Riley County couple named Kansas Master Farmer and Master Farm Homemaker

Homemaker Nathan and Suzanne Larson, Riley County, were recently honored as part of the 2021 class of Kansas Master Farmers and Master Farm Homemakers in recognition of their leadership in agriculture, environmental stewardship and service to their communities.

The statewide awards program is in its 95th year and is sponsored by Kansas State University Research and Extension and Kansas Farmer magazine.

Nathan and Suzanne’s family farm may have sprouted from humble beginnings, but today it has expanded into an operation with ties to farmers around the world. Nathan grew up assisting his father with the farm in Riley County.

Later, he attended Kansas State University and earned a degree in agronomy. While at K-State, Nathan met Texas-born Suzanne, who was majoring in elementary education. The two were married, with Suzie later returning after the birth of the couple’s two children—son Jeremy and daughter Lela—to complete her degree.

As a school teacher, Suzie routinely incorporated agriculture into the classroom. Today, she works full time on the farm. From the time they were married, Nathan and Suzie have been heavily involved in agriculture and received numerous awards, such as the Outstanding Farmer Award in 1985 and the second runner-up for the State Young Farm Family in 1989.

The family has also received the Riley County Farm Family of the Year. Nathan and Suzie are extremely proud of their children and their accomplishments. The couple has always emphasized the value of higher education, especially as it relates to farming.

“We feel that attending college and participating in community and farm groups have provided important opportunities for critical thinking and educational growth,” said the couple. “Intellectual curiosity about our world, the people in it, and how it all works and changes is critical for personal and professional development and for success as farmers.”

The Larsons have made a global impact. Nathan began serving on the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission in 2012 and traveled to several locations throughout the United States. In 2016, Nathan participated in the commission’s trade mission to China. Nathan has also been involved with trade programs to numerous different countries.