Tim Waibel of Courtland when they received the New Ulm Farm City Hub Club Service to Agriculture Award at the New Ulm Community Center Monday.

Waibel family members came from as far away as South Dakota, riding a coach charter bus to the event.

Tim and Mary followed their parents, Teddy and Helen Waibel and Robert and Alice Forst into the club in the mid 1990s. It didn’t take them long to get involved in club activities.

When the March 1998 tornado carved up parts of the area, the Waibels joined the Hub Club’s organized effort to clean up area farms heavily damaged by the storm.

“We knew a lot of people that were affected and wanted to help,” Mary said.

Tim and 1998 Hub Club president Diana Schaefer each took six months of the 1999 term. Waibel continued as 2000 president. He co-chaired the club’s biggest event of the year, the Farm Show, in 2013.

It was his first leadership position but certainly not the last. Tim joined boards of the Nicollet County Pork Producers, Farmers Cooperative of Hanska, and the Minnesota Pork Producers.

He now leads the 20,000 member Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) as board chairman. He was MCGA president last year.

In addition, Tim is chairman of the MCGA Government Relations Committee and is on the National Corn Growers Board nominating committee.

The Waibels have hosted many politicians and trade delegations, including those from China and Japan.

Mary and Tim have been interviewed by the New York Times and were featured on the front page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The family farm with sons Justin and Jonathan Rewitzer farm 2,200 acres of owned and rented land, do custom farming, and custom raise about 25,000 hogs, wean to finish, annually for Wakefield Pork.

Mary usually handles nursery pigs and did all the planting and combining until Justin started taking over. Mary now runs the grain cart and drives semi.

Mary is a past president of the Prairie Peacemakers Quilt Guild and served on the Blue Earth-Nicollet County FSA board. She played organ for many years at St. George, St. Mary’s, and New Ulm Cathedral churches.

In addition, she has a big flower garden and does a lot of canning.

One of their daughters, Clarissa, a former Miss New Ulm, does banking in Chamberlain, S.D.

“We spent a lot of time picking up rocks,” Clarissa recalled of her younger days on the farm.

“My parents always told us to be who we are,” Clarissa said. “I try to bring my kids back often. My parents really had a positive impact on my life.”

Another daughter, Anna MacHolda and her three kids live in Morgan where she works as a nurse.

“Our purpose is carrying on family farm values to our children. My parents were role models to me,” said Anna. “My mother made the farm and family work.”

Jonathon gave his words of wisdom.

“Agriculture. You love or until you retire or you don’t retire,” Jonathon said. “I love what I do. My parents are amazing, awesome people. I’m truly blessed and very thankful.”

Tim said he grew up on a farm where everybody helped.

“Don Potter (New Ulm implement dealer owner) once sold us a planter at cost after we had a farm fire,” Jonathon said.

“I couldn’t ask for a better partner,” Tim said of his wife Mary.

“We all contribute to agriculture. We’ve had a lot of headwinds, but you get three meals a day if you work for it.”

The Farm City Hub Club plans to host the Farm Show Friday and Saturday, March 11-12 at the New Ulm Civic Center.

Scholarship recipients Brooke Aschenbrenner of New Ulm High School and Cole Schwartz of New Ulm Cathedral High School were recognized.

The New Ulm FFA announced it plans to host its spring ag show at the New Ulm Middle School this spring.