The first European immigrants to settle what is now Mother Farmer were Anthony and Mary Malnar, who immigrated from Yugoslavia in 1898, finding work in the copper mines of the Keweenaw region.  In 1905, Mr. Malnar purchased the original 160 acres of cut-over land and in 1910, moved his family to the Ewen farmstead.  The family worked hard at clearing the land, removing hundreds of solid pine stumps with deep roots, and removing a thick growth of underbrush.  At the time, developing the land was a tedious, and costly operation.  There was no easy method, as machinery for doing heavy work was not yet available.  It was all done with horses, explosives, and sheer peoplepower. 

In the winters Tony worked for a nearby lumber company and was able to utilize the cull trees left by the loggers to make lumber for their farm buildings, including the barn that still exists on the property today.  By 1917, they had cleared enough land to support a modest dairy herd, grew wheat to make into bran and flour, and produced hay for their own use, and to be sold to nearby lumber camps for horse feed.  After Tony and Mary’s passing, Tony Jr. and his wife Helen lived on the property and continued dairy farming for many years.  The property continued to be cared for by various owners until Sara and Andy purchased the farm in 2021.