Wendelin Grimm

Wendelin Grimm (October 18, 1818 – December 8, 1890)

Biography

Personal life Grimm was born in Külsheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, as one of seven children to Valentine and Mary Grimm. His childhood was spent in a part of Germany known for its rich agricultural heritage. His formal education was limited to the perfunctory training that would have been given to youth training for a career in farming.

At the age of 27, he married Julianna Segner (June 15, 1821 – October 28, 1897) of Steinback, Baden, Germany. They farmed in Germany until 1857 when, with Julianna and their children, Grimm relocated to Carver County, Minnesota by way of New York. Wendelin and Julianna had a total of ten children, seven born in Germany and three born in the United States,

In 1872, Grimm passed the original farmstead onto his son Frank. Wendelin Grimm died on December 8, 1890.

Farming innovations When Grimm arrived in Minnesota in the fall of 1857, he brought with him more than just his family. Grimm also carried with him a small bag of "ewiger klee" or "everlasting clover" seeds. These seeds were the best producers from his farmstead in Germany. The following spring, Grimm planted his alfalfa seeds on his newly purchased land. The winters in Minnesota were harsher than in Germany. The winter killed much of his crop. Each year, he would save the seeds from the plants that survived and replant them the following spring. After many years of this practice, he no longer experienced winterkill on his crop.

Many of Grimm's neighbors noticed the superiority of his crops and the health of his cattle. One of them, Arthur B. Lyman, worked to bring Grimm's alfalfa to the attention of Professor Willet Hays at the University of Minnesota.

Honors A bronze monument in Wendelin Grimm's honor was erected at the original homestead property on June 10, 1924. Over 400 people attended to commemorate Grimm's contributions to agriculture. In an homage to the significance of Grimm's alfalfa to Carver County, many of the housing developments in the area once occupied by farmland are now named in its honor. Neighborhoods and school names include: Clover Ridge, Clover Fields and Clover Preserve. The State of Minnesota celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary in 2008. To celebrate, the state requested citizens to nominate the most significant events and/or people in Minnesota's History. Wendelin Grimm and his alfalfa made the final list of 150.