About FarmHouse
Who We Are
The object of our fraternity is to promote good fellowship, to encourage studiousness, and to inspire its members in seeking the best in their chosen lines of study as well as in life. Progress shall mark our every step; the spirit of congeniality shall reign at all times; and every member shall be honest with himself as with his brothers. Men elected to our membership are considered to be of good moral character, to be high in scholarship, to have the capacity for meeting and making friends, and to give promise of service to their fellowmen and to the world. To be and become such may at times require a sacrifice of time, pleasures and comforts.
Our Four Pillars
The values of FarmHouse Fraternity are founded on what we call the four pillars of FarmHouse. These “pillars” are aspects of our lives that we see as important in continuously building ourselves up to become better men. The four pillars are Intellectual, Social/Moral, Physical, and Spiritual. Each semester we set goals and encourage each other to improve ourselves based of these aspects of our lives. Below is a little more about each pillar, and what we do in each of these areas.
Intellectual
Men of FarmHouse know academic excellence is the key to success after college and we strive for it in our daily studies. Some of the tools available to FarmHouse men to help us be successful include:
High speed WiFi throughout the entire house.
Many upperclassmen studying in a wide variety of majors including; Business, Applied Economics, Animal Science, Engineering, Agricultural Education, and Marketing, among many others.
FarmHouse consistently maintains an average GPA above 3.4, which is above the university’s all-men’s average.
The chapter’s Director of Academics and Scholarship helps people who are struggling with coursework to keep them from falling behind.
Social and Moral
Every semester FarmHouse holds various social functions that involve the entire active chapter. Every fall we have an informal date party and in the spring semester we have our weekend long formal. There are also many themed social events throughout the school year with other fraternities and sororities at the U of M. These events are great opportunities to meet new people and make friends. We do a philanthropy week every fall semester where we host various events to raise money for LLS. This is always a great time and helps us support a great cause. Additionally, having a housemother improves the moral character of the members, as it is of greater incentive for members to grow to act in a more mature and respectful way. “Mom” reminds us how to respect women, is a resource when we have questions, and has a great knowledge about FarmHouse, as she has been here for about a decade.
Physical
Each semester we participate in various intramural sports consisting of flag football, basketball, softball, volleyball, and broomball. We also play Alpha Gamma Rho for the “Cup” three times per year in flag football, basketball, and softball. FarmHouse is located right across the street from the St. Paul Gym, which is perfect for going to work-out anytime of day.
Spiritual
FarmHouse was founded on Christian values, which still stand true today. We are open to all religions and faiths here at FarmHouse. Prayer before every meal and before every chapter meeting is a stronghold that FarmHouse men cherish and respect. Also, our house chaplain host’s weekly Bible studies, which help the men grow in their respective religious faiths. FarmHouse men have been actively involved in local religious organizations like Navigators and the Newman Center (a Catholic center). There are also many groups of FarmHouse men that go to church together every Sunday. Additionally, FarmHouse supports a food distribution event at the Grace Evangelical Free Church every second Friday of the month. This allows us to serve other people, learn about our faith and grow to be better citizens.
Our History
FarmHouse Fraternity was founded in 1905 by seven individuals with a desire to start a fraternity that was unique and built upon the teachings of the Bible. These seven individuals were D. Howard Doane, Henry Rusk, Earl Rusk, Claude Hutchinson, Melvin Sherwin, Robert Howard, and Henry Krusekoph. These men took the initiative to begin a fraternity that continues to build men all across the country. The Minnesota Chapter was chartered in 1931 from the roots from the Ag Club on the St. Paul Campus. The Minnesota chapter was the 8th FarmHouse Fraternity Chapter to become chartered. Since then, members have been building friendships, experiences and legacies which are still with us today.
