Next-Generation Farmers

Top Producer Next Gen Award

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 21:32:11 GMT

The Top Producer Next Gen Award (formerly Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award) will be given to a grower under the age of 40, who demonstrates excellence in the business of farming, including:

Marketing
Farm finance
Family and employee relations
Technology
Environmental stewardship

Entrants are judged on entrepreneurial originality (50%), financial and business progress (30%) and industry or community leadership (20%).

Any farmer, rancher or partnership that gets at least half of their income from farming and farm-related ventures may apply.

The winner’s prizes include:

A trip for two including hotel accommodations and a flat travel reimbursement stipend to attend the 2027 Top Producer Summit (Feb.15-17, 2027 in Nashville, TN)
Additional prizes provided by award sponsor(s)

Deadline: Sept. 1, 2026

For questions, contact meckelkamp@farmjournal.com.

Click here to download the Next Gen Award Application

Read about the 2026 winner, Tim Nuss, Lodi, Calif.
Read about the 2025 winner, Dalton Dilldine, Half Moon, Ark.
Read about the 2024 winner, Hallie Shoffner, Newport, Ark.
Read about the 2023 winner, Trey Wasserburger, North Platte, Neb.
Read about the 2022 winner, Brendan and Elaine Martin, Mt. Solon, Va.
Read about the 2021 winner, Matt Splitter, Lyons, Kan.
Read about the 2020 winner, Chase Dewitz, Steele, N.D.
Read about the 2019 winner, Tony Schwarck of Riceville, Iowa
Read about the 2018 winner, Maggie Holub of Scribner, Neb.
Read about the 2017 winner, Cody Goodknight of Chattanooga, Okla.
Read about the 2016 winner, Chris Noble of Pavilion, N.Y.
Read about the 2015 winner, Matt Sims of State Line, Ind.
Read about the 2014 winner, Jeremy Weaver of Needham, Ind.
Read about the 2013 winner, Joanna Carraway of Murray, Ky.
Read about the 2012 winner, Michael Daniels of Salem, Wis.

How One Kansas Family is Cultivating a New Legacy by Diversifying their Farm

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 02:52:31 GMT

In a state where wheat, cattle and corn fill the fields of Kansas, broccoli doesn’t typically make the list of farm favorites. But it’s Jacob Thomas’, the co-owner of Jet Produce and Meats , favorite food to grow. His family’s farm started as a livestock operation in the 1950s. Today, it’s making a way for the next generation by diversifying the operation and connecting to the personal side of producing food.

“When I pick a head of broccoli, I know exactly ... what’s going to happen to it. Somebody’s going to buy that to eat for dinner,” Thomas said. His passion for produce began at age 14 when he asked his dad if he could plant a garden. “I think the draw to it for me was that a lot of farms are growing corn, soybeans and even raising livestock. How does that actually feed a person?”

Jacob and his wife Jennifer, started their farm and business while Thomas was a junior in college at Iowa State University. Their venture began on a quarter of an acre. “It was like, wow, there really is something to this. People will stop on the side of the road and buy vegetables. This is interesting.”

The following year, their business model grew to selling food at the farmers markets. Today, the operation, spans nearly 17 acres, includes eight greenhouses, and operates its own storefront on the family farm. Jet Produce also sells its products to farmers markets in the Kansas City area.

(Jet Produce and Meats Facebook Page)

Jet Produce grows most vegetables, pumpkins, popcorn and flowers. Thomas said flowers account for nearly 20% of their sales and help them manage risk throughout the year. Jacob notes that the direct connection to the consumer changes the experience of farming.

“That’s something that’s just really nice for me,” he said. "[To] have all that positive interaction with customers that are just so thankful for the food.”

Back to the Roots

Jacob and Jennifer have help from their daughters Lisa and Sarah, ages 7 and 5. Jacob’s parents are also active in the operation. Dale Thomas, Jacob’s dad, can be found managing the storefront. He wasn’t originally sure about Jacob’s interest in horticulture, but he now sees the value of adding produce to their operation.

“It’s a lot more personable than the farming I ever did,” he said. Dale’s primary role on the farm is taking care of the livestock and hay. It’s a job that brought the family back to its roots. “The Leavenworth Farmers Market, just basically said to Jacob one day, ‘you know there’s nobody here selling beef, why don’t you grow beef or sell beef?’”

Now, Jet Produce sells beef, pork, chickens, and lamb directly to customers. But the family isn’t just building consumer connections; their focus is also at home.

“My girls were at that age where they just want to hang out with me all day and they want to learn,” Jacob said. “Every opportunity I can get to have them help me plant something, help me sorting, anything that they can do.”

Jacob, Jennifer, Lisa and Sarah Thomas.

(Credits: Jet Produce and Meats Facebook)

Overall, Jacob said the wide variety of crops and livestock has gained the respect of other farmers in the area, even if it started as a different model of farming. “They realize now that what I’m doing isn’t just like a really big backyard garden. That it is farming,” he said. “It’s just different farming.”

The Succession Gap: Why Two-Thirds of Farms Face an Uncertain Future

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:18:06 GMT

Farm Journal recently reported that 44 million acres of U.S. farmland are expected to change hands in the coming years - nearly 15% of American cropland by 2030.

That’s a staggering number. But what concerns me most isn’t just the acreage. It’s what that number represents: leadership transition, ownership transition and decision-making transition happening all at once across the country.

When I look at the accompanying data, I see both opportunity and vulnerability.

According to the Farm Journal Seed & Planting Survey and Consolidation Index Predictive Model Analysis, only 34% of growing operations have a formal succession plan. Among benchmark producers, that number drops to 29%. For operations identified as at-risk, just 21% have a documented succession plan in place.

Let that sink in.

Even among farms positioned for growth, two-thirds do not have a formal plan for how leadership and ownership will transition. And nearly four out of five at-risk farms are operating without one.

At the same time, consolidation risk is not limited to smaller operations. Farms under $250,000 in gross income show a 58% consolidation risk. Farms between $250,000 and $500,000 show 48%. But even operations in the $1 million to $2.5 million range carry a 32% risk. And those between $2.5 million and $10 million still sit in a baseline consolidation risk zone of roughly 27–30%.

In other words, income alone does not protect you.

Succession gaps, management transitions and strategic exits are driving consolidation regardless of size.

I’ve spent my career working with agricultural families navigating generational transition, and I can tell you this: consolidation rarely happens overnight. It happens when pressure meets unpreparedness. A health event. A lender conversation. A market downturn. A disagreement that was never resolved. A next generation that was never fully developed or clearly empowered to lead.

Agriculture has always been unpredictable. We all understand that. Weather changes. Markets move. Policies shift. But what feels different right now is how layered the uncertainty has become. Interest rates have restructured balance sheets. Input costs remain volatile. Capital demands continue to rise. Technology expectations are accelerating. And the average age of the American farmer keeps climbing.

Generational turnover is not something we can push off for “someday.” It is happening now.

So, here’s the question I would ask any farm leader reading this: If something unexpected happened tomorrow, would your operation be okay?

Would there be clarity about who makes decisions? Would ownership be clearly defined? Would compensation and reinvestment policies be understood? Would lenders feel confident in your continuity? Would your successors be prepared - not just present - to lead?

If you hesitate in answering that, you are not alone. But hesitation is a signal.

The data in the Farm Journal analysis tells an important story. Growing operations are more likely to try new technology. They are more likely to plan land investment. And they are more likely to have formal succession plans in place. That is not coincidence. It reflects intentional leadership.

The leaders that plan tend to think about the long term - not just the next growing season. They understand their profitability by enterprise. They are disciplined about capital allocation. They define leadership roles. They have hard conversations before circumstances force communication. They build clarity into the business so that transition strengthens it rather than destabilizes it.

Succession planning is often misunderstood.

It is not simply an estate planning document. It is not a will tucked in a drawer. It is not something you address only when someone retires. It is a business discipline.

It requires clarity about management transfer and ownership transfer - and those are not always the same thing. It requires fairness, which is not necessarily equality. It requires governance structure so family conversations don’t become a business crises. It requires intentional development of the next generation so leadership transition feels earned and prepared, not assumed.

And perhaps most importantly, it requires timing.

Consolidation favors clarity. It favors farms that reduce ambiguity before outside forces expose it. It favors operations that are structured - not just successful.

One of the most revealing pieces of the consolidation data is that even higher-income farms carry measurable risk. A $3 million or $5 million operation is not immune. Scale does not eliminate vulnerability if leadership transition is unclear or strategic direction is undefined.

The 44 million acres projected to change hands represent a defining moment for American agriculture. Some families will use this season to strengthen continuity and expand. Others will find themselves reacting - not because they lacked work ethic or competence, but because they delayed putting structure in place.

Planning does not eliminate uncertainty - but it does provide framework and stability.

It allows you to make proactive decisions rather than reactive ones. It gives lenders confidence. It gives the next generation clarity. It protects family relationships. And it preserves optionality.

If your farm is truly okay - strategically aligned, financially transparent, leadership-ready - then planning becomes a growth tool.

If it’s not, planning becomes urgent.

Either way, it matters.

Knowing the data should never create paralysis. Understanding your consolidation risk, your succession gaps and your financial position gives you something incredibly valuable: choice. When your business structure is clear and your succession plan is thoughtful but flexible, you can pivot as markets shift, opportunities emerge or circumstances change. You may not be able to eliminate uncertainty - but you can position yourself to move through it with confidence.

The Illinois Farm Family Who Inspired Lay’s ‘Last Harvest’ Super Bowl Commercial

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 19:51:34 GMT

It was a one-minute spot that captured hearts on Super Bowl Sunday. Lay’s “Last Harvest” commercial told the story of a farm family passing the torch from one generation to the next, rooted in memories, hard work and the bond between parent and child.

While the story in the Super Bowl ad was fictional, it was inspired by the real-life experiences of third-generation potato producer Tom Neumiller and his daughter Katie Floming, the fourth generation working alongside him at Neumiller Farms in Savanna, Ill.

A Story That Hits Home

Floming, operations manager at Neumiller Farms, recalls watching the commercial for the first time.

“I was so touched. It really hit home for me,” she says. “Growing up, if I wanted to see my parents, I had to go to the farm because they were always working. That’s where we spent our family time, quick meals, then back to work. I loved it. There are no complaints there. Being present at the farm was everything.”

The commercial’s depiction of a young girl chasing her parents through potato fields and learning the ropes mirrored Katie’s own childhood experiences. She laughs as she recalls one particular scene.

“When she came outside wearing white tennis shoes to work, that hit home. I remember showing up in sandals, and my dad would just shake his head. I had to go home and change,” Floming says..

For Neumiller, seeing their family’s life portrayed on such a massive stage was humbling.

“Farmers don’t usually end up in Super Bowl commercials, but this is very nice,” he says. “For that one-minute ad, they captured a farm family and our legacy all in one. It was just amazing.”

Floming adds that the story resonated with many viewers beyond their family.

“It’s very relatable. People would come up at the Super Bowl and say, ‘My grandfather was in that situation’ or ‘My family didn’t have the option to pass it on.’ It’s a story that connects with most people,” she says.

Farming in Northern Illinois: Unique Challenges

Neumiller Farms isn’t a typical potato operation. Neumiller explains growing potatoes in northern Illinois requires creativity, considering they are the lone family growing potatoes in northern Illinois.

“We’re the only ones in the area,” Neumiller says. “You need good water and light, sandy soil. Illinois has pockets of sand, so we’ve become a very mobile farm. We have one farm 150 miles away, another 30 miles south and another 15 miles north. It allows us to manage the light soils and adequate water we need.”

Floming now manages daily operations, but Neumiller remains deeply involved.

“I’m old school. I want to be involved in everything,” he says. “I talk to the managers every day. I get here early and stay around, maybe too long, but I stay involved in everything.”

The family works side by side, literally.

Floming says: “Our desks are right next to each other. We’re constantly feeding off each other, and we always know what’s going on.”

Neumiller smiles, adding: “My wife’s on the other side, and we’ve been married 54 years. She’s been involved in the business from way back.”

“He doesn’t get a break,” Floming quips.

Passing the Torch

Though Neumiller hopes for a few more harvests, Floming embraces the responsibility of continuing the family legacy.

“I’m very thankful to still be farming alongside my dad,” she says. “He’s grown the farm, but it’s my responsibility to keep it going, for our family, our employees and our community. I want to do the best I can to preserve our foundation while building for the future.”

A plaque on the wall of Neumiller Farms signifies seven decades of producing potatoes for Frito-Lay, a partnership that made their story perfect for Lay’s Super Bowl spotlight.

Neumiller reflects on the broader significance: “All of us farmers, we’re not usually in the spotlight. But it’s an honor to show the connection between soil, farming and the food we produce. Sustainability, passing on the farm, doing the job right — it all matters. Our story continues, and that’s what I hope to pass on.”

A Last Harvest That Connected Us All

As Lay’s “Last Harvest” reminded viewers on Super Bowl Sunday, the foods we enjoy come from real families working the land, generation after generation. For the Neumillers, that legacy is alive and thriving, one potato at a time, creating a story that connected us all.

If you thought the 60-second commercial was memorable, watch the full three-minute version on Lay’s YouTube page .

2026 Top Producer Next Gen Award Winner: Tim Nuss

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:13:14 GMT

Nestled on the very northern edge of California’s Central Valley, Nuss Farms grows a variety of specialty crops every year. But returning to the farm in Lodi, Calif., wasn’t always part of Tim Nuss’ plan.

“I was always out here as a kid. Our dad would bring me and my brothers out here, and we’d always do odd jobs on the farm. But once I got into high school, I kind of wanted to run away from the farm and made my way back. I joined and kind of came full circle back to the farm three years ago,” he says.

Today, Nuss is the farm’s fifth generation, along with his brothers, Tyler and Derek. Together with their dad, Dave, the family is focused on rejuvenating their farm through regenerative agriculture. But Nuss admits the toil he focuses on today isn’t in the San Joaquin Valley soil.

From Business to Agriculture

“I studied business in college and got a degree there and then went to work in the fresh produce industry. I spent about a decade working in fresh produce focused on international exports. So not quite farming, but it was farm adjacent working with grower-packer-shippers that export products overseas,” he says.

Nuss says he spent a lot of time in Asia, exporting table grapes, cherries and citrus. He worked with many farmers and laid a groundwork of knowledge he taps into today.

“I got really interested in ag tech and what was happening with venture capital flowing into agriculture. I worked for a few venture-backed startups in the ag space before coming back to the family farm in late 2022,” he adds.

A Pull Back to His Roots

That outside experience, combined with conversations with his younger brother, eventually sparked something new.

“It was probably eight or so years ago when me and my younger brother started talking more. We’re very entrepreneurial and started feeling the pull back to the family farm. It was my dad and my older brother who were managing the farm. We started talking to them more about how they were thinking about growing the business and how they’re thinking about scaling and just felt that pull back having grown up out here. I think it’s in your blood and you want to come back to it,” Nuss says.

Nuss didn’t come back to farm the same way his dad and older brother, Derek, do. With both still on the farm today, Nuss and Tyler knew they had to carve out something new while complementing what their dad and Derek were already doing.

“I gained experience in the business side of things where I could come on, take over the business side of the operation, handling our budgets, forecast sales, business development, all that kind of stuff. So, everybody can kind of stay in their lane, and it was a complimentary skill set. I think my dad was happy to pass that off to me, where he could focus on the farming side, which he enjoys more than running the paperwork and business side things,” he says.

The Nuss family grows everything from garlic and tomatoes to peppers, melons and herbs — a diversified operation that helps them weather the cycles of the fresh produce world.

The Modern Acre Podcast

But beyond the farm, Nuss and Tyler run The Modern Acre podcast , connecting farmers, startups and investors.

“On the podcast, it’s really talking about how people are building their businesses within ag. We talked to a lot of ag tech companies that are building technology businesses that are new and novel and kind of getting their stories out there. And we talked to a lot of legacy, agribusiness-type companies and how they’re thinking about using technology to build their businesses and a lot of innovative farmers that are adopting new technologies. So just trying to tell those stories from different perspectives,” he says.

The podcast has even opened doors to new markets, including one that took nearly a year to land.

“A new opportunity that developed this year was with Chipotle, where we had built a relationship with the CEO of a company called Local Line that we had had on the podcast. They have investment from Chipotle and manage Chipotle’s local grower program. Through that connection, we just started talking about our capabilities, what crops are grown on the farm. They’re actually really big on local sourcing, and Chipotle has a distribution center in Stockton, which is 20 miles from where we’re standing right now. So it’s a really good local story to tell. We’ve been working on getting set up as a vendor for close to a year. It’s a big hurdle to hit,” Nuss says.

Nuss says the steps to become a vendor, combined with seasonal crop production, made this market months in the making. Nuss Farms now supplies red bell peppers and jalapenos to Chipotle.

“It was a real big success,” he says. “It’s a little bit outside the normal of what we do, but could be something we can scale with next year. Just because we’ve never done it before, let’s be open-minded and see what the opportunity could be.”

Cutting Through the Noise of Biologicals

Innovation doesn’t stop there. A farmer-first mindset and hunger to innovate led to another idea: AgList , a platform designed to cut through the noise around biologicals while clearing up confusion.

“When I came back to the farm and joined full time, I was just hit up by every biological company trying to pitch their product. And it was overwhelming to navigate. Like biologicals, there’s a lot of tailwinds with the industry moving away from synthetics, but it’s still very fragmented where there’s hundreds and hundreds of companies, and there’s not really an independent place where a grower can sit down and look at companies and products that are applicable for them,” he says.

AgList creates a directory of all products and companies in the biological space, indexing them for growers, researchers and agronomists.

“It’s kind of an internet-based business that’s really cool. And having the podcast, we have this built-in audience that we can promote it to and build it out. We have 200-plus products on the platform and 30-plus companies on the platforms,” Nuss says.

They achieved 14,000 impressions on the website in just a month, another example of how the Nuss family diversifies beyond traditional farming while mitigating risk.

“A lot of farms vertically integrate, or they’ll have trucking businesses. We were coming at it from a little bit of a different angle, having the media side with the podcast and leading to white space that we see building companies in the ag space,” he says.

Innovation as a Strategy

For Nuss, innovation isn’t about chasing trends — it’s about creating new opportunities for a fifth-generation California farm.

“I think it’s, you know, a continuation of what we’ve been doing, trying to find better and better opportunities for the farm. How do we level up the operation, invest in infrastructure to do non-traditional programs like Chipotle, and how do we see an opportunity? With the podcast, we talk to a lot of companies and see where there might be an opportunity to build in the space, like what we did with AgList,” he says. “So it’s kind of a combination approach of growing the farm and seeing if there’s other complimentary business units that we can kind of put in parallel to the farm,” Nuss adds.

Entrepreneurial from the Start

Nuss isn’t your traditional farmer today. But he says he and his brother have been unconventional from the start.

“I’ve always been kind of like wired and hungry. Me and my younger brother are always going back and forth with ideas and just very entrepreneurial to make an endeavor successful. When we were little kids, we didn’t do the lemonade stand. We sold produce from the farm in our driveway. We have a picture of that where we’re selling bell peppers and stuff. So it’s funny to be here 38 years later doing the same thing,” he says.

By blending tradition with entrepreneurship, Nuss proves returning to the family farm doesn’t mean doing things the old way. It means finding new ways to move agriculture forward. That innovative spirit is why he is the 2026 Top Producer Next Gen Award Winner, sponsored by Pioneer and Fendt.

Top Producer of the Year Finalist: Splitter Farms

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:39:13 GMT

During the hustle of harvest in central Kansas, Matt Splitter pauses to take in what’s coming off his fields, and even he’s surprised.

“We’re seeing really good yields,” says Splitter, who farms across three counties but calls Sterling, Kan., home. “These are the best corn and soybean yields we’ve ever seen, and the wheat yields this summer were just phenomenal.”

The strong production comes as a welcome bright spot in a year when margins are tight and opportunities to lock in profits are scarce. For Splitter, yield alone isn’t enough to carry an operation forward.

“Usually there are times when you can capture margins with forward sales and things like that, but we’re just not seeing that this year,” he explains. “We’ve had to trim our input costs tremendously and think outside the box.”

That means rethinking everything, from products to application methods.

“Instead of using a certain product, let’s think about using product B,” Splitter says. “How do we apply it? Do we need in-ground injection, or can we go over the top with a sprayer? What’s the lowest cost of operation? Those are the things we’re constantly evaluating.”

Growth Without a Conventional Playbook

Splitter Farms grows corn, soybeans, milo and wheat, but it’s not the crop mix that makes the operation stand out. It’s how the business has grown.

In 2021, Splitter received the Top Producer Horizon Award . At the time, they were in the middle of a transition and expansion plan with the goal to farm 10,000 acres. Five years later, the operation looks dramatically different.

“We farm about 12,000 to 13,000 exclusive acres, and then we custom farm another 6,000 on top of that,” he says.

That scale-up happened quickly. Just five years ago, Splitter Farms covered roughly 7,000 acres.

“Relationship building is the biggest reason,” Splitter says when asked how he’s been able to achieve such growth. “Janna has done an incredible job creating relationships, fostering them and following through.”

Some of the growth came from family members retiring, others from neighboring farmers stepping away from agriculture altogether.

“With the economy the way it is, some farmers are just deciding to get out,” he says. “We’ve been able to take on some of that ground.”

Splitter admits growth felt inevitable, but the pace caught him off guard.

“I believed growth was coming. I just didn’t know to what extent,” he says. “And I’m not sure we’re done. We might be. But it’s been a fun ride the last five years.”

A Sudden Start and a Steep Learning Curve

That growth is even more striking considering where the operation began.

When Matt and Janna Splitter started farming full time, the operation totaled just over 1,000 acres. Their decision to farm wasn’t planned, though. It was sudden.

“In 2010, my father passed away very suddenly,” Splitter says. “I was working for the National Sorghum Association out of Lubbock, Texas, but living in Kansas. After he passed, we were given the opportunity to farm. We weren’t given a whole lot of assets,” he says. “But we were given an incredible opportunity to come back and take over.”

With 1,200 acres and three landowners, the Splitters farmed part time for several years before committing fully.

“When we came on full time around 2012 and 2013, it still took extra income,” Splitter says. “Those winters were spent doing repairs, fixing fence, cleaning pastures, really whatever it took.”

The work ethic was there. What challenged them most was the learning curve.

“We had to ask a lot of questions,” Splitter says. “We leaned on accountants, attorneys, agronomists— really focused on surrounding ourselves with people who knew more than we did.”

The Right Mentors

That willingness to learn led to one of the most pivotal relationships in Splitter Farms’ history. After making a poor wheat marketing decision early on, Splitter knew they needed guidance.

“We just needed a little push and some advice,” he says. “That’s when we found Lee and Margaret Scheifler.”

Splitter approached Lee at a local meeting.

“I told him my father had passed and that I had questions,” he recalls. “That conversation turned into a relationship where we never once felt judged.”

The Scheiflers recognized something important.

“They saw we were willing to learn and willing to take a chance on the next step,” Splitter says.

In 2016, the Scheiflers asked Matt and Janna if they’d consider taking over their farm.

“We didn’t know how to answer,” Splitter says. “We had just come out of a really tough time, and we were asking ourselves how we could grow and do it right without letting anyone down.”

Eventually, they said yes, and then orchestrated a carefully planned transition plan, taking over about 1,000 acres per year.

What they couldn’t predict was how quickly other opportunities would follow.

“Other people saw how we were developing and wanted to be part of it,” Splitter says. “Five years turned into six, seven, eight. That transition is now complete, and we’re just pedaling the bike.”

Relationships as a Business Strategy

Today, Splitter Farms spans three counties in central Kansas. Matt is quick to credit much of the operation’s success to his wife, Janna, who is the co-owner and controller of the farm.

“Every relationship we build, we want people to feel like they are our No. 1 relationship,” Janna says. “Whether it’s vendors or landowners, we want them to feel that we go above and beyond.”

That mindset has helped sustain long-term partnerships and fuel continued growth.

One of the toughest decisions the Splitters made was relocating their headquarters from land Matt’s family homesteaded in 1878 to a newer farm 30 miles away.

“I knew that to grow at the pace that we needed to grow to get ahead of the curve was not where I grew up. The growth just wasn’t there. It will be, and we will continue to grow there, but at the time for us to grow, for us be mentored, for us to learn, it required us to make this move and move our headquarters here,” Splitter says. “And the mentorship side, being close to Lee and Margaret, being right across the road as neighbors to him now as well, that was so important to just be in close proximity to him.”

Culture, Efficiency and the Next Chapter

From moving to 100% no-till during downturns to operating two farming entities with one equipment lineup, every decision is calculated.

“There’s no playbook,” Splitter says. “We just know what the end goal looks like. There have been lifts and plateaus along the way, and this is probably one of those plateaus, until the next opportunity comes.”

Inside the business, professionalism and culture are non-negotiable. That philosophy is visible in their “dream” farm office the Splitters built nearly two years ago .

“The office is really the framework of what makes everything happen in the field,” Janna says. “It elevates professionalism, and it’s something we dreamed about for years.”

As the operation grows, Janna has watched Matt’s role evolve.

“We used to be the young people in the room,” she says. “Now we’re becoming teachers instead of learners.”

That influence is part of what makes Matt Splitter a finalist for the 2026 Top Producer of the Year.

“His ability to connect with people is what stands out,” Janna says. “He does it humbly, and he never seeks attention, but the impact he’s had on others is really special.”

Splitter may credit luck for some of the success, but those who know the operation see something else: disciplined growth, relationship-driven leadership and efficiency-focused decisions.

Congratulations to Splitter Farms, finalist for the 2026 Top Producer of the Year, which is sponsored by BASF and Fendt.

Click here to register for the 2026 Top Producer Summit.

It’s Time For Next Gen Farmers To Adjust Their Game Plan

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:16:33 GMT

It’s time to write a new playbook for the next generation of row crop farmers looking to expand their businesses. Economics show expansion isn’t possible by being a high cash renter.

This is according to University of Illinois economists Gary Schnitkey and Nick Paulson, who say the current plateau projected for commodity prices ($4 corn and $10.50 soybeans) is out of line with input costs. This is particularly punctuated by cash rent trends (Illinois 2025 average is $264/acre).

High Cash Rents Equals Negative Margins

While in the past a successful strategy could be to optimize row crop operations by expanding acres with cash rent, the economists say those acres now experience some of the worst margins, and therefore have completely undercut that a strategy.

“Since 2022, we saw cash rents and non-land costs go up,” Schnitkey explained on a recent webinar hosted by the Illinois Soybean Association. “We don’t expect to see much more moderation in costs for the next year or the year after. Break evens in this situation are above what the market is offering.”

While ad hoc farmer payments are helping with some operating costs, the economists say they aren’t enough to make up the difference in production costs.

“A combination of lower prices and higher costs have pushed us into a very low return period,” Schnitkey says. “When we do budgets for ’26, we come up with a return of -$17/acre.”

The economic projections specific for rented acres are even worse.

While recognizing averages don’t represent any one individual farm, Nick Paulson says analyzing the average cash rents do provide important and useful trend data.

With statewide averages for Illinois, Indiana and Iowa reporting at $264, $227 and $274/acre, respectively, Paulson says those have steadily risen since 2020.
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The economists observe there’s not enough returns on corn and soybean production to provide both the landowner and the farmer with historical normal returns. Paulson adds there’s pressure for lower cash rents, but so far, most have only reported small adjustments. While there have been a few dollars shaved off the averages from ’24 to ’25, he says, from a farmers’ perspective, those need to decline even greater.

“If we bid above average cash rents, we’re just burning cash quicker,” Paulson says.

Looking at the University of Illinois crop budgets for 2026, Paulson reports on a 50% corn/50% soybean farm in central Illinois, the average margin on rented acres is -$32/acre.

“We’ve seen farmers, particularly family farms, since the 1990s expand their farming operations by renting more ground, especially as a way to bring back more family to the farm and gain efficiencies with machinery over more acres,” Paulson says. “It’s been a strategy to rent land and use the resources built up on that rented ground to build the land base. It’s a much more challenging and infeasible strategy compared to what that strategy has done in the past.”

Take a Hard Look At All Rented Acres

While University of Illinois data points to a long-term average of $100/acre return for 50/50 corn and soybean farms in central Illinois, the current cash rent figures paint a stark contrast. As such, he says farmers should evaluate rental decisions selectively.

(University of Illinois)

“It’s not even close to the $100 average,” Paulson says. “For the foreseeable future, that’s likely to be the case. We don’t see prices increasing. Costs are coming down slowly. I don’t know where farmers can find the difference anywhere in their production budget. And particularly, this will effect younger farmers. They can’t pay to farm those acres.”

Established farmers may have an advantage as low-debt owned farmland may be subsidizing rental farmland. Owned farmland, in the U of I 2026 crop budget, shows a positive return.

“For those established farms with a stable land base, it’s time to look at the cash rented parcels and ask why. It’s tough to let a farm go. You don’t know when an opportunity arises in the future under more profitable circumstances. That’s a tough trigger to pull. Given the size of the red numbers we’re looking at, it’s a question we need to seriously ask ourselves,” Schnitckey says.

New Strategy

Paulson says a strategy for next gen farmer revenue growth can come from two areas — generating revenue from on-farm businesses or off-farm income.

“We’ve got two problems. We don’t know when the high income years from farming will happen again — it could be next week or 10 years from now,” Paulson says. “And the other problem is, in the meantime, chances for profitability are extremely low.”

When reviewing data from Illinois Farm Business Farm Management participants, Schnitckey says it’s important to look at income versus living costs.

“Non-farm income is much more stable than net farm income over time,” he says. “And today, non-farm income is a significant part of funding sources for the farm operation — it’s probably growing in significance.”

Specific to 2024 data, living expenses exceeded net farm income. And while not the first time that imbalance has been seen, it’s important to note how that erodes equity on grain farms.

(University of Illinois)

Additionally, younger farmers are challenged in these times because they are less likely to have assets accumulated, and it’s harder in current conditions to acquire assets.

“Ideally, what you want is a household to have a six-figure off-farm family income — with health benefits,” Schnitckey says. “And have other farm businesses that generate cash. If you can farm, you have business skills and entrepreneurial skills to take advantage of.”

Examples shared by the economists of on-farm alternative enterprises include:

Decommoditizing commodity production (for example, organic or non-GMO), specialty grains, food grade, etc.
Direct to consumer/branded products
Seed sales
Custom farming

Moment of Truth: The Louisiana Farmer Who Captured Trump's Ear, Put Human Face on Ag Crisis

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:29:00 GMT

Rice country is hurting, badly.

Prices have collapsed to levels not seen in four decades, while production costs climb beyond $1,000 an acre. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, rice farmers are projected to lose more than $360 per acre this year. For many operations, that kind of math pushes losses deeper into the red and pushes tough decisions closer to reality.

That financial pressure was front and center at the White House last week as President Donald Trump unveiled his Farmer Bridge Payments, but what captured national attention wasn’t just policy — it was a farmer.

Her words, delivered candidly and unscripted on live television, put a human face on the crisis gripping America’s rice farms and mills.

That producer is Meryl Kennedy.

A Family Business Rooted in Rice

Kennedy is the youngest of four daughters, carrying forward a family operation that stretches back nearly six decades. Her father began farming rice in the late 1960s, and over time the family expanded beyond production into milling and value-added markets. That vertical integration gives Kennedy a front-row view of how price volatility affects not just growers, but entire supply chains.

“So I’m actually second generation,” Kennedy says. “My father started as a farmer back in the late 1960s, and we continue to take rice from the farm to a finished product today.”

After returning home from college, Kennedy helped oversee the startup of the family’s rice mill in 2012. The mill steadily grew, sourcing rice from roughly 60 farm families who relied on the operation as a stable market outlet. For those growers, the health of the mill is closely tied to the health of the farm economy.

“We actually mill rice, distribute it to many large companies throughout the U.S. and internationally,” Kennedy says. “But then my sisters and I have our own brand called Four Sisters that we launch about five years ago.”

As president and CEO of Kennedy Rice Mill and co-founder of Four Sisters Rice, Kennedy balances brand development, export logistics and farmer relationships. That role places her at the intersection of domestic agriculture and global trade, a perspective that proved pivotal when she was invited to Washington.

An Unexpected Moment in the Spotlight

Kennedy was one of eight farmers invited to participate in the White House roundtable on Dec. 8. Like many producers attending policy discussions, she expected a private conversation focused on data and feedback. What she did not know until moments before entering the room is that the discussion will be broadcast live.

“And my sisters and I, because there are four of us — I’m the youngest of four daughters — started our own rice brand a few years ago to just tell the story of American agriculture that hadn’t really been told before,” Kennedy told Trump and the White House Cabinet members who attended the farmer roundtable that day. “But I wish I was here under better terms.”

As the conversation turned to the financial outlook for rice, Kennedy did not sugarcoat the situation. Her remarks reflect what growers have been telling lenders and suppliers for months: Margins are gone, and losses are mounting.

“I know that prices right now are the lowest they’ve been in over 40 years, so we’re going to struggle,” she continued. “We’re going to max out on our payments probably, so that’s something that I know those in Congress can potentially help us with to change.”

Kennedy says the magnitude of the moment did not fully register until after the cameras are rolling. Sitting beside the president, she realized she was speaking not just for her own operation, but for growers across the country.

“In fact, it still seems like it is a dream, I’m going to be honest with you,” she says. “At the beginning of this year, I had a feeling that it was going to be a very difficult year. But it really wasn’t until midway through the year that we just saw a drastic drop in prices that has continued month after month.”

Farmers Asked Her to Speak Up

Kennedy says her decision to engage directly with the administration was driven by the growers who supply her mill. As conditions worsen, those farmers began urging her to use her industry position to push for action.

“And so it really is my farmers urging me a month ago to write a letter to the president,” she says. “To explain the situation to him, to urge him to help our farmers.”

That outreach, Kennedy says, marked a turning point. What began as a letter quickly became a national conversation.

“We wrote that letter, and look what the president does,” she says. “He responded.”

Kennedy explains the collapse in rice prices cannot be understood without looking beyond U.S. borders. Rice, she notes, is not just another commodity; it is a staple food for much of the world, making global market dynamics especially complex.

“Rice is a global commodity. It is the means of survival for most of the planet on a daily basis,” she says. “I truly mean it that rice is more of a currency than it is a commodity.”

While the U.S. ranks fifth in the world for rice exports, Kennedy says heavy subsidization and overproduction by major exporting nations distort markets and undermine U.S. competitiveness.

“And what has been happening is that really since COVID, there’s been truly an overproduction,” she says. “Then we over-subsidize in these nations and then dump rice globally across the world.”

A Candid Exchange With a Call to Action

That backdrop set the stage for one of the most striking moments of the roundtable, as Kennedy directly addressed concerns about dumping and unfair trade practices. The exchange unfolded live, capturing the attention of producers watching from home.

“And we do believe that countries are dumping rice into this country today,” Kennedy said during the roundtable at the White House. “We’ve never seen imports this great.”

When pressed for specifics, she named the countries she believes are contributing to the problem.

“India, Thailand, even China into Puerto Rico,” she said. “Puerto Rico used to be one of the largest markets for U.S. rice. We haven’t shipped rice into Puerto Rico in years.”

As Kennedy listed off the countries, Trump turned to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and asked him to write the countries down. Kennedy said the moment was monumental.

“None of it is scripted,” she says. “He really called me to action, and I responded.”

“When he turns to Secretary Bessent and asks him to write these countries down, it really is a powerful moment,” she adds. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

Aid Helps — But It’s Not Enough

The roundtable featuring farmers on Dec. 8 was intended to announce Farmer Bridge Assistance Payment Program, for which USDA is expected to release payment rates next week. Ahead of that official announcement, University of Arkansas economists estimate rice payments could approach $115 per acre, though statutory payment caps will limit the amount many farmers actually receive.

“You know, I’ve seen some other figures kind of siding more like $50, considering that $155,000 payment cap,” says Mollie Buckler, CEO of U.S. Rice Producers. “While I think it will help some farmers, this is not putting huge profits in their pockets.”

Buckler says the assistance might keep some producers afloat short-term, but it does not address the underlying market imbalance. Without structural changes, she warns, the industry will continue to contract.

“Absolutely,” Buckler says when asked if farmers could be forced out of business. “Possibly even up to a quarter of farmers having to make tough decisions.”

Pressing Trump to Love Rice

Despite the seriousness of the discussion, Kennedy’s exchange with Trump also included a lighter moment that resonated with viewers. The humor underscores a broader effort to build demand for U.S.-grown rice.

“And you love rice, right?” the president asked.

“I love rice,” Kennedy replied. “I’m going to get you to love rice too. The next time, you’re not going to have a button for a Coke, you’re going to have a button for rice.”

It was another moment that stole the spotlight, as Kennedy’s quick-witted response garnered laughs. Kennedy says she even surprised herself in that moment.

“It just came out,” she says. “I encourage everyone that doesn’t eat rice on a daily basis to think about making rice part of your diet.”

A Voice for Farmers

For Kennedy, the experience reinforces the importance of connecting consumers with the people behind their food. She says telling that story is now more crucial than ever as farm families navigate financial uncertainty.

“This has given me a voice to encourage people to think about where their food comes from,” she says. “To think about supporting American farmers.”

As rice producers confront one of the toughest years in decades, Kennedy’s message reflects a broader industry plea for fair trade, market transparency and a future where family farms can continue growing a crop that feeds the world.

Farm Journal Announces 2026 Top Producer Award Finalists

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:32:12 GMT

Farm Journal has announced three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Top Producer of the Year Award, honoring some of the most progressive and successful farm operations in the country. The winner and finalists will be formally recognized at the 2026 Top Producer Summit , agriculture’s premier executive-level conference for elite farmers and ranchers, which is set for Feb. 9-11 in Nashville, Tenn. Also presented at the event will be the Next Generation Award and Women in Agriculture Award.

“The Top Producer Awards celebrate operations that are building resilient, innovative and future-focused businesses,” said Margy Eckelkamp, brand leader of Top Producer. “These finalists and award winners represent the very best of modern agriculture: strong family leadership, diversification, technology adoption and an unwavering commitment to excellence.”

2026 Top Producer of the Year Award Finalists:

Alsum Farms, Friesland, Wis. – A multigenerational family operation producing potatoes, pumpkins, hay, alfalfa and other rotational crops across more than 3,600 acres. The business is fully vertically integrated, overseeing production, packing and marketing. Leadership spans generations with the founder serving as CEO since 1981 now working alongside his two daughters who hold leadership roles in the business.

Dalton Farms, Wakeman, Ohio – A seventh-generation family farm led by Rebecca and Edward Dalton. The operation includes 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans, a 400-head cattle herd with direct-to-consumer beef sales and a growing on-farm market offering locally-sourced chicken, pork and maple syrup. Their story reflects both diversification and successful generational transition following a family split in the 1990s.

Splitter Farms, Sterling, Kan. – Led by Matt and Janna Splitter, this Kansas row-crop operation spans 1,400 owned acres with nearly 18,500 acres farmed annually through cash rent and custom work. After the sudden passing of Matt’s father in 2010, the couple returned to the farm and scaled the business using data-driven decision-making, strong landowner relationships and disciplined business management. Notably, this marks the first time a previous Next Generation Award winner has advanced to a Top Producer of the Year finalist.

The 2026 Top Producer of the Year award is sponsored by BASF and Fendt.

2026 Next Generation Award Winner

Tim Nuss, El Dorado Hills/Lodi, Calif., is the 2026 Next Gen Award winner. Nuss farms garlic, tomatoes, peppers, melons, herbs, pumpkins, cucumbers and grains with his father and brother while also building a powerful off-farm ag influencing business. He serves as CFO of Nuss Farms. He’s also head of business development at Polaris Energy Services, an ag tech irrigation company, hosts the “Modern Acre” podcast, and recently co-launched AgList, an online biologicals review and ratings platform designed to bring transparency to the ag inputs marketplace.

The 2026 Next Generation Award is sponsored by Pioneer and Fendt.

2026 Women in Agriculture Award Winner

Helle Ruddenklau, Amity, Ore., is the 2026 Women in Ag Award winner. Ruddenklau Farms in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, growing grass seed, wheat, vegetables, peas and hazelnuts. Originally from Denmark, she immigrated to the U.S. at age 15, later meeting her husband, Bruce, while on an exchange program in New Zealand. In addition to serving as CFO of their farming operation, she is deeply involved in ag advocacy and economic development, working through organizations such as Oregon AgriWomen, AgLaunch and SEDCOR to strengthen regional agriculture through supplier and industry partnerships.

The 2026 Women in Agriculture Award is sponsored by Pro Farmer.

All finalists and award winners will be recognized on stage for their excellence in the business of farming at the 2026 Top Producer Summit, where the nation’s best producers gather to advance leadership, management, technology adoption and succession planning in agriculture. Learn more about Top Producer Summit and Top Producer of the Year awards at tpsummit.com.

Where Hope Takes Root: The Grit That Saved a 90-Year-Old Family Farm

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 22:21:31 GMT

In the rolling hills of Napa Valley’s Los Carneros region, the scene often looks idyllic. Morning fog drapes the vineyards, and the quiet hum of farm life feels timeless. But behind the postcard-perfect setting stands a family that has survived nearly 90 years of grit, risk and reinvention — and a fourth-generation farmer who refused to let 2024 be the end of their story.

“I am the fourth generation carrying on this family legacy,” says grape grower Jennifer Thomson, walking the same ground her great-grandmother once chose with remarkable instinct.

A Legacy Born From the Dust Bowl

Long before Napa Valley became synonymous with world-class wine, the Thomson family put down roots here in 1938. Thomson’s great-grandmother, Jenny Ophelia Barnum Thomson — a descendant of the famed Barnum circus family — had the courage to pursue opportunity when most would have turned back.

“It was the Great Dust Bowl and the Great Depression driving many families west for new opportunity,” Thomson says. “As migration was happening toward the West Coast for better economic opportunities, they moved here and were able to purchase this land.”

What she bought wasn’t just acreage. It was a vibrant Carneros hub complete with orchards, worker housing and a blacksmith shop. Women couldn’t legally own land at the time, but the deed was placed in her name for only a day, a testament to the trailblazer she was. Then, the land deed was moved into her husband’s name. But the vision, Thomson says, was her great-grandmother’s.

“For her to have that foresight to take that risk and purchase land here — you think about that today,” Thomson says. “She was doing what any family does: contributing to the family. There was water in the Carneros Creek, there were prunes, pears and apples already planted, and they had the ingenuity and engineering to successfully farm. Sometimes you just have to lead with your intuition, and I think that’s what she was doing.”

A Daughter Returns Home — and a New Fight Begins

Four generations later, that same intuition runs deep. In 2009, Thomson left her job in San Francisco and came home to take over the ranch from her father, George.

“Did I ever think Jen would be the one to take over?” George says with a small laugh. “No. I am surprised. I am thankful.”

When she arrived, the wine industry was in the middle of the 2008–2009 recession.

“When I took over in 2009, my father says to me, ‘You picked the absolute worst time to get into farming,’” Thomson recalls. “And then 2024 and 2025 happened. Farmers ask one another, ‘Is this as bad as 2008 or 2009? Is it better? Worse? Did we just forget?’ Because I took over so young, I already was prepared more than my peers.”

But today’s pressures, she says, feel heavier.

“There are not as many channels for sales, not as many stable partners to work with. If I’m a betting woman, I do think 2025 and going into 2026 will be more of a struggle than ever before for the California wine industry.”

Read More: Grape Growers Desperately Need You to Drink More Wine as They Grapple With a Glut of Uncontracted Grapes

So, why is it so challenging for grape growers today? It’s complex. Not only has demand dwindled, with a Gallup poll showing alcohol consumption is at a 90-year low, but an abundant supply the past few years has suffocated the grape growing region. As more vineyards take vines out, that will help the supply situation, but it’s coming at a cost. The other issue is the sellers, like Thomson, and buyers, as in wineries, haven’t always come to the table to find a solution. Cheap imports have flooded the market, and it’s at a much cheaper price than what it costs to grow grapes in California.

Thomson’s father agrees with her, saying the California grape and wine industry is facing one of its most challenging chapters yet.

“It is very challenging,” George says. “The market is sort of against us. Tastes are changing. There are more government regulations on what you can do with your property to make a living.”

Still, he keeps believing.

“Do I think we’ll get out of this? I have my fingers crossed. With people like Jennifer, I believe they’ll keep working at it. They won’t give in easily,” George says.

The Year the Grapes Had No Home

But nothing prepared the family for what came in 2024.

“This home ranch produces a little over 300 tons of grapes annually,” Jennifer says. “And in 2024, nearly all of those 300 tons are dropped on the ground and go unharvested.”

All of them?

“All of them,” she says quietly.

Demand had plummeted. Oversupply strangled the region. And for the first time in the ranch’s nine-decade history, not a single cluster had a home.

It was a moment when most growers would consider walking away. But Jennifer didn’t.

Refusal to Quit

But this is where the story gets good, and where you’re reminded you can’t underestimate the determination of a family farmer, especially Thomson. After all, grit is woven into this family’s DNA. And she leaned on every ounce of it.

“In 2025, I make a true farmer with good ingenuity,” she says. “I make sure I shake hands. I talk with previous clients. I source new clients. I put a lot of hustle into exploring new relationships and cultivating the ones we already have. And we are fortunate this year to sell all of our grapes.”

Her father says the same drive is what transformed the ranch the moment she took over 15 years ago.

“We were able to make a living at it, at least pay the taxes,” George says. “But the property really never makes money until Jennifer says, ‘I think I can do that.’ I hand her the keys and the checkbook.”

George says he always had an off-farm job, but for this first time in his memory, Thomson’s keen business sense and intuition turned the family vineyard into one that could finally support itself.

“Jennifer turns it around for the first time in my life that the property actually supports itself,” he says, emotion thick in his voice. “How proud am I? Extremely proud. She has the foresight, the hunger, the passion. The intelligence. She had all the parts. She has them now.”

One of the Last Family Farmers Standing

In a region rapidly shifting toward corporate ownership, Jennifer is part of a shrinking group — farmers who still drive their own tractors, repair their own equipment and deliver their own fruit.

“I feel more of a pull to the land than I ever predicted when I first took over,” she says. “I took over to help my family and retain this ranch for future generations. But working alongside our crew for 15 years, working with winery partners who value our family legacy and this 90-year-old ranch — I certainly feel much more drawn to the land than I ever think I would.”

Some estimates point to less than 25% of the growers left in the region are true family farmers, a dwindling group that is fighting to remain rooted here.

Gratitude Amid the Hardship

Despite the hardships, Thomson carries deep gratitude — especially this Thanksgiving season.

“I’m really grateful my great-grandmother has the foresight in 1938 to buy a wonderful piece of land with wonderful water availability,” she says. “I have a great-grandfather and grandfather who worked with the Federal Soil Conservation Department and built an on-stream reservoir. It allows us to irrigate our crops and keeps our vines healthier.”

She is thankful for her community, too.

“I’m thankful for that core group of family farmers. We band together. We support one another. We share our successes and we share our failures. That camaraderie can’t be duplicated.”

A Story Still Being Written

The Thomsons’ story, once born out of Dust Bowl desperation, endures because each generation chooses resilience over retreat. And in 2024 — after a year when every grape fell to the ground — it was Jennifer’s resolve that carried the legacy forward.

Every grape has a home again in 2025. And because of her, the family’s story isn’t just continuing, it’s growing stronger.

The Miracle Season: Indiana Farm Family Gives Thanks For Teen's Miraculous Recovery From Bus Accident

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 20:59:40 GMT

For farmers, harvest season brings its own set of challenges. But for Indiana farm family Brad, Kelley, Caleb and Lucas Bradshaw, this year’s harvest stress comes with a side of gratitude.

“We’re just thankful we have something to harvest,” admits Brad Bradshaw, a farmer in New Carlisle, Ind. “If it wasn’t for the friends and families in this community and beyond, we’d be up a creek.”

The nightmare began on May 8, 2025, when Bradshaw, the assistant junior varsity baseball coach at New Prairie High School, loaded onto one of two mini-buses headed for an away game. Bradshaw was driving with Lucas and 6 teammates on board. While stopped at a traffic light just a few miles from home, their bus was violently struck from behind by a box truck traveling over 70 miles per hour.

“I happen to look up and think, ‘Oh my God, we’re about to get hit.’ All I remember was getting hit and I was out,” Bradshaw recounts.

The impact flipped the bus onto its side and threw Lucas onto the pavement.

“I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize but I missed it,” Kelley says. “The number called again and something just told me to pick it up. A gentleman explained that there had been an accident.”

Lucas was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Doctors were able to get him stable, but a traumatic brain injury led to a medically induced coma, then swelling, a craniotomy and breathing and feeding tubes. Bradshaw suffered a broken sternum and ribs, along with a host of other contusions. He was treated and released, but Lucas’ path forward remained cloudy.

Lucas suffered severe brain trauma following the accident

(Brad Bradshaw)

“We had hope,” Kelley shares through tears. “We always had hope.”

As he fought for his life, the New Carlisle community sprang into action. Friends and family helped get their crops planted and handle work on the farm.

“There was a lot of behind-the-scenes work that just happened,” Kelley says.

While Lucas was hospitalized, his brother Caleb stepped up, managing the farm work and caring for their 4-H animals.

“It was pretty hard,” Caleb says. “I got home late every day, but it was okay doing it by myself.”

By June, the family, down a team member, reluctantly headed to the county fair knowing Lucas wouldn’t be there in 2025.

“We were at the county fair and my sister texts and says they’ve deemed Lucas medically awake,” Bradshaw says.

Good news amid the craziness of fair season. Friends stepped in to show Lucas’ livestock. When it came time for the sale, the community rallied behind him. His recovery journey then led him to Mary Free Bed, a rehab hospital in Grand Rapids, nearly two hours from the farm.

“When he got there, he just lay there,” Kelley says. “He couldn’t do anything else. His eyes weren’t even open. One eye was cracked and that was it.”

With each passing day, there was improvement. The small wins added up to big gains. After 125 days in the hospital, on September 10, Lucas took his next big step.

Lucas, helped by his brother Caleb, walked out of Mary Free Bed rehab hospital

(MaryBeth Griffiths)

“They said it was their number one graduation, and they wish all their graduations were like that,” Lucas proudly says, “When I saw the whole baseball team, I was like, ‘Wow.’ I was happy.”

With friends, family, staff and teammates cheering him on, Lucas walked out of the hospital where he was wheeled in.

As the fall baseball season concluded, the harvest season roared into full swing.

“He’s had a traumatic brain injury, so he has some damage and some things that he has to work on to get better,” Bradshaw says. “We have hope that he will get better. He’s determined to do that, and he has huge goals, which I love goals.”

There’s a renewed drive for this family to reclaim the seasons they lost and get back to the fields they love. Today, they understand each day is a gift.

Lucas is back in the combine helping with harvest

(Brad Bradshaw)

“The number of people that just happened to be in the right place at the right time truly is a miracle,” Kelley says.

Bradshaw echoes: “It’s just a miracle that seven players and two coaches are all walking today. We could have lost all of us. We were blessed that day. Everybody was blessed.”

As the combine races toward the end of harvest, those blessings are pouring out on those watching a son, a friend, a brother and a teammate return to the field.

“Farming has always been a thing to do and growing up that’s all there’s been,” Lucas says. “I pretty much need to find my way. If I want to do something, it’s going to involve farming.”

A determination to roll through this season and the next, ready to plant the gifts God so graciously spared.

Two Unlikely Teammates: NFL Quarterback and Young Tractor Prodigy Team up to Fuel Farmers

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 19:29:02 GMT

At just 10 years old, Jackson Laux of South Whitley, Ind., already knows more about antique tractors than most adults. His TikTok clips rack up thousands of views, and last year John Deere named him the company’s first-ever Chief Tractor Kid.

“It’s always been the mower tractor … I’ve never done anything else with it,” Jackson says matter-of-factly in one of his viral videos.

A Walking Tractor Encyclopedia

Ask Jackson about the best tractor in U.S. history and he won’t hesitate to rattle off a list.

“I’ve got about three of them that I would go in between,” he says. “The John Deere 4430, the John Deere 4020, and the John Deere Model A. Those are all tied for first.”

Pressed to choose just one? He goes with the Model A.

“Probably the Model A. They made 320,000 of them, from 1934 to 1952. It was a very popular tractor. It was the row crop tractor. You could run a rear loader or a front loader on it, and you could do everything with it. The John Deere D and the Waterloo Boy were more just the plow tractor. So it was the more versatile tractor — the A.”

That encyclopedic knowledge is exactly what has made Jackson a hit with tractor enthusiasts young and old.

From Grandpa’s Tractor to His Own Acres

Jackson’s passion started with rides alongside his grandpa. Now, he’s farming his own ground.

“I’ll be harvesting my first two acres this fall, and I’ll be helping my uncles and my grandpa with their corn,” he says. “When I was riding with my grandpa, I never thought I’d be here, farming my own two acres. It’s been a very cool experience.”

Teaming Up With an NFL Quarterback

This fall, Jackson’s tractor obsession took him beyond the farm field. He teamed up with NFL quarterback Brock Purdy and John Deere to surprise farmers during harvest with field meals: hot food delivered right to the cab of the combine.

“I was shocked,” Jackson recalls of meeting Purdy. “I don’t show much emotion, but it was pretty cool because I figured at some point I was going to meet him.”

For the farmers, the surprise was unforgettable.

“When they saw Brock come around the corner, the farmers lit up. They were really excited,” Jackson says.

The two even had some fun in the kitchen while feeding farmers, calling in back-up for help. You can watch that below.

Finding Common Ground

Even though they come from different worlds, Jackson says he and Purdy share some important traits.

“He’s just a down-to-earth guy, just like me. We’re both laid-back people,” Jackson says. “That’s my middle name — competitive.”

A Kid Who Connects Generations

From antique tractor debates to sharing meals in the field with an NFL star, Jackson shows how passion and hard work can bring people together.

This harvest, the 10-year-old Chief Tractor Kid reminds us sometimes the best meals aren’t at the table, but right in the field.

Their Work Doesn’t Stop There

In the weeks ahead, John Deere isn’t just feeding farmers in the field, but the company is also donating over 250,000 meals to Feeding America . In 2024, the company donated $6.6 million to Feeding America.

“At the end of the day, this is about showing up for the ones who show up for all of us,” says Jen Hartmann, global director of corporate reputation and brand marketing at John Deere. “Donating to Feeding America and delivering home cooked meals in the middle of a long day are simple gestures, but it’s our way of recognizing the people whose hard work puts food on all of our tables.”

You can follow Purdy and Jackson’s journey, along with how John Deere is helping fuel farmers, on John Deere’s TikTok and Instagram accounts.

Agriculture as a Path to Peace, Stability, and Opportunity in Colombia

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:00:38 GMT

By Johan Sebastian Chavez Mosquera:Piendamo, Cauca, Colombia

When the boy asked me to work in a cocaine lab, I knew we had a problem.

He was a bright student, genuinely interested in science and always asking questions. I was his chemistry teacher. That’s one of my jobs, in addition to working on a family farm here in Colombia.

I thought I was doing well with him and that he was learning. One day after class, however, he came up to me. “Since you know chemistry, would you help me work in a cocaine lab?” he asked. “I can introduce you to the bosses. They pay very well.”

He went on to tell me that another teacher who worked in a cocaine lab had made enough money to buy a new car.

I was shocked.I did not respond—and in that moment, I was struck by the monumental challenges that rural youth face in Colombia. How much potential are we losing because young people are choosing this option?

Maybe my student’s question shouldn’t have surprised me. Every Colombian knows that the cultivation of coca plants is a major sector of our country’s agriculture. And every farmer probably has wondered about taking it up.

This dilemma lately has received attention from the international press, as Howard Buffett, the son of the famous investor Warren Buffett, has invested millions trying to persuade Colombian farmers to switch from coca plants to legal crops. I’m doing my part in a smaller way with ELOJA , a group that I founded to mentor young people in entrepreneurship, connect them with financing opportunities, and help them turn ideas into businesses.

This is the way to a brighter future—and it can begin on a farm like mine.

I grow flowers and coffee near Peindamo, a small city in the department of Cauca. My grandparents were coffee farmers. My father continued it and added flower production more than 30 years ago, and I took it up after he died because I wanted to maintain the family legacy as well as help it grow. Our flower production once covered four hectares, but during the pandemic it shrank to a single hectare. My goal is to rebuild, expand, and innovate—and to do it in a way that brings hope to young people.

I have friends whose families raise coca, and some of them used the proceeds to finance their university educations. Others have paid off debts. Many farmers grow the crop because they’re poor and it provides a fast and steady income. They’re willing to risk conflict with the military, police, and armed gangs.

I avoided that path because I want no part of the violence, extortion payments known as “vacunas,” and the other illegal activities that surround it. I respect the difficult decisions that other farmers make, but for me, agriculture is a path to peace, stability, and opportunity.

My plan is to build something sustainable for my family and community without putting anyone in danger. My academic background plays a part, allowing me to understand and apply information gained from scientific articles and publications to improve my farm.

We once had a problem with transplanting sunflower seedlings during germination. Research showed me which inputs to use and in what quantities, and soon we were growing better flowers than ever before. I’ve also used my knowledge of chemistry to calculate nutrient solutions and define the proper timing for irrigation and fertilization. This improved crop quality and lowered production costs.

Chemistry allows me to go beyond traditional methods of agriculture that often remain stuck in the past and to become a dynamic farmer who tries new ideas and tools.

This is the future I want to help create—one in which young people see hope and opportunity. Where agriculture is profitable and dignified. Instead of coca, I imagine diversified and profitable crops, with export possibilities.I see more agro-industries transforming what we grow into high-value products – chocolate, essential oils, natural dyes – so that families can earn more per hectare.

The future is possible.It will take collaboration, patience and courage. With the support of government to invest in infrastructure and security; private companies who can provide technology and can purchase from small farmers; and international partners to provide training and funding, we can help farmers quit the drug trade for good.

My goal is to ensure that the next student who loves chemistry sees a future in science and entrepreneurship – not the illegal drug trade.

Johan Sebastian Chavez Mosquera is a 3^rd generation farmer and social entrepreneur, managing small family farm raising sunflowers, chrysanthemums for oils and fiber, pepper. lettuce, cucumber, and coffee.Active in youth leadership, he leads the “The Agricultural Youth Observatory (ELOJA), and the Rural Incubator; Building Peace. Johan Sebastian is a member of the Global Farmer Network www.globalfarmernetwork.org

From Tobacco to Pork Production: Move Allows Farmers to Bring Home the Bacon

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:44:53 GMT

Transitioning from tobacco production to pork production requires a big leap of faith for farmers. Some North Carolina farmers say if the move is done right, changing a farm’s main commodity offers both financial and experiential rewards.

“From Bright Leaf to Berkshires” is a North Carolina A&T (N.C. A&T) Cooperative Extension program helping some farmers make that leap.

N.C. A&T Extension swine specialist and program director Derrick Coble says the program’s goal is to provide tobacco farmers who have been financially impacted by tobacco policy and social changes with options to improve their farms’ profitability.

The program trains farmers to produce Berkshire pigs using hoop structure barns.

“Hoop house structures originated in Canada at the turn of the century,” Coble says in a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) release . “Inside the hoop house, the deep-bedded system filled with hay, sawdust or anything fibrous will absorb waste. These structures also have walls that can be pulled down so it can be managed as a cold barn during winter.”

Training Is Not Optional
Raising hogs today is much different than it used to be, says Caswell County farmer Santonio Bolton.

“It’s all about quality,” Bolton says in the release. “It’s all about biosecurity. It’s about learning so many different things that you don’t think of when you grow up doing it on a farm.”

Funding from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has helped 18 farmers graduate from the Extension program. NIFA says they will receive assistance for the next two years to make sure all participants’ entry into pork production allows them to ‘bring home the bacon.’

According to Coble, the program has accounted for 25 jobs, $552,500 worth of pork products sold, and more than $22,000 in tax revenue for the state of North Carolina.

Growth Opportunities
NIFA program leader Solomon Haile says the N.C. A&T program illustrates how Extension programs can foster farmers’ willingness to expand their operations into new and profitable areas.

“Profitability is an ongoing challenge for farmers and even more so for ones with smaller operations,” Haile says in a release. “Extension programs, like the From Bright Leaf to Berkshires effort, open producers’ eyes to new opportunities and more importantly, they provide the hands-on training and support needed to turn those opportunities into real success stories.”

Aspiring hog farmers learn about production basics, such as nutrition and reproduction. They also dig into more advanced topics in waste management, welfare and behavior, diseases and niche marketing opportunities.

Sampson County farmer and returning N.C. A&T student, Kevin Chestnutt, says the program allows him to connect with other producers across the state.

“We were versed in artificial insemination, the science behind the diets that you feed pigs in order to maximize the production of pork that you’d get from an animal,” Chestnutt says in a release. “I was originally raised on a hog farm in Sampson County, and with this, I want to preserve the past and embrace the future at the same time.”

Keep Reading:
Find out how Aaron Blackmon, a North Carolina extension agent and first-generation farmer, discovered his passion through mentorship and now carries on a farm’s legacy with dedication.

The Two Worst Words a Farm Kid Can Say

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:18:10 GMT

Growing up on a farm is a unique experience that shapes vocabulary, attitude and lifestyle in countless ways. When you grow up on a farm, certain phrases become ingrained in your vocabulary, like “feed the calves” or “fix the fence” or “mow the grass,” but one phrase, in particular, is notably absent: “I’m bored.” In fact, these two little words should never escape the lips of a farm kid. On a farm, “boredom” is akin to a curse word, a concept almost as foreign as a cow that milks itself.

If, by some rare chance, a farm kid proclaims boredom, rest assured the farmer will always have a response, usually in the form of work. From fixing fences to milking cows, the endless list of tasks ensures there’s always something to occupy one’s time. Growing up, the idea of being bored was so unfathomable that even as a mere whisper, it would trigger an avalanche of chores.

I remember telling my mother, I was bored, could I go to the mall. My father overheard and said that rocks needed picked from the cattle corral.

In a world where other children would spend summer days at the mall or at a pool or watching television, farm kids are busy hauling manure, feeding calves, mowing grass, vaccinating cows, baling hay, getting their prize show animals ready for the fair and other tasks under the summer sun. During my own childhood, these activities kept me so occupied the notion of boredom seemed laughable.

The sheer sense of community and responsibility that arises from sharing in the farm work creates a mindset where leisure activities, such as trips to the movies or the mall, are rare and treasured luxuries.

Farm life might not be Instagram-worthy at times, but it certainly prepares children for the real world, as they learn resilience and a strong work ethic from an early age. If your own farm kids have ever echoed this curse word, how did you respond? Maybe you directed them toward the nearest trough that required cleaning or farm equipment to be washed.

Farm life is as much about character-building as it is about growing crops or raising livestock. It teaches adaptability and instills a sense of fulfillment born from hard work. The next time “I’m bored” is uttered, take it as an invitation to instill these valuable lessons, ensuring future generations uphold the traditions that make farm life so unique.

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There’s a Gen X Sized Hole In Agribusiness Leadership

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 19:11:36 GMT

In agribusiness, for every potential leader aged 35–50, two are preparing to retire. That stat was provided by Aaron Locker, Managing Director, Kincannon & Reed, during testimony in front of a Senate special committee on aging.

He says this helps illustrate the quietly unfolding crisis that is rapidly cutting across the agriculture.

“And the consequences for our food supply, our rural communities, and our national security are serious,” he said. “The 1980s farm crisis didn’t just damage balance sheets. It’s changed the interest of being involved in agriculture. That gap is being realized today in board rooms, field offices, agronomy teams and more.”

This is leaving a leadership and a talent gap for leaders, management and C-Suite roles.
Locker reflects on how when the agriculture industry is stressed—such as during the 1980s—it brought less appeal to young professionals in higher education and early career opportunities.

“While college attendance overall rose nearly 7 percent between 1980 and 1990, enrollment in land grant colleges of agriculture- like Texas A&M, the University of Nebraska, University of Minnesota, and Iowa State University and others dropped by nearly 37 percent,” he said.

Even more focused on the succession angle, Locker says of the agribusinesses his firm works with, less than one-third have a formal succession plan.

“In agriculture, where many senior leaders have been in place for decades, this creates an acute succession challenge,” he says.

From a general industry perspective, Locker points to other faster-growing industries as being more attractive. For example, while agriculture job growth is steady at 3%, other sectors such as tech and finance are growing three times faster.

“[They] are drawing top talent away from the food system. We are not just competing for attention—we are competing for leadership,” he says.

Top Producers Share The Best Advice They Would Tell Their Younger Selves

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:02:10 GMT

During the 2025 Top Producer Summit, previous Top Producer award winners took a moment to step back and reflect on the past. Looking back, what advice would they give their younger selves? Here’s what they had to say:

“If you’re hesitating, get on the ball. If you’re scrambling and don’t know what you’re doing, get on the ball. If you’re scared, get on the ball. It’s the only way you survive. But don’t focus so much by being on the ball and so focused on building your living that you forget to live your life.” ~Ron Rabou

“Don’t let your farm size or balance sheet determine your value. That’s been tough as a young producer, because we’re always looking for growth, but sometimes we need to reflect and recognize sometimes growth is internal. You should surround yourself with quality people and be genuinely happy for those around you. Try to understand the value of no. If I could look back, I would’ve said no a lot more. I’m still learning how to say no. The other thing my wife also challenges me to do is enjoy the ride. Take the time to celebrate your wins — even though that can sometimes be hard to do as a progressive businessperson.” ~Matt Splitter,

“Don’t let anybody crush your dreams. The first time I headed to Oklahoma with a combine, everyone in my local community said, ‘That will never work.’ I proved them wrong, and we’re still doing it 32 years later. Hang around positive people, and have someone behind you who believes in you. My wife still writes me notes every week that say, ‘I’ll love you unconditionally.’ It makes my job easier because when there’s a bad day, you’ve got somebody behind you.” ~Chad Olsen

“Hold your space. I was an only child of older parents. It was hard to grow up and be seen as grown up. So, it’s important for those of us in a multigenerational business to hold our space.” ~Christine Hamilton

“I think back to when I was in college and had a sign in my dorm that said ‘There’s one world market and everyone has 24 hours in a day. The rest is ability, imagination and ambition.’ I’d tell my younger self thank you for doing all the stuff you did when you were younger, because when you get old you need more sleep and don’t have the energy.” ~Brian Mitchell

How to Grow the Next Generation of Agriculture: Start Small

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:46:38 GMT

Growing up in the Mississippi River Delta, Willis Nelson says his family’s 800 acres was the biggest farm he’d ever seen. When he and his brothers took over the operation, he dreamed of growing the operation to 1,000 acres, but he didn’t know how to start.

“I went to a field day hosted by Harper Armstrong and he had 2,500 acres and he was a black guy,” Nelson says. “Then I got involved with the National Black Growers Council and saw all the big growers and I thought 1,000 was not enough. It gave us a role model we hadn’t seen before.”

Today, Nelson, alongside his three brothers, farms 4,000 acres of corn, cotton, soybeans, rice and milo that spans over 100 miles in Louisiana.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

Recently, Nelson and Sons Farm hosted a Model Farm Field Day for the National Black Growers Council that catered to the next generation with in-field experience and customized youth programming.

“We want to make sure these young kids understand where their food comes from,” says PJ Haynie, chairman of the National Black Growers Council and owner of Haynie Farms in Virginia. “When we look over our shoulders, we want these young kids to be coming up the field behind us. We know every one of these young kids might not be a farmer, but we want them to understand the value of agriculture and the opportunities that lie in agriculture.”

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

The next generations of Nelson and Sons Farm is filled with “too many cousins to count.” Most days, those kids are on the farm right alongside their family, lending a hand. Wil’Laddyn Nelson, Joel’Quavion Steward and Wil’Zaylan Nelson all like to drive tractors and help out where they can, but when they go to school, their peers don’t understand the lifestyle.

“They don’t know where their food comes from or what we do,” Joel’Quavion says. “They play video games on their phones a lot.”

The boys admit they play video games, too, but only when it rains or is too muddy to work outside. As soon as it is dry, they have to get back to work.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

Nelson and his brothers have settled into their own niches and management roles on the farm. He says he wouldn’t trade his family operation, and he is cultivating that attitude with the next generation.

“I just started Nelson Next-Generation Farm where I am starting all the nieces and nephews farming,” he says. They are beginning with chickens, sheep, a cow and with their own muscadine crop.

Wil’Laddyn is already reaping the benefits: “I clean my eggs and sell them cheaper than the stores and I make money.”

“I want them to see another side of farming other than just big ag,” Nelson says. “I want them to come take over big ag, but first I want them to grow up into farming.”

“I’m glad to be in this family,” Joel’Quavion adds. “It’s a blessing. If it weren’t for my uncles, my aunties and my cousins, I don’t know what I’d be doing right now.”

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement )

Nelson says being part of the National Black Growers Council gave him role models to look up to as well as a sense of community within an industry that can sometimes foster competition and isolation.

Breaking down those walls between farms was precisely how National Black Growers Council cultivates the next generation across the nation, Haynie says.

“We are a non-profit whose mission is to improve the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of black row crop farmers, period,” he explains. “Black row crop farmers are the smallest herd of all black farmers in the country, and we figured if we could protect this small herd and create opportunities, the herd can grow.”

America’s Conservation Ag Movement joined the National Black Growers Council field day to learn how Willis Nelson is working with the organization to grow the next generation of row crop farmers. America’s Conservation Ag Movement is a public/private collaborative that meets growers where they are on their conservation journey and empowers their next step with technical assistance from USDA-NRCS and innovation solutions and resources from agriculture’s leading providers.

Machinery Pete's Advice For 'Young' Farmers

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 18:41:07 GMT

What a life young producers have ahead. You’ve got your own canvas to paint. But if you permit it, there are a few gray-haired words of wisdom the old auction price guy would like to affectionately direct your way.

Keep Your Head on a Swivel
My father, who is now 87, gave me this advice in November 1989 when I set sail trying to help farmers, dealers, bankers and auctioneers better understand what used equipment is worth. Train yourself to seek out information from varied sources, be inquisitive and watch what folks are paying attention to. There are valuable insights waiting.

Stubbornness is an Asset – Sometimes
Believing in yourself, even if others don’t, is your No. 1 job. When I applied for our first home loan 33 years ago, the lender spouted off stats on how many new small businesses fail and said, “Sorry, no can do on that loan.” Rejection was like rocket fuel to me. I pushed harder and took on two part-time jobs. But the trick I’ve learned over the decades is knowing when to harness that stubbornness. Using it all the time isn’t pretty or easy for your loved ones to live with.

Eye Contact
A while back in the “Ag Twitterverse,” someone asked, “What’s one piece of advice you would give to a young person?” My reply: Eye contact. We live in an increasingly impersonal world. Technology is marvelous, but people skills are suffering greatly. The seemingly simple act of establishing and holding good eye contact with the people you are talking to is becoming extinct. There’s a golden opportunity for young folks, whether in ag or not, to stand out and get noticed. Hold good eye contact and listen well. Trust me, it will bring untold opportunities both in business and in your personal life.

It’s About Story
You might have noticed folks want to buy furniture, clothes and food with a story to it. There’s a huge opportunity there. By all means, look for ways to make your operation more efficient. But also think about new and different ways to tell the story of what you are producing. Take it from the data guy, when you tell a little story from your heart and personalize what you are selling, whatever it is becomes worth more money.

This 2001 John Deere 8210 Gold Key Tour certified tractor sold for a record $132,500.

Take this 2001 John Deere 8210 Gold Key Tour certified tractor with 3,059 hours and one owner for example. On March 22 in West Unity, Ohio, we filmed a Machinery Pete auction preview video. The late owner, David Buehrer, took great care of his equipment. His wife, Lynne, told me, “I can’t show you the Gold Key. We put it with David in his casket.”

His son, Nate, said, “Dad taught me to never have the radio on in the tractor, combine or truck because we had to listen to our equipment.”

The machine sold for $132,500 – breaking the record auction price that had been in place for 13 years by $17,500. The story matters.

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From College to Corn Fields: Second-Generation Ohio Farmer's Journey Starts Now

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 16:24:20 GMT

There are two schools of thought when it comes to onboarding rookies in professional sports: You toss them right into the deep end and see if they can swim, or you ease them in slowly, letting them watch and learn how to be a pro from the veterans in the locker room. Both approaches have their pros and cons, and there’s no firm consensus on which method results in consistent long-term success.

Ohio second-generation farmer Paige Pence will likely be brought along gently as she gains experience and learns the intricacies of the family cropping business. Pence’s parents, Brent and Christine, are in fine shape and still have that burning, fiery passion when it comes to farming the 4,500 acres they have pieced together over the first two decades of their only daughter’s life.

“I don’t think they are planning on retiring or handing this off to me anytime soon,” laughs Pence, 22, having just packed up her college dorm room and trekked home to the New Carlisle, Ohio, farmhouse she grew up in. She graduated this spring from Western Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in ag science and a minor in animal science.

(2Ps Studios, Shayna Perez)

Meeting with the family, you can tell right from the jump Brent and Christine are thrilled to get their daughter back. They’ve been managing things as a partnership since young Brent secured his initial 123 acres of rented ground back in the early ‘90s. He did not come from a farming background, but Christine grew up on a dairy farm, so agriculture was not a completely foreign concept. Through sheer perseverance and with some help from friends, neighbors and family, they’ve built an impressive operation to one day pass down to their only child.

Up to the Challenge
That’s a fact that surely makes Brent’s handful of farming mentors from over the years as proud as peacocks.

“She’s going to get a whole new learning experience this summer,” Brent says. “We’re going to set her loose. After all the traveling that my wife and I have done for her livestock shows, we’re going to get a little bit back from her.”

The plan moving forward is to have Paige get her feet wet running the farm’s fleet of equipment and pitching in wherever she can leave her mark. She’ll be shouldering a healthy load of farm duties, with her parents guiding her along the way. She’s more than up to the task.

(2Ps Studios, Shayna Perez)

“During my senior year it started to hit me that I was ready to go home, because when you’re not here on the farm, you’re not able to be as present,” she says. “I was ready to come home and start making the changes that were going to help our family.”

The Pences have yet to sit down at the kitchen table and talk about those changes, like profit splits or how many acres Paige will eventually take over and manage on her own. But that doesn’t mean she’ll be tethered to their hips all summer, either. That conversation will come in due time, but for now it’s all about getting her up and running and feeling comfortable as the second generation on the farm.

“I definitely could see them giving me some fields to manage by myself, because I think they know I’m independent, and I’m always looking for ways to improve and learn,” Paige says. “So obviously, with a little bit of help, I could see them giving me more independence, and I’m on the side of doing that, too.”

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Carving Out a Niche
Aside from her day-to-day duties of helping plant, fertilize, spray and harvest the family’s crops, the recent college graduate hopes her parents will lean on her social media skills. She’s built a strong following online and she clearly has a knack for leveraging those connections and eyeballs to grow her custom graphic design side hustle. Now she can use that experience to help develop the farm’s digital presence, which has become crucial during this day and age.

No matter how she is “set loose on the farm,” in her father’s words, this has always been the plan.

“I have always grown up around farming, so I don’t see myself ever leaving,” Paige says. “There are always different things that need to be done, and aside from showing [livestock] over the last decade, I’ve always been around helping out. I don’t see myself moving anywhere else. I feel like everything I need is right here.”

(2Ps Studios, Shayna Perez)

Your Next Read: Farming Builds A Bridge Between Kentucky Family’s Past, Present And Future

Farming Builds A Bridge Between Kentucky Family’s Past, Present And Future

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 13:21:55 GMT

The fertile silt loam soils of LaRue County, Ky., serve as a bridge uniting the nine generations of Caleb Ragland’s farming family. This is a connection he hopes will extend in the years to include his three sons.

“My wife, Leanne, and I grow soybeans, corn, winter wheat and boys; they’re our most important crop,” Ragland says of his family and their 4,000-plus-acre grain operation that is based out of central Kentucky, near Magnolia.

If you have a conversation with the 38-year-old Ragland, you’ll find he doesn’t often stray far from the topics of farming and family, and the lines between the two blur as he looks out a farm office window and talks.

“I can look out across the field here, about a half mile, and see generations of my family buried over here on the hill,” Ragland says. “Our family settled here in 1808. Abraham Lincoln’s dad deeded land in this county the same month that our family did.”

Lincoln’s family left Kentucky for southern Indiana in 1816. Ragland’s family stayed put. “We’ve got deep roots here,” he says.

(American Soybean Association)

Natural Communicator
Ragland is hopeful his boys, ages 15, 13 and 10, will have the opportunity to be the 10th generation to farm the family’s ground. But he is concerned the mounting fallout from trade disruptions, high input costs and low commodity prices could deliver a death blow to that dream.

Those concerns are weighing on Ragland on an April morning as he sits planted in his farm office, juggling a variety of media interviews in his official capacity as president of the American Soybean Association (ASA). Though he would prefer to be on a tractor in the field or working around the farm, Ragland has done dozens of interviews in recent years with the media, most of whom are rooted in agriculture. But the general press has also come calling — from CNN and Fox News to National Public Radio — as they recognize the practical farming knowledge and savvy agricultural policy insights he can provide.

These days, Ragland has been addressing various topics ranging from trade dynamics to how rainfall is affecting the farmers who are located across parts of the Southeast. He reflects with dismay on a recent vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission that went in favor of imposing duties on imports of 2,4-D from China and India.

“That didn’t go our way,” Ragland says. “It’s a disappointing decision. It’s one that will probably double the cost of 2,4-D for farmers, and I’m not just taking a guess at that. Prices here locally have been going up over the past 12 months.”

(Rhonda Brooks)

Signs Of The Times
USDA reports net cash farm income is projected to increase to $193.7 billion in 2025, which would be up 21.7% year-over-year, thanks to federal aid — not because of better prices or increased commodity sales.

“Right now, it’s painful out here, and things don’t look good. That’s just being honest,” Ragland says. “With high input prices, unpredictable weather events and mounting uncertainty in trade markets, our farm is likely dealing with a $150,000 net loss for the 2025 crop.”

Ragland describes his farm’s budgets for the 2025 crops as bloody.

“When I ran budgets, full-season soybeans on my farm are in the red,” he says. “We raise a lot of winter wheat and double-crop soybeans, and that acreage with APH (actual production history) yields to break even shows corn is only slightly profitable.

“Due to the high cost of inputs and land and everything else across the board, we’ve had more risk than we’ve ever had and probably the least amount of potential profit in my farming career,” Ragland continues, noting 2025 marked the 21st crop he has put out on his own.

(American Soybean Association)

Staying The Course
Ragland voted for President Donald Trump in the past three presidential elections. While he doesn’t regret the decision he made, he does hope the president will make some trade decisions soon that will help bring financial opportunity to U.S. farmers.

“We need to be as proactive as possible about getting some trade deals done. We need some wins. We’re still very hopeful and optimistic that we will be able to get a phase-two type deal done,” Ragland says, referring to the Trump administration’s trade negotiations with China that occurred during his first term.

He says the U.S. exports about 50% of its soybeans and that China purchased 52% of U.S. beans exported in 2024. “So if you see a soybean field, every fourth row of soybeans went to China last year,” he says.

Trump’s trade-negotiation efforts have broad support from U.S. farmers, according to results from the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer survey that was released in early May. The survey indicated farmers are willing to endure short-term pain for long-term gain, according to Jim Mintert, emeritus professor of economics at Purdue.

“Fifty-six percent of farmers surveyed said they believe the ongoing trade disputes will likely hurt them financially in 2025,” Mintert says. “At the same time, 70% said they believe the U.S. and agriculture specifically will benefit in the long term.”

A Farm Bill Would Help
Ragland shares the survey’s sentiment and adds that getting a farm bill approved by Congress in 2025 would be a win for farmers.

“We desperately need it for ag and our rural communities as a whole,” he explains. “We need a stable farm economy so there is an incentive for our brightest and best to want to come back to the farm and not seek to go elsewhere. I want my sons to have an opportunity to farm, and I want other people’s children to be able to have that choice as well, but there’s got to be an economic opportunity to make a living.”

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It's Time To Lead: Strong Succession Won't Happen By Accident

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:14:42 GMT

Succession planning isn’t just a checklist item — it’s a defining leadership moment. As a farm or ranch owner, it’s time to stop waiting for the “right moment” and start leading with purpose. You’re not just passing on assets; you’re shaping the future of your operation. That means stepping into the role of leader with clarity, courage and commitment.

First, take a hard look at what kind of leader your farm needs. Are you focused on daily operations or vision and growth? Are you modeling strong financial discipline and decision-making? Are you addressing conflicts head-on and keeping your family aligned? Leadership requires more than technical skill; it demands the courage to tackle tough conversations, whether with partners, successors or family members. Great leaders don’t shy away from discomfort; they lean into it with the goal of building stronger relationships and a more resilient operation.

Communication is foundational. If your team doesn’t know what’s happening, how can they help move forward? Hold regular family meetings, define decision-making roles and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Avoiding conflict only leads to confusion. Structured, transparent communication builds trust and keeps succession planning on track. Communication is also how you build buy-in from the people who will carry your operation forward.

Leadership Isn’t Handed Over

Next, you must actively develop your future leaders. Don’t wait until you’re ready to retire to begin mentoring. Give your successors meaningful responsibilities now. Let them learn by managing projects, participating in financial discussions and handling day-to-day operations. Leadership isn’t handed over — it’s earned through real-world experience and demonstrated commitment. Every season serves as an opportunity to develop those skills and test readiness.

Set clear standards for advancement. Define what success looks like: required experience, education and financial knowledge. Make sure successors understand what it takes to lead and hold those leaders accountable. If someone isn’t ready or is unwilling to step up, be honest. Your farm’s legacy deserves strong, prepared leadership.

Succession planning is hard. Many families stall out due to fear, conflict or lack of clarity. But real leaders don’t quit when times get tough, they face challenges head on. If your planning has gone off track, reset. Re-engage your family, bring in outside support if necessary and commit to consistent action.

The future of your farm depends on your leadership today. Will you linger in uncertainty, or will you lead with confidence? Strong succession isn’t going to happen by accident. It’s driven by leaders who are willing to plan boldly, act decisively and invest in their next generation. Your family and your operation are counting on you. Be the leader they need.

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Death Out of Order: A Remarkable Journey to Carry On a Family Legacy

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:48:26 GMT

This wasn’t part of the plan.

Brittany (Krehbiel) Hukill was born into a farm family that runs five-generations deep. As an only child in the unforgiving geography of west-central Oklahoma, grit wasn’t just something she learned, it was something she witnessed every day.

That grit, however, was tested at a very young age. At just 13 years old, Hukill’s dad, Jeff Krehbiel, received a shocking diagnosis: brain cancer.

“When Jeff was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2009, I went back to farming,” says Karen (Krehbiel) Dodson, Hukill’s mom. “His dad had retired on paper, but most farmers don’t really retire — they’re still there. So, his dad came back and helped while Jeff was sick.”

An accountant by trade, Dodson juggled farming, motherhood and fueling the farm family through meals — something her mother-in-law had done for decades before her. But running the farm wasn’t part of her plan, either.

After a two-year battle with brain cancer, Jeff passed away in 2011. Buried on his 48^th birthday, Dodson lost her husband of more than 20 years and Hukill lost her dad at just 15 years old.

A Defining Moment
A month before he passed away, Hukill and her mom had gone to visit Jeff in a care facility. Jeff could hardly speak due to several strokes. But there’s one late-night visit after a high school game she vividly remembers.

“He looked at me and asked, ‘Are you coming back?’ I knew he didn’t mean coming back to visit him. He meant, ‘Are you going back to the farm?’” Hukill says. “There was this massive elephant in the room for him. We’d worked for four generations to have this farm. I said, ‘Yeah, I plan to come home and farm.’ At that point, I had made my decision of what my plan was.”

Left: Brittany learning from her dad, Jeff Krehbiel. Right: Brittany with her grandpa, Wayne Krehbiel, and mom, Karen Dodson.

(Krehbiel Farms)

Deciding to come back as the fifth-generation to a farm she says only has a 6" layer of topsoil was the moment that defined her future.

“Mom’s only requirement was that I go and learn something and bring it back,” Hukill says. “She wanted me to go see more than just our few sections right here and get off the farm for a time.”

That wisdom set her on a path to Oklahoma State University (OSU). Majoring in agricultural economics, she thought that would be the most valuable degree to use when she ventured back to the farm. Hukill says she had plenty of teachers in high school, and even an adviser at OSU, who encouraged her not to go back to the family farm. She decided to forgo any internships or summer jobs to spend every opportunity helping at home.

But when Hukill was about halfway through college, her plans changed again.

“My father-in-law passed away in December 2016,” Dodson says. “My mother-in-law owned part of the farm, I owned the operating portion and Brittany was heir to all of that.”

(Jessy Frizzell Photography)

Another Generation’s Knowledge Gone
Healthy up until the day he fell on the farm, Dodson lost her father-in-law and business partner, and Hukill lost her grandpa — the only individual left who held the Krehbiel name and had decades of farming experience and knowledge.

“At that point, I was a year and a half from graduating college, but Logan [her now husband] and I said, ‘We’re going to have to get home, so both of us pushed the gas harder and graduated a semester early in December 2017 then got married in April 2018.”

Logan then started an accelerated nursing program, living nearly 40 miles away for about a year.

“As he finished nursing school, we moved into the farmhouse and have been here since,” Hukill says.

Today, Logan still has his off-farm nursing job, and as of last fall, he is an equal partner of the farm.

It’s split three ways, with Dodson managing the financials, Hukill managing the irrigation business and her husband as the farm manager.

(Jessy Frizzell Photography)

You Don’t Know What Questions to Ask When Your Dad Dies at 15
Losing her dad and grandpa all before graduating college wasn’t part of Hukill’s plan.

“There are a lot of questions you would have asked if you would have known you should have asked them, but I was 13,” Hukill says. “When I had my dad around, to me, he was dad. To everybody else, he was the boss man. He was the guy on the Wheat Commission. He knew his stuff. I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss and the knowledge he had in his absence.”

She also expected to have plenty of time to glean knowledge from her grandpa.

“You have this illusion that you have time to ask questions and learn from those previous generations, but once people start dying out of order and once people are gone, there’s no way to get that knowledge back.”

While she wasn’t able to capture that priceless knowledge from her dad and grandpa, she’s learned through trial and error and looks to neighbors who have been a reliable source of knowledge.

Establish a Plan Early
Though death isn’t part of anyone’s ideal plan, it’s a reality. The unexpected farm transition her family experienced sparked Hukill and her husband to create an estate plan before either of them turned 30.

“Before we had kids, we had estate plans set up,” Hukill says. “If we died today, what’s the plan? Because the kids aren’t going to take it over. How do we liquidate everything to take care of the kids we leave behind? We’ve been able to have those conversations about succession planning, even when our kids are little, because we have seen what works and what was a struggle to overcome because of how things were left.”

Hey @shanferrell -
We got it in writing! BEFORE we needed it! Aren’t you proud?! pic.twitter.com/mmgAvQj1ti
— Brittany Hukill (@bvhukill) June 9, 2022

She credits her mom for helping with that vision and the willingness to pass the farm to Hukill and her husband in a strategic manner that will continue the farm’s legacy.

“I think we would all agree it’s all hands on deck to keep it alive — whatever that looks like,” she adds.

(Jessy Frizzell Photography)

Navigating $5 Wheat by Faith
Poor margins paint a grim outlook this year. But instead of focusing on what she can’t change, Hukill is putting her energy into what she can — while not taking for granted the opportunity she has to raise her family on the same land farmed by generations before her.

“It’s not about me. It really isn’t. I truly feel like, yes, this is my family’s farm, but this was a gift given by God, so I’m going to do the best I can to take care of it, and we’re going make the best decisions we can with the information we have,” Hukill says. “If I would not have had the start I did, I don’t know that we would have made it this far. I don’t know how people get started in agriculture right now. But I am very thankful for the foundation set before me by the generations who came before.”’

Your Next Read — Tick Tock: How Long Do You Need For A Successful Transition?

Quiet Crisis, Unfolding Rapidly: Big Questions Remain For Next Gen Farmers

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 20:14:59 GMT

Florida fresh produce grower Jim Alderman says one thing is his biggest worry.

“Who is coming behind us? That’s the part that keeps me up at night. It’s not just about growing crops, it also passing down knowledge, discipline and our way of life,” he said during a recent congressional hearing on the aging workforce in agriculture.

Earlier this year, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) spearheaded a special committee report on America’s Aging Farm Workforce.

Four drivers were highlighted:

Aging demographics
Declining farm numbers
Barriers for new farmers
Regulatory and economic pressures

As a follow up, on June 4, the senate special committee he oversees had a hearing “America’s Vanishing Family Farms.”

“Unfortunately, the farming and agricultural workforce is aging and nearing retirement, and fewer and fewer young people are looking to take over their family’s farms or enter the agriculture industry,” Sen. Scott said. “We face significant challenges to agricultural production, rural community sustainability, and U.S. food security. Here’s why this matters: U.S. food security is national security.”

Recent stats he points to include:

1/3 of farmers and ranchers are over the age of 65
This same group owns more than 40% of U.S. farmland
More than 80% of farmers work a second job
Since 2007, 200,000 farms have disappeared
The 2022 census showed the loss of over 140,000 farms in 5 years. That’s an average of 77 farms per day. 
Since 2007, more than 40 million acres of farmland is now used for commercial, residential or industrial purposes
Farmland prices have increased 7% in three years

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) is ranking member on the special committee for aging and said, “To encourage younger generation to returning to Farmer we farming, we must invest in our rural communities.”

Witnesses shared testimony highlighting the pain points, overall trends and discussed potential policy solutions.

“As I travel the country and see farms across our great country, I see a lot of gray hair, and while the wisdom of older generations is critical, we must ensure that we make a way for young and beginning farmers to fill our boots,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

What are those policy provisions that could assist with the farm labor issues?

1. The Farm Bill
In his testimony, Duvall shared a getting a farm bill passed by congress is critical to signal stability and predictability in agriculture.

“We need a modernized 5 year farm bill,” he said. “Rising interest rates, higher energy prices, supply costs that have gone unchecked, farmers will plant the most expensive crop ever planted this year, and many have faced a tough decision of whether or not to even plant that crop. This is why the farm bill and its Title One safety net is so critical.”

2. Estate tax provisions

Duvall also highlighted the importance of the estate tax exemption for farmers for transitioning the farm business from one generation to the next. He applauded the House for its consideration of in the One Big Beautiful Bill it recently passed, and encouraged the senate to follow.

3. Farm worker programs, specifically H-2A

“It’s time to modernize our outdated system, and only Congress can meaningfully do that,” Duvall said.

Alderman uses H-2A labor and says reform is a must.

“We are now dependent on H-2A labor from Mexico,” he said. “Without them, we can’t harvest our crops.”

For Alderman in Florida, whereas minimum wage is $12.50/hour, H-2A labor is compensated at $26/hour plus the expense of housing, transportation and visas.

Duvall adds the federal government needs to revisit its wage structure for H-2A labor, citing the wage rates were set by a study done 60 years ago intended to calculate on-farm employment totals, not compensation.

“We’re going to price ourselves out of farming,” he says. Duvall is advocating for an updated program and one that includes year-round provisions for dairy farmers, and other parts of the industry that need full-time labor not just seasonal help.

“How can a young farmer come back to the farm and bring his expertise that he learned in college, expand that farm without having a labor force to do that. It’s one of the biggest limiting factors we have,” Duvall says.

4. Economic stability, risk management and trade.

“The incentive to make a profit isn’t there,” Alderman says. “If the farmer isn’t going to make money, he’s not able to expand his operation.”

Aaron Locker, Managing Director, Kincannon & Reed calls this a quietly unfolding crisis that is rapidly cutting across the agriculture.

“And the consequences for our food supply, our rural communities, and our national security are serious,” he said. “The 1980s farm crisis didn’t just damage balance sheets. It’s changed the interest of being involved in agriculture. That gap is being realized today in board rooms, field office, agronomy teams and more.”

The witnesses answered questions about President Trump’s trade policy and tariffs, with Duvall saying farmers have supported the president’s long-term vision to bring a “level playing field,” but he also says this fall will be a critical time for some progress when farmers are slated to harvest and sell commodities at low prices with high input costs.

5. Regulatory considerations.

Alderman says there are areas of his fresh produce business being over-regulated, which has put extra financial pressure when competing with imported crops. As an example, he points to multiple food safety inspections which could be replaced with a one-time inspection.

And in conjunction with the regulation on his business, he has seen how a lapse in regulatory authority over imported produce inspected at the borders has negatively effected the industry.

“For example, the citrus industry with citrus greening, it’s devastated the cirtrus industry. We have gone from 240 million boxes of oranges in production to around 40 million boxes today,” he said, and added Florida produce growers are introduced with a new thirp or weevil every growing season, which takes months to contain and identify proper controls.

6. Provide mental health resources

Christopher A. Wolf, Ph.D. from Cornell University says its New York FarmNet receives 700 calls a year. Financial stress include price uncertainty, labor cost and availability, capital costs, land access, and estate and succession planning. Family-related farm stressors include health insurance, childcare, eldercare, and drug and alcohol abuse.

“Male farmers have a suicide rate 3.5 times higher than the national,” he said. “Financial stress is one of the primary contributors to the depression and suicide rate. Additionally, mental health stigma and lack of access to care are major barriers.”

Tick Tock: How Long Do You Need For A Successful Transition?

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

How do you know when it’s time to start transitioning your operation to the next generation? Rena Striegel, president of Transition Point Business Partners, says to aim for a decade.

“If we’re lucky, we’ve got that long. Sometimes we don’t, though,” Striegel explains. “Sometimes things happen and we have to move much quicker than that. An illness can escalate transition quickly. A disagreement can go from ‘We’re all good’ to ‘We’ve got to fix this right now.’ And sometimes lack of planning can cause an extremely difficult situation – particularly if someone wants to exit quickly.”

She says the fastest succession plan she has ever seen executed from start to finish was six months.

“That was so painful, I cannot even begin to describe how difficult that was to get four brothers to agree on a plan and ready to execute in six months when the first one wanted to be out,” Striegel says. “We did it, but only because that farm family really sat and hung in there. If one of them had lost his patience or his temper, that whole thing could have blown sky high.”

Striegel compares the timeline of your succession plan to landing a plane.

“Think about those flights where the runway is really long. The plane comes in, it touches down nicely, and it just comes to a stop, right? It’s nice and gentle. No problems,” she says. “If you think about those landings where it’s stormy, or the runway is short, they’re a little scary, they’re really abrupt, they’re very stressful, and they can kind of hurt. So, we want to give as long of a runway as possible to give everybody a chance to ease in.”

The 10 years you ideally have are broken down into this timeline:

Years 1-2: Assemble your professional team and make some of the biggest decisions. Understand your entities and reorganize assets if necessary. Update your documents.
Years 3-4: Work with the next generation to get them ready for the roles they will have. Practice good communication and iron out dysfunction.
Years 5-10: Begin actual transition of ownership.

What comes first during that ownership transition process will vary.

“Sometimes it’s operational first. You’re allowing successors to make some of the operating decisions. Then maybe it’s some of the financial decisions, maybe it’s marketing decisions, maybe it’s buying inputs, maybe it is selecting vendors. Maybe you’re letting them negotiate for equipment,” Striegel says. “Whatever it is, you’ve got to figure out what the timeline is to take things off of your plate and put it on to them, and to be really clear about that, so that we can develop successors in the right way.”

Transitioning relationships is also an important piece of the puzzle.

“When do you turn over the relationship with your banker? What about your lawyer or your CPA? When and how do we get that next generation involved in those conversations?” Striegel asks. “If we don’t transition relationships, what happens is the next generation has no relationships with the people that have been serving your family for however many years and when you’re done, so are they.”

She says there won’t always be a finite end date on the transition, but it’s important you feel confident about the progress.

“The main thing is to say, ‘Over this period of time, I’m going to start working with you to take this over’, make sure you spend time doing that, and then let it go with oversight,” Striegel says. “I always like to say, ‘You watch me do it, I’ll watch you do it and then you do it on your own.”

Beyond Bloodlines: How One Farmer Earned His Legacy

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:57:47 GMT

Becoming a farmer wasn’t something Aaron Blackmon always aspired to do, but he is thankful for the opportunities agriculture has given him. The North Carolina hog farmer and Extension agent pairs a career of helping others with managing nine feeder-to-finish pork barns, a small cow-calf herd and hay ground.

“My great grandparents had a small farm with some pigs, chickens and a few cows,” Blackmon says. “That was just their way of life. They didn’t look at it as a business, but were able to provide for themselves and their community. It was just how they lived. I knew I enjoyed the farming lifestyle, but I didn’t really see a career in it until high school.”

Joining FFA where he competed on teams, made friends in agriculture and developed leadership skills, provided Blackmon more hands-on experience with possible agriculture careers. At 16 years old he also began working for local hog farmers Isaac and Nina Singletary, disinfecting the finishing barns after the hogs went to market.

“That’s where I was able to make a full connection about how an ag business was run,” Blackmon says.

The idea of being a farmer began to take root.

“Isaac ran a successful business that supported his employees and his family,” Blackmon adds. “Having him take a chance on me, mentoring me, bringing me into his family and teaching me a lot of what I know today has really shaped my career.”

The Singletarys could tell right away Blackmon had good character and work ethic.

“I was impressed with Aaron,” Singletary says. “He didn’t know anything about commercial hog production at the time, but he had his heart and his mind in the right place. He was dependable, dedicated and willing to learn.”

Blackmon hadn’t planned to attend college after high school, as he preferred hands-on learning to being in the classroom; however, he was introduced to the two-year program at North Carolina State University’s Agricultural Institute and earned an associate degree in applied science in livestock and poultry management.

(Sway)

Time of Transition

After graduation, Blackmon worked in the poultry industry and continued part time for the Singletarys. He began receiving job offers but didn’t have a four-year degree to pursue those.

“One day he came to me and said, ‘I want to go back to school,’” Singletary says. “I told him it’s kind of expensive to go, and his remark to me was, ‘I’ve been saving my money.’”

Blackmon went back to NC State and earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management in 2022. He accepted a position with North Carolina Cooperative Extension and began serving as the livestock and forage crop agent for Columbus County. He says working in Extension is rewarding.

Isaac and Nina Singletary, longtime North Carolina hog farmers, opened the door for a new generation by mentoring and eventually selling their farm to Aaron Blackmon.

(Sway)

“I really enjoy helping people, whether it’s a small-scale farmer, a large commercial operation, the homesteader or hobbyist, and the kids with 4-H projects,” Blackmon explains. “I believe in the concept of lifelong learning because there’s always something that somebody knows that I don’t, and I enjoy working with people who want to learn. They want to see their business grow, and aren’t afraid to try new things.”

During that same time, Blackmon’s interest in farming continued to grow, which he discussed with the Singletarys, who were considering their succession planning options. Their two children had other careers off the farm and would not be coming back. The relationship Blackmon had built with the Singletarys eventually led him to buy the family’s farm in Bladenboro, N.C., and continue the farming legacy.

“We were all committed to make sure that everybody was satisfied and everything was fair to them, to their children and to me,” Blackmon says. “They wanted to make sure they got an appropriate amount for their farm. They also wanted to make sure that I was coming in not trying drain a lake with a straw. They knew what it would take for that farm to be successful.”

The mentoring and experience Aaron received while working on the Singletary’s hog farm gave way to not only a friendship, but also a business opportunity.

(Sway)

Eye on the Future

These days, Blackmon balances running his farm and Extension work with the help of his village that includes his grandpa, one full-time employee and Singletary.

“It takes a team effort, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Blackmon says. “There’s always something to do, and it can consume you if you let it. I consider myself a first-generation farmer. There are a lot of things that I want to do and improvements I want to make. I keep reminding myself these things aren’t going to happen overnight. It’s important to set 12-month goals, five-year and 10-year goals and try to hit them.”

Blackmon says farming is like a bug: Once you get bit, you can’t let it go.

“We’re helping feed people, and we’re stewards of the land,” he says. “We’re making the land productive and taking care of animals.”

He reminds himself that what he’s doing now will hopefully help his family in the future and leave a legacy.

“You don’t see someone like me very often,” Blackmon says. “I hope that will change, and by the time I’m Isaac’s age, it won’t be uncommon to see Black and brown people doing some of this stuff I’m doing. I don’t take that lightly that people look at me. I was always taught you’re not just representing yourself; you represent your family. I feel my family is more than my blood family. I represent agriculture when I go into the community. I try to keep that in mind and do the best I can.”

Aaron has been a life-long learner and loves teaching others through his job as an extension agent. He is combining his passions for sharing knowledge and farming into a fulfilling career.

(Michelle Shooter, Sway)

Your next read: Josh Maschhoff Opens Up About Building on the Family Legacy in Pork Production

The Best Time to Start Your Retirement Plan

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 21:00:31 GMT

Farmers historically have struggled to invest money in anything other than their farm operation. However, by investing in retirement plans including an IRA, a farmer can more easily save up for retirement and make the transfer to the next generation much easier.

The power of compounding is the financial seventh wonder of the world. Based on your annual investment return, you can determine how quickly your investment will double by dividing it into 72. For example, if you average 3% on your money, it will take 24 years to double. However, if you can earn 8%, then it only takes nine years.

The younger you start to invest, even small sums, the more money you will have at retirement. Let’s compare the results of placing $10,000 into a retirement account at either age 20 or 40.

The farmer who does this at age 40 and then pulls the money out at age 70 will have $100,627. However, the farmer who starts at age 20 will have $469,016, and if they can earn 10%, will have $1,173,909.

The cost of maintaining a solo 401k plan is very inexpensive and married couples can set aside at least $14,000 into an IRA each year. The fees on those accounts are minimal and you can make sure to invest in low-cost ETFs or mutual funds. High-cost funds could quickly reduce your returns substantially.

Most of the earnings will result in the last 10 years, so the sooner you get started, the more funds you will accumulate.

Risk Protection Benefits
There’s another big reason to make this investment. Funds in a retirement plan are fully exempt from bankruptcy, and we all know farming can be a very risky business. The full exemption does not apply to IRAs, but the amount that is exempt is fairly large.

This amount gets updated every three years. On April 1, 2025, the exemption amount was raised from $1,512,350 to $1,711.975 through March 31, 2028.

Most farmers have IRAs less than this amount, so it’s likely they will have a full exclusion if bankruptcy was to occur. Amounts rolled over from a 401k plan or other retirement account, including earnings associated on that account, are fully exempt.

In some states, IRAs are fully exempt or at least partially exempt.

The bottom line is to invest in an IRA or retirement plan. I hope you never need the protection, but it is a good insurance policy.