Practically all of Becker’s residents are familiar with Norm’s Farm Market stand located north of Hwy. 10 on the west side of Becker.

Norman Johnson, at 87 years old, has been running his farm stand since the mid 70s, and doesn’t intend to retire soon. Norm can often be found mowing the ditches alongside the roads near his farm, and he has a friendly word for anyone he meets.

Norm’s Early Life in Becker

Norm graduated from Becker High School in 1951, with a class size of 13 students. He and his wife, Margaret, met when they were both teenagers. He saw her ice skating with her friends, so he pulled his car onto the ice and asked if she had ever ridden in a model T, and that he would like to take her out for a drive. They dated for a while, and then Norm was drafted into the Army during WWII. After he retired from the Army, he and Margaret got married and moved into his grandfather’s house, a small grey house that is still standing, across from Becker Schools.

In 1965, Norm’s father died, so Norm and Margaret moved to the farm to take over, while Norm’s mother and sister moved into the house in town. Norm said before then that he never imagined he would end up as a farmer, but that, in the end, he was happy to be one.

Leader in the Industry

Like his father before him, Norm was a member of the Pioneer Seed Company, which specialized in developing better seeds for farmers, as well as importing new plants and varieties from around the world. Norm worked with the company for 38 years, and took two trips to Hawaii with his wife for conventions. His relationship with Pioneer ended when they decided to move into other areas, but they were sure to send him a very personal thank-you letter for all the years he worked with them, which Norm proudly keeps in a frame in his office.

Norm was also one of the first farmers in the area to use irrigation on his crops, and he helped introduce it to the community. He remembered a time before modern irrigation came along, and trying to get enough water for the plants from the slough (or swamp.)

Norm also used anhydrous ammonia on his crops as it was first being introduced. Anhydrous ammonia is a chemical that combines with the moisture in the soil and adds nitrogen. He had a  rig on his tractor that would add the chemical to the ground.

Starting the Farm Stand

Pioneer would give away seed packets of sweet corn to their farmers. Norm grew some of this corn, and told his kids that he would help them to pick it. They made signs together, and the kids ran the very first Norm’s farm stand. Back then, it was still just a dirt road, but traffic had been starting to pick up a bit. He told his kids they could sell the corn for 25 cents per dozen, and so when they came back to the house with $7.35 he was confused. Apparently, one patron was so happy with the corn, they left a 10 cent tip for the kiddos.

The farm stand didn’t open again for the rest of the summer, but the Johnson family decided to bring it back again the next year as a way to make a little extra money to buy new clothes and shoes for the kids.

The stand was expanded upon slowly over time. Eventually, Hwy. 10 expanded to get a passing lane, and there was a lot more traffic driving past Norm’s stand.

Norm’s Farm Today

Today, Norm is still farming, with help from his sons, Scott and Steve Johnson. He is still gardening, planting, tilling and mowing. In the summertime, Norm can often be spotted mowing the ditches near his farm. He has been honored by the Adopt-A-Highway organization through MNDoT with a certificate of commendation, which is framed in Norm’s office.

The farm stand is, of course, still open today. His granddaughter, Stacy, has been running the stand ever since his wife Margaret passed away. The stand is open every year from the end of June to the first of November, and it’s likely to be open every summer for a long time to come.

Hope for the Future

These are difficult times for farmers all around Minnesota and the whole nation. Norm said he and his family always got through hard times by working together. Everyone is given their set of tasks and everyone chips in to help. He said sticking together with the people you love is the best way to get through hard times.