Centennial Farms & Ranches
Westesen Farm & Ranch
Montrose County
Westesen Farm began with the birth of Carl Westesen in Denmark in 1867. When he was 21 years old, he moved to America and made his way to Colorado Springs.
In 1901 he married Maude Viola Bishop and settled in Denver. For almost two years he owned and operated a feed store in Denver. Westesen traded his feed store in 1903, along with a payment of $1600, for a 160-acre lot near Olathe, Colorado. Since its inception, the farm has grown to 242 acres, though that no longer includes the original 160 acres.
The farm originally had several types of livestock, which included sheep, horses, dairy cows, pigs, and chickens. Today the farm is home to 15 hives of Italian bees and grows “Olathe Sweet” sweet corn, alfalfa, onions, squash, and other crops.