Back to NewsThe Ag Committee of the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce announced the 2026 Farm Family of the Year Award recipient at the Field to Fork event held on Thursday, September 17th at the Brown County Fairgrounds Clubhouse. The award honors a farm family who represents farming & ranching and the spirit of agriculture in northeastern South Dakota. To be eligible for the award, recipients must be actively engaged in farming or ranching, with the majority of income derived from production agriculture. 2026 nominees were: David & Dick Siefkes and Brad & Diann Morehouse.
The award recipient was Brad & Diann Morehouse. The Morehouse Farm began in 1952 by Ivan and Carolyn Morehouse. It began as a very diversified operation including dairy cattle, sheep, guineas and crops. In 1981 Brad and Diann took over the farm shortly with their kids: Justin, Brent, Jesse and Desiree. Dairy continued to be the main stay while they raised their kids, and Brad learned the art of butchering right out of High School. He butchered beef, pigs, deer and antelope for friends and family. That is when the Meethouse was born.
In December of 2005, a lot of changes started to take place around the farm. The Holsteins got replaced with beef cows and they built the first feedlot. On top of that they started a trucking business. Fast forward several years to current time. The current operation has expanded greatly. Including thousands of acres of cropland, three small feedlots, a butcher shop and a saddle and tack store. All of Brad and Diann’s kids are married and active in the cattle side of the operation as well as other areas. Congratulations to the Morehouse family on this honor.
Past winners have included: 2011 –Wiliam & Kathy Roe Family; 2012 – John & Geraldine and Jeff & Rachel Kippley Family; 2013 – David & Janet Nelson Family; 2014 – John & Nicole Ellingson Family; 2015 – Daryl & Lisa Streckfuss Family; 2016 – LeRoy & Janet Weiszhaar Family; 2017 – Kerry & Mara Hart Family; 2018 – Don & Hazel Schaunaman Family; 2019 – John & Stephanie Jung/Lazy J Bar Ranch; 2022 – Craig & Peggy Bieber/Bieber Red Angus; 2023 – Aaron & Nina Vilhauer Family/Vilhauer Ranch; 2024 – Clint & Kelly Brandlee Family/Back Forty Beef; 2025 – Erdmann Angus Ranch.
About the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1884, the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary, non-profit membership organization supporting local business, industry, agriculture, education, healthcare, and more. As a 501(c)6 organization, the Chamber champions economic growth, business advocacy, and community development in the Aberdeen region.