The week of June 10, Farm Journal is celebrating the next generation of American agriculture. Our goal is to encourage you to plan for the future and cultivate multigenerational success through the transfer of skills and knowledge. Think tomorrow, act today to align your asset, resource and financial legacy.
Dust kicks up behind the planter as it cuts through the Louisiana soil. After a challenging start to the season, Nolan Parker and Matthew Brown had to hustle to get crops emerged before the southern heat arrived.
Both grew up on family farms, but in 2022 these longtime family friends, Parker, 26, and Brown, 40, created a partnership called New Generation Farms. They are now on their second crop as a standalone business and team.
“There were two options for me,” Parker says. “I could come back under the family umbrella, learn that way and eventually take it over, or be completely separate, start our own partnership and take our own risk.”
He admits that’s the direction his father, Thomas “Tap” Parker, urged him to go. Parker and Brown share some equipment and labor with the elder Parker at times, but otherwise, they’re on their own.
“He encouraged me to take my own risk but would be there to offer guidance and support along the way,” Parker says. “I think it’s a very valuable lesson that Matt and I are learning now. You take a little more pride in everything, and it means more when your own money is on the line.”
Pride is deeply seeded for this pair of next-gen farmers.
“We both grew up in families who showed us their standards, and we grew from those experiences,” Brown says. “It’s early in our career, and we’re renting a lot of ground, which means making sure we show some pride to our landlord, and it looks the way they want it to look.”
Define Your Role
While both men still hold off-farm jobs, their work at the farm reflects their strengths. Parker focuses closely on marketing, technology and equipment while Brown keeps abreast of the inputs side of the business thanks to his job in ag retail.
“We each have our own roles, and we each have our own strengths, but we both have liberty to make decisions,” Parker says. “We still have a lot to learn, but we’re grateful for the opportunity to prove ourselves in this business.”
The biggest hurdle in year one was finding a farm manager to help them keep employees focused and on task. Mathew’s cousin Nathan Brown has proven to be the right fit to manage what needs to be done and make sure it’s done right.
“Last year labor was a big issue as we tried to figure out everybody’s roles,” Parker adds. “Now we’re focused on the overall culture of the team, and that means starting the day with a ‘good morning’ rather barking orders.”
Love What You Do
As their second crop ever emerges, both Parker and Brown are still excited about their new venture and the future to come.
“I know it’s crazy to say, but in certain parts of the year, I wake up in the morning excited to be on the road and come to work,” Brown says. “What we’ve done so far, I want it to be better, so I’m driven to learn how to produce a better crop than last year.”
“The biggest thing I was looking for in a partner is someone who has a good attitude and isn’t selfish,” Parker says. “We’re always up front and selfless with one another and the business.”
Together their partnership is rolling. Both have come from multigenerational farm families, but today they’re choosing to pave a new path forward.
“I’m not getting any younger, so this was an opportunity for us to form a partnership, make our own decisions and learn from our own mistakes,” Brown says.
Through the work and the laughter, the duo knows they are now part of a team calling their own shots. Brown’s advice for other next-generation farmers is straightforward.
“You have to love what you do, you can’t be scared of hard work, you need to get up early and go to bed late, and do whatever it takes,” he says.
Visit Lake Providence, La., and meet Nolan Parker and Matthew Brown.
