Ag Appreciation Banquet to Honor Kelners

04 Oct Ag Appreciation Banquet to Honor Kelners

The annual Agriculture Appreciation Banquet will be held on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 and will honor the 2023 Farmer/Rancher of the Year, Mark and Stephanie Kelner. This banquet is free and an open invitation is extended to all especially those in Bowman, Slope, and Harding Counties. Not only will Kelners be recognized, but agriculture as the backbone of our communities will be celebrated.

The annual celebration is hosted by Bowman Area Chamber of Commerce. Join the celebration at the 4 Seasons Pavilion in Bowman, ND. The social will begin at 5:00 pm with an open barr, dinner at 6:00 pm, the award presentation will start at 7:15 pm, and will be followed by evening entertainment by Braxten Nielsen.

Mark Kelner has been a part of Bowman/Slope County for 69 years. He was raised on a farm/ranch seven and a half miles north of Buffalo Springs, which was started by Mark’s grandfather, Charles Kelner. He graduated from Scranton Public school in 1972 before attending Dickinson State College. He returned home to farm and ranch as well as work construction with S and S construction.

He married Stephanie (Tenny) Deutscher in June of 1977 and together they raised their four children: Eric, Lindsey, Blake, and Taylor. Mark farmed and ranched with his father and brother before Mark and Tenny began farming the Kelner and Deutscher farms on their own. They started NoTill farming and recropping in the late 70s.

After graduating from college, Eric came back to join the farming and ranching operation. They currently raise spring wheat, durum, canola, sunflowers, and corn. They have also been experimenting with cover crops. They also raise primarily red angus cattle and have cell grazed since the mid 80s.

Mark served on a NDSU Research and Extension advisory board, was a supervisor for the Bowman/Slope Soil Conservation District, and was a county representative for the North Dakota Wheat Commission. In 1994, Mark and Tenny won the Soil Conservation Award. Mark currently serves as the president of Scranton Equity Exchange, where he has been a board member for 25 years.

Mark has always been a sports nut playing all high school sports, refereeing, and coaching basketball. Mark and Tenny have spent many hours watching their children participate in athletic events, and now they are busy keeping up with their nine grandchildren: Hunter, Kade, Kellen, Evan, Avery, Jackson, Braxtyn, Kolben, and Emryn. The best memories have been made at Nana and Papa’s Farm.

Evening entertainment features Braxten Nielsen. Braxten is from Roosevelt, Utah. His motto “We were Born to Succeed” has been a quote that he has lived by and believes in. Braxten will share his message about hard work, being resilient and how to keep positive and overcome setbacks and challenges.

He currently lives in Utah with his wife Heather and daughter Jaida. He grew up loving the outdoors where he did a lot of camping, hunting, fishing, and working on his family’s ranch with his dad and family. He excelled in sports and was a three-sport athlete throughout high school where he received all-state football, basketball, and baseball recognition and awards. In college he joined the college rodeo team and now enjoys team roping. He is very close to his family and friends and enjoys building new relationships with people everywhere he goes.

It is an honor to recognize Mark and Tenny and their many devoted hours to the ag industry. Please join in the celebration at the 2023 Ag Appreciation Banquet. The agricultural business is at the very heart of Bowman, Slope, and Harding Counties. Help us show them all just how much we appreciate the long hours and hard work they put in. The life of a farmer/rancher is never easy, but the gift they give to all of us is worth it.