Photos: Chris Emeott
Fertile land in Delano is operated by a seventh generation of dedicated farmers.
Legacies are established through a myriad of ways, and for one local family, it’s been manifested through one man’s dream and acres of fertile soil. While the story continues in Delano, it commenced across The Pond.
In 1854, Joseph Matter (1828–1901) immigrated from France, settling in Buffalo, New York, and, later, Kenosha, Wisconsin. In 1856, Joseph moved to Franklin Township, Minnesota, building a homestead 1 mile from what is now downtown Delano. After clearing the land, he began farming, which typical of farms during that time, likely included livestock; corn, oats and wheat; and vegetables for daily consumption and canning.
Whether or not the Matter family farm will reach the hands of Ben, 13, and Alex, 11, Matter once they’re adults is undetermined. In the meantime, the youngsters are planting and growing their entrepreneurship skills. To launch Ben’s Hens, Ben helped build a chicken coop and now cares for his chickens and sells eggs through his emerging business. For his part, Alex is exploring making and selling beef tallow.
Seven generations and 170 years later, the Matter family continues its land legacy with Paul and Aumori Matter and their sons, Ben, 13, and Alex, 11; Paul’s father and brother, Dan Matter and Jeff Holovnia; and Aumori’s brother, Jeremiah Johnson, working in various capacities for Matter’s Farm to Table.
Additional acreage was acquired over the years, and the farm includes 500 acres, some of which is rented from other landowners. Today, yields come mostly from cattle and maple trees for beef, dairy and syrup production. “We’re honored to share the legacy of so many hard working men and women of prior generations,” Aumori says.
Standing on that legacy can come with a sense of responsibility, so is it important to the Matter family that farming the land moves into the eighth generation and beyond? “In our area, surrounded on two sides by housing developments, it seems highly improbable that this farm could reach an eighth generation of farming, but if it happens, that’s great,” Aumori says.
While the farm’s future tips between its history and future development, the Matters continue to instill respect for the land and farming to their children. “The kids learn to respect the land and animals from working with them daily,” Aumori says. “We love and care for the animals. The animals provide us with some of the best quality meat, milk [and] eggs. Knowing exactly how your food was raised and knowing all the crops you plant and harvest will feed those animals is a very special connection most people don’t see or understand.”
Farm to Table
With grilling season right around the corner, it might be time to fill up the freezer with hamburger and cuts of beef. Matter’s Farm to Table in Delano is home to 150 heads of cattle, 60 of which are for milking. (Stay tuned for news about a possible onsite creamery!)
The humanely raised cattle are corn, grass and hay fed rather than offered beef pellets or feed supplements. The cows are also antibiotic and hormone free.
Beef is available through purchases of a quarter (120–150 lbs.) and a half cow (240–300 lbs.) with custom processing available, and ground beef is sold in 1, 10, 25 and 50 lbs. increments. Orders tend to sell out, so
it’s advisable to call ahead. (Sometimes, product is sold out as much as four months in advance.)
On Tap
March is a lot of things—with its ides, Madness and tip to the Irish—but for Matter’s Farm to Table, the month typically offers prime time for an annual tradition: maple syrup tapping.
This locally sourced maple syrup is ideal for more than dressing breakfast menu items. It can be the perfect accompaniment to a host of baked and cooked recipes.
As Aumori Matter explains, the weather plays a heavy hand. “It needs to be below freezing during the night and above freezing during the day,” she says. “Once the tree buds open, maple syrup season is over.” The cycle can run for as little as two weeks or as long as eight weeks. Regardless of the season’s length, Matter’s Farm to Table has 1,200 maple tree taps that can yield 22,000 gallons of sap, translating into 600 gallons of syrup.
“Our maple sap is all boiled down to maple syrup,” Aumori says. In addition to eight types of maple syrup, it is also used to create candy, including cotton candy, cream, mustards (two varieties), sugar-coated nuts, sugar (four types) and more. (Reminder: Around the holidays, gift sets are offered.)
While maple syrup gets its most attention atop a stack of pancakes or nestled into waffle pockets, one might consider it for its antioxidant-rich, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and subsequent health benefits. Maple syrup can be used as a sweetener in baked goods, baked/roasted vegetables, coffee/tea, meats, oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt and more. (Explore any health-related topics with your health care provider.)
This small glimpse at the intricate tapping system constructed at Matter’s Farm is only a sample of the system that taps trees as old as 200 years. “That means those trees sprouted in the early 1800s,” Paul Matter says.
To reach the syrup stage, the family employs conservative tree tapping, meaning tree care is a principal factor in the process. The minimum tree size for tapping is 16 inches in diameter (about 50 years old). Some of the largest trees on the farm are 3 feet in diameter (about 200 years old). “That means those trees sprouted in the early 1800s,” Paul Matter says.
But perhaps the essential element to Matter’s Farm’s maple syrup process is family power. When Ben was 7 years old, the family was tasked with hand labelling hundreds of bottles of maple syrup. “Family power will get it done quicker,” young Ben asserted. And so was launched a family maxim: “When doing something that’s hard, it’s always easier with family,” Aumori says.
The Earliest Days
As communities grow and change, ensuring remembrances of the past can be important to maintaining a town’s heritage. Aumori Matter provides some background about Joseph Matter, one of the earliest settlers in the Delano Area.
Matter was born September 20, 1828, in Reschnug, Alsace, France. He came to America in 1854, settling in Buffalo, New York. After a time, he moved west, stopping for a few months in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In 1856, Matter moved to Minnesota and took up a farmstead in Franklin Township where he resided until his death on September 21, 1901.
Matter married Sophia Buche, who was born June 6, 1839, in Unterendingen, Switzerland. The Matters had 13 children, three of whom died in infancy with the other children living in the Delano area until their deaths. In 1864, when their 2-year-old son died, Matter buried him on his farm on what is now the old St. Peter Cemetery. In 1865, the first St. Peter Church was built near the burial site. The land was donated by the Matters, and the church was built by Matter and his brothers Lewis, Philip, John and Anthony, and other locals.
Matter would eventually serve for nine months in the Civil War. Returning to the area, he was later known as one of the most progressive farmers in the community and, by hard work and careful management, Matter accumulated a fair amount of wealth. After his death, Sophia moved to the village of Delano where she resided until her death.
Matter’s Farm to Table
Instagram: @mattersfarmtotable
