Mark's great grandparents, Knut and Guri Boen, immigrated from Norway in the 1880's.  They purchased our current farm and  began dairy farming.  Years later, Mark's grandparents, Gust and Ida Boen continued dairying.  Mark's parents, Kenneth and Margaret Boen, were married in 1943 and continued the family tradition of dairying.  Both Kenneth and Gustav were born in the farmhouse that now serves as a home for our interns.  The pictures show Kenneth coming back with the manure spreader, Mark and his mom milking, our holstein and gurnsey cows and Mark's dad, Kenneth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark was born in 1953 and grew up milking cows and attending to calves.  In the 1960's, Mark became aware that the eastern bluebird was endangered because of the lack of nesting cavities to raise their young.  He began putting up bluebird houses across the farm.  It took years for the first bluebirds to nest.  But the first pair finally came and over time the eastern bluebird became the most common bird on the farm. 

 Many calves were entered in the County Fair each summer.  Mark went on to college and became an elementary teacher, though still involved in the dairying operation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 On August 6, 1977, Mark married Diane Rund and they bought a ten acre farm west of Fergus.  Because the teaching income was quite meager, Bluebird Gardens got its start in 1978.  On a six acre field (with three acres under water), armed with a Troy Bilt tiller, a Gardenway cart and a Ford Pinto, the vegetable business began. The picture above shows Mark and Scooter "selling" vegetables. 

At that time, most families had their own garden and cars drove past their little stand on West Lincoln Avenue in Fergus Falls.  Armed with sheer determination, the couple continued the vegetable business along with teaching.  In 1982, Mark and Diane began to purchase his parents' farm.  Initially, Mark and Diane milked cows with Mark's parents, along with the vegetable business and teaching.  It was at that time the vegetable business acquired the name Bluebird Gardens, in tribute to the bluebirds on the farm.

Mark's dad was determined the vegetables would go and the cows would stay.  But he didn't win that battle and in 1986, the cows left and the farm was then dedicated to vegetables.  The business slowly grew and Diane sold the vegetables from one stand in Fergus.

In 2002, Bluebird Gardens took on the self-serve idea and five self-serve stands were started in the area.  This allowed much more accessibility for our customers and allowed Bluebird Gardens to grow.  In 2008, full service was once again offered at the stands with the help of Mesa stewards and interns.