Choosing a career in agriculture

I chose to go into agriculture mainly because of my childhood. My dad involved me quite a bit whether it was riding in the tractor or helping him with his yield mapping software as I got older. I got my college degree in ag business and worked for a farm lending institution before I came back to the family farm full-time.

Our relationship with Farm Credit

Our operation has been working with Farm Credit for almost 30 years. It started with a loan to purchase a farm, but since then it’s evolved to where we do most of our business with them. From lending to crop insurance, they’re a one-stop shop.

Why we continue working with Farm Credit

We continue to work with Farm Credit today because of the people and their expertise. There’s so much in agriculture that is beyond a farmer’s control. That’s why having a lending team to support our operation is crucial.

How our operation has changed

Our operation has changed greatly in the way we utilize technology whether it’s with our farm equipment or on the business side of things. We’ve upgraded our financial software to make better business decisions. We’ve also worked hard to transition from one generation to the next.

What I enjoy most about farming

I thoroughly enjoy drilling down the numbers to figure out our cost of production and calculating breakeven prices to create a marketing plan going forward each year. For a long time, my dad was the primary decision maker, but now he mentors me, my sister and my cousin who are also involved in our farming operation.