Family Farm’s Harvest Funds College Dreams, Nourishes Minnesota Students
MURRAY COUNTY, MN – A southwestern Minnesota family’s dedication to vegetable farming has blossomed into a remarkable success story: fully funded college educations for their two eldest children and fresh produce for thousands of students across ten school districts. For 18 years, Kimberly and Kerry Ruppert, along with their three children, have transformed a 1.5-acre garden on their fourth-generation farm – originally homesteaded in 1897 – into a thriving educational savings engine.
What began as a small venture yielding just $100 in its first year has grown exponentially. The Rupperts expanded their operation to include local farmers markets and, crucially, participation in the Farm to School movement.By directly selling their cucumbers, beets, carrots, onions, watermelon, peppers, and other produce to schools, thay’ve consistently invested earnings into 529 college savings plans for each child.
“The work that is involved is staggering,” Kimberly Ruppert acknowledged, highlighting the intense labor required. The family forgoes summer vacations and local events, dedicating their springs, summers, and autumns entirely to the farm. They maintain detailed records of their operation,from planting and weeding to the demanding harvest. Deliveries often present a physical challenge,including navigating stairs in a century-old building while transporting watermelons.
The effort has paid off. Siblings Zachery and Katelyn Ruppert have each saved over $50,000 for college through the farm’s earnings. More significantly, the Ruppert’s garden now provides fresh, locally-sourced produce to thousands of school children in ten districts throughout southwest Minnesota every school day during the fall. The Rupperts handle all aspects of the operation themselves – growing, harvesting, and delivering the produce directly to schools.
