10/24/2026
I spent yesterday at the farm. Everyone is sad however holding up well. From Farmer Sam-
Arrangements-October 31, 2026 at Becker Baptist Church. Visitation at 10:00 am, service at 11:00 am.
After a long battle with ALS, our beloved founder and patriarch, Tom Barthel, succumbed to his disease on Thursday while at home with his wife, Gail.
We are deeply grateful for the time we had with him and all that he shared with not only his family and friends, but also his community.
We’ll remember him for a myriad of reasons, but especially his unwavering passion as a steward of the land and desire to better his environment and enrich the lives of others. We will do our best to carry on his legacy.
Obituary:
THOMAS CLEMENT BARTHEL, born May 13, 1946
Tom Barthel passed away peacefully at his home in rural Becker on October 22, 2026. Tom was a lifelong farmer. Growing up on a dairy farm instilled a love of agriculture in Tom, and he went on to found Snake River Farm in Santiago Township in 1969. In the 1970s he farmed more than 700 acres of corn. During this time, Tom was also working full-time in his electrical engineering career.
Tom studied engineering and worked for companies involved mostly in the development of medical devices. In the 1970s, he invented a series of different pacemakers for Medtronic, which are still in use today. He holds 13 U.S. patents for his designs. In later years, Tom became president of Clarus Medical Systems, which specializes in endoscopic surgical equipment for neurological and spinal surgeries.
Tom also felt a strong civic duty to this community. In the 1970s he became a member of the Sherburne County Planning and Zoning Commission because he saw poorly planned land development near his farm and wanted better standards for the community. In the early 1980s he served as chairman of the Becker School Board during especially turbulent times. In later years, as chairman of the Santiago Township Board, he was instrumental in establishing a permanent fire station/community center there to better service the area.
But it was life on the farm that he truly loved.
In the late 1990s, Tom developed a grass-based animal production system at Snake River Farm and began to build direct-to-customer sales. His farm now raises grass-fed bison, beef, lamb, and pastured hogs. Snake River Farm currently sells direct to over 500 Minnesota families and is a proud supplier of USDA inspected, grass-fed meat to Becker schools.
All this led to Tom serving on the Minnesota Bison Association board, as Secretary, and the National Bison Association board as Secretary and Treasurer.
Tom was an avid horseman, personally taming wild mustangs to add to his herd. He was a proficient draftsman and built his home as well as all the buildings on his farm. He has also written a great deal about sustainable farming, International Harvester Tractors, his childhood on a farm in the 1950’s, and the joys of life on the farm with his wife, Gail Wilkinson. Those writings can be found on www.thesnakeriverfarm.com. He has two published books, with more in the works.
Tom is survived by his beloved wife Gail, children Shannon Barthel of Becker, Joel Barthel of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Leah (Randy) Cromie of Sebastian, FL, Sarah (Jordan) Kortmansky of Becker, Amy Fenske of Becker, Aaron Mickelson (Tammy) of Andover, MN and Michael May of New Hope, MN. Grandchildren: Sam (Juan), Tonny, Joseph, Michael, Roman, Adrienne, Saul, Ella (Jack), and Hazel. Great-grandchildren: Arthur and Katrina. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Ernie and Joyce (DeMars) Barthel.
