ABOUT MARISA ULMEN

ABOUT ME

My name is Marisa Ulmen. I grew up in Madelia in the 80s running back and forth across the street between two small businesses, a Main Street café owned by my mother – a single hardworking mother who raised my younger brother and me, and my aunt, who owned the town’s flower shop. I well remember the republican policies that devastated our farmers and decimated our Main Street. 

I lived out of state for more than a decade but decided to move back to Madelia when my son was 9.  I wanted him to grow up with the freedom and security I enjoyed growing up in a small town and I felt a large city just couldn’t offer that. I met my husband Jim not long after.  I am a 5th-generation farmer, along with my husband. We raise row crops, alfalfa, and have livestock, including about 30 milk goats.  Although we love the farm and this way of life, we both have full-time jobs off the farm.  After closing our animal feed business in late 2024, I went back to work in accounting, and my husband went to work as a rural carrier for the post office.

I believe in neighbors taking care of neighbors and communities coming together to support each other.  I believe we need to strengthen those ties and keep young families in our communities, and that starts with affordable housing, day care, quality education, and rural health care, as well as decent jobs and reliable internet.