BY KAREN HANSEN
On August 14, 2025, the Karstens Farm LLC received a Century Farm award at the Iowa State Fair. Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, and Brent Johnson, President of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation presented the award.
Fourteen descendants of the original owners and six of their spouses were present and in the photo.
Ludwig Johann and Alvina Christina Karstens purchased the original 40 Acres located at the present address of 26776 Highway 59 on August 30, 1924. Ludwig, who went by Louie or L. J., was born in Meldorf, Germany and Alvina, or Vena, Burmeister was born at Manning, Iowa. They married on March 2, 1910 at the Burmeister home south of Hancock. Their early married years were spent on a farm west of Corley, Iowa. After they moved to a home in Avoca, Iowa, two sons, Vernon and Leonard, were born. It was then decided that they needed to resume farming to support a family and the farm 5 miles south of Avoca was purchased. Two daughters, June and Ruth, were born in the farmhouse. Louie added more acres, also in Section 9 of Valley Township, Pottawattamie County in 1934 and 1944.
Son Vernon served in WWII as a Navigator Radar officer on a B-29 Bomber, based in Saipan, becoming a First Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. After his discharge, when he returned home in October, 1945, his father said, “Vernon, you are going to take over the farm.” While stationed in California, he had met Jeraldine Glissmann, a young lady who had grown up south of Walnut. They were married on December 12, 1945.
Vernon was able to buy the first tractor available in the area due to his military service. Men would stop and offer to buy the M Farmall tractor from him. Vernon and Jerry became the parents of Karen and twins Ronald and Donald. They raised corn, soybeans, hay, some milo and pasture. They had a farrow to finish hog operation, a herd of registered Hereford cattle and also had chickens and sold eggs at one time. Vernon also was a seed salesman and a lifetime member of American Legion and VFW; each member of the family was involved in 4-H. On August 12, 1966, the family was the Farm Family of the Week on WOW-TV. Five generations of the Karstens family have been members of the Lutheran church in Avoca.
Vernon and Jerry made several land purchases, all in Section 9 of Valley Township, and farmed the land for 41 years. Dale Maassen began farming the Karstens land in 1987 and his son Cory has joined in the farming operation in recent years. Vernon and Jerry lived in the farmhouse until moving to Assisted Living in Avoca in 2009. They celebrated their 64th anniversary that year before the death of Jeraldine in 2010.
The current owners of the 437-acre farm are Karen Karstens Hansen of Walnut and Ronald Karstens of Urbandale. They took over managing the farm after the death of Vernon in 2016.
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