Not PD - American Field Seed Co. 1937 Catalog: Advertisement

Not PD - American Field Seed Co. 1937 Catalog: Advertisement

Minnesota's Own

In 1857 German immigrant Wendelin Grimm and his family settled near Victoria, Minnesota. In 1858 Grimm planted alfalfa seed he brought from Germany, but Minnesota’s severe winters were more than it could withstand. Grimm collected seed from what little alfalfa survived the winter and planted it the following year. Again, little of it survived. Not to be deterred, he collected seed from each surviving crop for 15 years. Mr. Grimm’s patience and perseverance resulted in a hardy variety that made it possible for local farmers to raise nutritious alfalfa for their livestock. This led to the rise of Minnesota and Wisconsin as important dairy states. Much of the 25 million acres of alfalfa cultivated today has ‘Grimm’ alfalfa in its parentage.

The Grimm Farm Historic Site is part of Carver Park Reserve and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Alfalfa was an important forage crop, not an impulsive purchase by farmers. Seed companies did not use beautiful images of alfalfa plants to entice farmers, but instead swayed the customer with text about hardiness, yield, and adaptability to their area.

American Field Seed Co.

1937

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