Aaron Schmidt visited as a child the former home which stood on land once used as a farm.  Now, he is farming this same, leased land from the Bennington School District in a novel arrangement. Schmidt said, “I remember when the land was a fully functional farm and spending time at the farmhouse, land and buildings.”

Schmidt was selected by the Bennington School District Board in year two of a leased land arrangement. He was the highest bidder for the rights to farm beans on an 80 acre parcel of land purchased as part of the district’s plan to build their second high school.

When the bond issue failed on two occasions, most recently in March 2024, the District submitted a request for bids to farm the leased land. Schmidt was the high bidder for the second year in a row. While this parcel of 78 acres is for growing beans this year, he also farms 425 additional acres of beans, corn, and hay.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations, Dr. Matt Blomenkamp, explains that while the District received a small amount of funds from the lease, the arrangement benefits the general operating fund. He appreciates giving a family a chance to farm property that otherwise would sit without use.

Blomenkamp emphasized that the District will be reviewing community feedback soon related to the building of a high school which has been planned and was up for public decision making in a mail only election.

A Twist Of Opportunity

Blomenkamp explained that the District purchased the land prior to the bond being up for vote to save the six to nine month time frame window that would be needed to locate and purchase suitable property.  As a common practice, other school districts have purchased land prior to a vote as part of the building process.

Megan, Schmidt’s wife, mentioned that Aaron went to Bennington Public Schools, which makes this personal story even more fitting. Schmidt, a lifelong Bennington resident, had ties to the farmland, and now is growing crops as a farmer and family man. The Schmidt’s recognize that their children are the next generation, and son Evan, enjoys working with his dad.

Schmidt was planning to cut hay the day the family photo was taken. During the week, he works a full time job at Cargill in Blair, which is known for corn processing operations. 

Blomenkamp And The Bennington Public Schools

Blomenkamp oversees buildings, grounds, human resources, transportation, safety and security, which are all business services. 78 acres of leased farmland may not be within the strict confines of his role, though he talked about the foresight of farming unused land.

176 votes separated the bond issue from allowing a new high school to be built. That small margin led to an effort to gather additional community feedback. The prior bond vote in 2022 priced itself at 25 million dollars more than the most recent effort, which would have housed up to 1,500 students in the new school.

Blomenkamp said “The lease is a good use of school property that provides a little revenue and a farmer in the area to grow crops.” Though he has not seen this type of arrangement in the other three school districts that employed him, he feels it is a logical transaction. The district and the Schmidt family, whose lease runs from May 13 to October 31, 2024, both benefit.

Local community volunteers and a member of the Bennington School Board came out in force to assist the Schmidt family to clear the land after the recent tornadoes. Crops will go to market immediately following harvest.

Blomenkamp described Bennington residents as “being passionate about education, having high expectations and seeking excellence in academics and activities in a small town, in a metropolitan area that values teachers.” 

According to the 2022 - 2023 Annual Report published on www.benningtonschools.org, there are 485 employees working with and on behalf of 4,017 students. The school system operates five elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

From farmland leased by school alum Schmidt to teaching gifted students, the school district educates the next generation of community members and perhaps even future farmers.