Why I chose agriculture

Raising cattle and farming was always the only thing I ever wanted to do. It all started with my grandpa. He was a big influence, as were my dad and uncle.

Why I work with FCSAmerica

After I got started, I was looking for more financial options. Farm Credit just seemed to have everything I was looking for, from operating lines of credit to term loans for livestock and machinery and federal crop insurance specialists. They’re always there for me, leading the way to new and improved ways of managing my business and operation.

Our greatest challenge

The markets are really challenging today. We’ve had pretty big differences in our calf checks when we go to sell calves compared to three years ago, but our operating costs haven’t gone down. In fact, they continue to go up. It makes it difficult to make ends meet. Diversification is a little tougher today than it was a few years ago. We’re dealing with a whole different scale of capital that’s involved compared to my dad’s generation.

FCSAmerica supports the next generation

There’s pressure every day, but there’s a lot of opportunity out there. For my younger generation, it’s going to be tough to get started. Farm Credit is going to treat you right and help get you going and keep you going. They’re going to be there for you and they’re going to look out for you.

Advice for young and beginning farmers

Be willing to put the work in. Don’t be afraid to work. There will be tough times and good times, and you just have to be able to roll with all of it. When tough times come, just put your head down and work hard. There’s nothing that can beat real-world experience, actually going out and doing it yourself. No textbook can teach you that. Go out, do it yourself and learn from your mistakes along the way.