Virginia

From 60 to 600 Bu. Per Acre: Is 1,000-Bushel-Corn Next?

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:23:13 GMT

Across parts of the South, farmers are sitting on the sidelines this spring, not not because fields are too wet, but because they’re too dry to plant. With dust blowing and soil moisture in short supply, planters are parked as growers wait for rain, a stark reversal of the delays they’re more accustomed to and a reminder that in agriculture, timing is everything.

“We’ve been dry all season so far and we actually stopped planting because we’ve been so dry. Can’t just get the planter in the ground,” says David Hula, a farmer in Charles City, Virginia.

After six weeks of high winds and little to no rainfall, Hula says the conditions are unlike anything he’s experienced.

“I talked to my cousin who’s a decade older than I am, and this is the driest he’s ever seen. And I’ve talked to my agronomist, he says we’re the third or fourth driest on record since 1875 for this time of year. So this is uncharted territory for me right now,” he says.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by U.S. Farm Report (@usfarmreport)

While part of his crop remains unplanted, Hula is encouraged by what’s already in the ground.

“Everything that we’ve planted so far, I feel really good. Emergence has been spot on. Even their soybeans came up good,” Hula says. “We waited till things warmed up, you know, I’m very diligent and patient about that. And all that corn has come up awesome.”

Waiting Without Sacrificing Yield

With roughly 40 percent of his crop planted, Hula is now watching the skies and waiting for moisture before continuing.

“So the portion that you’re waiting on moisture to be able to plant at this point, you don’t feel like you’re sacrificing yield by waiting. You feel like you’re protecting yield,” we asked Hula.

“Oftentimes growers think, well, it’s too wet to plant or it’s been too cold. So they’re the things that you want to wait for. Well, we still, because we’re not late yet, we still want to make sure we get uniform emergence. That’s the key, that’s the first box every grower needs to be paying attention to,” Hula says.

He says with sporadic pockets of moisture within the dry soils, he says conditions are conducive for poor or uneven emergency when planting into drought conditions, and it’s a risk he’s not willing to take.

Hula’s World Corn Yield Record

That focus on emergence has paid off. Hula holds the world record for corn yield, producing more than 623 bu. per acre , a benchmark that underscores his disciplined approach. He says the year he grew that new record yield was in 2023, and it was a crop that wasn’t planted early.

“That was towards the end of May. I mean end of April, first part of May, but it seems like our highest yield stuff comes when we plant later,” Hula says. “And that is again, we’re checking that box of the crop coming up uniformly. And that’s the one thing I don’t know that growers really understand the importance of that. And once they do it and see it, they’ll say, you know, it might have been worth holding off for one week.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by U.S. Farm Report (@usfarmreport)

A Seed Legacy That Dates Back a Century

The hybrid behind that record yield — Pioneer P14830VYHR — carries a legacy that stretches back a century.

“One of the wonderful stories of Pioneer is actually the introduction of Raymond Baker,” says Dean Podlich, who leads R&D digital solutions at Corteva Agriscience, during Pioneer’s 100th anniversary celebration last week. “Raymond Baker was a college student. In 1926, he met Henry Wallace at an event at Iowa State. He was very interested in hybrid corn, and he said, I would like to get involved with hybrid corn to Henry Wallace. Together, they actually put an entry into the Iowa corn yield test, and they actually won that contest in 1927. This is actually a certificate from 1927. We actually have the ribbon.”

Podlich says that early success helped launch hybrid corn into mainstream agriculture.

“Raymond Baker actually quit college in 1928, he joined the company as a farm hand, and he would go on to lead the breeding organization for more than 40 years, especially after Henry Wallace went to Washington. And so there’s a huge amount of history that is the start of our research engine,” he says.

100 Years of Yield: 60 to 600 Bu. Per Acre

One of the inbreds behind modern hybrids, known as Baker’s Inbred or B164, still plays a role today.

“What’s fascinating is that David Hula had a world record with 623 bushels a couple of years ago. We can trace the family tree of the genetics behind that hybrid all the way back to Baker’s Inbred itself,” Podlich says.

Two kernels, 100 years apart: One yielded 60 bushels per acre in 1927; the other topped 623. They look nearly identical on the outside, but a century of genetic innovation separates them under the hood.

(Tyne Morgan)

To the eye, seeds from then and now look nearly identical. But the difference in performance tells a much larger story, from the seed yielding roughly 60 bushels per acre a century ago to more Hula’s record yield of more than 600 bu. per acre today.

“The thing that’s very striking as you look at these two sets of seeds is how similar they are. It’s really hard to see any difference, but under the hood these things are really, really different,” Podlich says. “You have 100 years of selection, 100 years of breeding, 100 years of improved agronomics, improved drought tolerance, and higher genetic potential. This one also has biotech traits in it that help increase yield, protect that yield from insects, and provide herbicide tolerance. So this is what’s so remarkable.”

Is 1,000 Bu. Per Acre Yield Next?

Even with record-setting yields already achieved, Hula believes the ceiling is still far off.

“My late granddad was the first one to break a hundred in the area. My dad, a couple hundred bushels, and we got three, four or five, and where we are now. And that has been a really steep incline. So I’m excited about where things are in the future. I have no clue what the yield potential is,” Hula says.

“Somebody was asking me what the yield potential is today. When you open up the bag, I would say it’s in excess of a thousand bushels. If that’s the case, we’re poor farmers. You know, here the country’s only averaging 180-some bushels, and if the potential is truly that, we’ve got a long way to go. But then can you imagine what price corn would be,” he says.

During Pioneer’s 100th anniversary last week, Sam Eathington, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Pioneer, gave remarks to those in attendance. In his address, he not only looked at the past, but also gave a glimpse into the future. He says in 50 years when Pioneer is celebrating it’s 150th anniversary, he think it’s possible agriculture will have national average corn yield of 300 bu. per acre and record yields reaching 1,000 bu. per acre.

For Hula, he thinks that’s a very reasonable reality even less than 50 years from now.

“Within 50 years, yeah, I do think so. That’s almost doubling where we are. But think about where we have come. And then also think about the technology that’s coming about,” Hula says.

As advancements in seed technology continue and farmers gain deeper insight into soil health through biological tools, Hula says the future of yield remains wide open.

“But as they start figuring out how to allow the plant to be more efficient with what it can find in the soil, I’m excited about that,” he says. “And then the one key that nobody can duplicate is sunlight. As they start figuring out how to make plants more efficient with the sunlight that we have and the moisture, either lack or more, the sky’s the limit.”

Related Story: The Technology Poised to Revolutionize Corn Yields — Just as Biotech Did in the 1980s

Record Breaking Used Hay Baler And Seed Drill Headline Pete's Pick of the Week

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:22:49 GMT

Hay and livestock equipment is scorching hot on the used farm equipment auction market. This week’s Pete’s Pick of the Week is a shining example of positive momentum within the segment.

At a Jason Aycock Auctioneering sale Saturday in South Hill, Va., a “really sharp” New Holland BR7060 round baler (shown top of page) with 7,700 bales on it sold for $31,000. That topped the previous record auction price by $2,000.

(Jason Aycock Auctioneering)

In the same auction lot, a Hayduster 107 10-foot no-till seed drill (shown above) with 1,110 acres on it sold for $22,000, which once again broke the previous record high at auction by $2,000.

Here is a video from Machinery Pete’s Facebook page showing both machines being auctioned off:

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

And a few weeks ago, at a Richie Brothers auction in Saskatchewan, a 2017 John Deere 569 round baler with 5,968 bales under its belt (shown right) sold for $56,000 CA, which equates to just over $40,000 USD. Machinery Pete says that’s the seventh highest price all-time on a John Deere 569.

Used utility tractors with loader attachments also remain in high demand in the livestock/cattle producer markets.

(Jason Aycock Auctioneering)

At the Aycock sale in Virginia over the weekend, a New Holland T5070 with over 4,000 engine hours on it (shown above) with a NH 852 T loader implement included sold for $41,000. Pete says that’s not a record, but it still represents a “pretty, pretty strong price.”

And what about other livestock farming equipment, like feed trucks? Are those machines also bringing big dollar bids at auction? Yes, they sure are, says Pete.

(Purple Wave Auctions )

A 2024 Kenworth C500 feed mixer truck with a Rotomix 7002016 XD mixer (shown above) and 16,424 miles on it sold for $203,500 at a PurpleWave.com online auction last Wednesday.

“Whether it’s a round baler or a loader tractor, one of the things driving the market here is, you know, what’s a new one cost? When you’re buying horsepower on the used tractor market, it’s such a contrast with the price of new to a good used one that, even though it’s a record price, it’s still a big gap between the [price of a] new one. And that makes it awful attractive for used buyers,” Pete says.

Upcoming Auction

On November 4 Big Iron Auctions/Sullivan Auctioneers will be hosting the Jon and Marcia Kinzenbaw “No Reserve Collector Tractor Auction” in Williamsburg, Iowa, and online at BigIron.com. Jon Kinzenbaw founded Kinze Manufacturing Inc.

You can check out the auction docket for that sale here , bidding closes November 4 at 9:00 am CDT.

Your Next Read: Machinery Pete’s 5 Pointers For Equipment Auctions

This Multistate Farmer Is Putting A Spotlight On Diversity In Agriculture

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Ask PJ Haynie what keeps him motivated, and he’ll say it’s watching a crop grow. This dyed-in-the-wool farmer learned his vocation in life in the shadow of his father on a Virginia farm that was started by his great-great-grandfather.

It’s a story that could be like so many other father-son generational farming succession stories; however, Haynie is one of less than 10,000 Black, row-crop farmers in the U.S. today. He has had a unique, if not singular, set of challenges put forth in front of him yet he has found success on his own terms.

When opportunity intersects with Haynie’s optimism, sparks fly. For his achievements in farming, Haynie was named a Top Producer of the Year Finalist in 2024. The program is sponsored by BASF, Case IH, and Rabo AgriFinance.

Upon graduation from Virginia Tech University, Haynie boomeranged home to farm with his father (Philip J. Haynie II). But he wasn’t settled for long, and soon went to Mississippi and then to Arkansas to learn how to farm in the Mississippi Delta.

“Quite often when I meet the person sitting next to me on an airplane, they say I don’t look like a farmer. What is a farmer supposed to look like?” Haynie says. “I’ve been given a gift to show others and share with others. My work is to spotlight diversity in agriculture.”

Haynie says it’s his torch to carry and shine the light. While proud of being a fifth-generation farmer, he acknowledges a dark history his great-great-grandfather worked hard to leave behind. After being freed from slavery, he purchased 60 acres of land on Sept. 14, 1867, in Northumberland County, Va., ground the family still operates on today.

“I don’t want anyone to think Black farmers don’t have any of the same agronomic challenges white farmers have,” he says. “We have the same uncontrollables: weather, price, insects. It’s the historical inequities that create the economic disparities we are currently seeing.”

He points to statistics showing that in 1920, there were one million Black farmers in the U.S. compared to four million white farmers. In regard to Black land ownership, in 1920, Black people owned 16 million acres of land in the U.S. Currently, Black land ownership is less than two million acres.

Haynie has leaned into many opportunities to expand his family’s farming operation — both geographically and vertically.

“Mike Tyson famously said, ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.’ And I would add Mother Nature has a powerful jab,” Haynie says.

“He looked up at me and said, ‘Son, I think this conversation is over.’” ~ PJ Haynie

(John David Pittman)

A Tenacious Advocate
When PJ Haynie returned home from college to farm full-time, he heard about the USDA Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, but he was immediately met with resistance from a USDA staff member.

“I asked the gentleman, ‘Why are you trying to discourage me? You know a friend of mine, and you gave him a beginning farm loan. Why are you discouraging me from getting involved in farming?” Haynie says. The conversation was getting a little elevated, and the USDA employee pulled his desk drawer open, and brandished a loaded pistol at Haynie.

“He looked at that pistol, looked at me and said, ‘Son, I think this conversation is over,’” Haynie recalls.

Haynie reflects on that story and many others of racial adversity that he has experienced over the years. An unwavering belief in his purpose and resolute perseverance have powered him through and above such discrimination and threats.

“Unfortunately, Black farmers are an endangered species,” Haynie says. “For us to make a difference, we have to protect the small herd of remaining Black farmers that exist and create opportunities for their children and grandchildren.”

In agriculture, we understand that land ownership creates generational wealth. That’s one of the missions of the National Black Growers Council, of which Haynie was a founding member in 2009.

“It’s important for people to understand history and the events that led to the current statistics of less than 10,000 Black row-crop farmers in the U.S.,” he says.

The 14 million acres of land Black Americans have lost over the past 100 years represents over $326 billion in wealth that was extracted from Black families.

“My family currently leases over 3,000 acres of Black-owned land,” Haynie says. “Growing up in Virginia, I never imagined that this was a possibility.”

Haynie just completed a two-year commitment on the USDA Equity Commission, which gave its final recommendations to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“If we don’t continue to keep our foot on the gas, Black row-crop farmers are going to be extinct,” Haynie says. “I’m hoping to do my part to help reverse that downward trend.”

He suggests for landowners who are beginning to wind down their farm operation to consider working with producers who have been historically underserved.

“The next generation will be grown from the seeds we plant,” Haynie says. “Unfortunately, the hands that grow the food we consume every day are not as diverse as the knees sitting under American dinner tables. We need to create more opportunities for the few remaining Black farm families. Every morning, I wake up with the weight of helping to prevent further Black land loss and additional Black farmers from going out of business.“

PJ Haynie says expanding their farm to two locations 1,000 miles apart was a leap of faith, but one that has grown their farm, expanded his network and driven him to find further purpose.

(John David Pittman)

Geographic Leap of Faith
It was Mother Nature who opened Haynie’s eyes to expanding to the Mississippi Delta. Seeking to gain further efficiencies, and with limited geographic expansion opportunities available in Virginia, Haynie looked south, to where he could truck equipment to and plant a month earlier.

“The stretch of coming to the Delta caused growing pains; it was like our waistline got bigger but the pants stayed the same size,” he says. “We now farm ground that’s 1,000 miles or 16 hours apart. In farming, it’s not how big your belt buckle is or how shiny your truck is; it’s the happiness you have in what you do.”

Motivated to Lead
In learning from his father’s success, Haynie picked up one key attribute: the ability to motivate people.

“With our team on the farm, it’s about building respect and rapport, leading by example,” Haynie says.

He readily admits there’s no textbook for what he’s learned in farming; the process of trial and error has taught him many things to share. On any given day, his call log is likely maxed out — displaying 100 calls — by lunchtime.

“We like to quarterback everything,” Haynie says. “So, for example, if we’ve got men working on the east side of the farm, they can call a ‘runner’ for tools or diesel or whatever they need. That keeps focus on the most important task,” he says.

Much of his role is reacting as the day unfolds. But with a long-term view, Haynie is focused on giving opportunity across his team.

“When a young man comes to work on our farm, my goal is to motivate him beyond what he sees in himself and help him reach his maximum potential,” he says. “If I don’t achieve that, then I feel I’ve failed.”

With limited places to grow in Virginia, Haynie saw opportunity to expand his operation into Arkansas — where he could start working ground a month sooner.

(John David Pittman)

Seeds to Grow
As a farmer, Haynie learned new production practices: irrigation techniques, farming on raised beds and more, but he also formed an important camaraderie with other farmers.

“It has been incredibly valuable to look beyond my local community and the four counties I farmed in. When I came home from Virginia Tech in 1999, if you told me you’d give me $1,000 for every Black farmer I knew who was farming over 1,000 acres, I wouldn’t have been able to cash a check,” he says. “And then I started farming in the Delta, and I found many more Black farmers who I could build a network with and share stories unlike anything I had found before.”

As an extension of this informal fraternity, a nonprofit organization called the National Black Growers Council was formed in 2009. Haynie serves as chairman of the board.

“Your network is your net worth,” he says. “I used to despise parking my tractor to attend meetings. But I realized, who else better to tell PJ’s story than PJ? To be a consistent advocate, I need to engage and share why we do and how we do.”

Haynie credits his father for encouraging him to expand the farming operation and try new agronomic practices. One example is growing canola in 2015, and then transitioning to rapeseed after a few years.

“I have learned to turn stumbling blocks to stepping stones.” Haynie says.

As he started farming in Arkansas, Haynie introduced new crops to the business, including rice, which opened another door. In 2020, he became co-owner of the first Black-owned, food-grade certified rice mill in the U.S., which is located in Pine Bluff, Ark.

“Rice is only grown in six states, and Arkansas is the No. 1 rice producing state in the country,” Haynie says.

In 2020, when Haynie and his partner acquired the rice mill, there were approximately 50 rice mills in the U.S., and none were Black owned.

“As a commodity farmer, no matter how much corn or beans I grow, you can’t directly take that home and feed it to your family,” he says. “The rice really allows us to grow a product, process it at our facility, and offer that to you to take home and feed your family.”

Haynie says the advantages of vertical expansion are both economic — capturing more value in the processing chain — and family-based. The rice mill provides an opportunity for the entire family to contribute. From his son completing a summer internship at the rice mill to a sister that provides financial oversight, each member of the family contributes in their own way.

Three words are interlocking links in Haynie’s life: faith, farming and family.

“My four sisters and I were all pushed to go to college and get an education because of our family values,” Haynie says. “We knew the foundation of education can never be taken away from us, and we just wanted to be able to bring our skills back to the family business to help it to grow.”

In what Haynie described as a “happy day” was a time he was on the farm in Arkansas and received a FaceTime call from his daughter back in Virginia operating a tractor during her college break.

“Farming is a joy, and it’s a privilege. My family legacy is rooted in it, and it’s been my mission to raise my children with the same work ethic that my family instilled in me,” Haynie says.

Haynie Farms’ Business Details

(John David Pittman)

2024 Top Producer of the Year Finalist PJ Haynie: Advocacy And Tenacity

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 18:39:35 GMT

No step is too big for Top Producer finalist, PJ Haynie. Deep family roots are the foundation of his farming legacy.

“My family lineage dates back to my great-great-grandfather, who was the first African American to come out of slavery and purchase 60 acres of land on Sept. 14, 1867, in Northumberland County, Virginia,” Haynie says.

Today, his family still owns and operates a portion of that land, which is now spread across four counties in the northern neck of Virginia and near the Chesapeake Bay. His accomplishments led to be named a finalist for Top Producer of the Year, which is sponsored by BASF, Case IH, and Rabo Agrifinance.

“I spent a lot of time with my dad, and I was his walking shadow,” Haynie says. “And I tell folks that my dad tricked me into farming, you know, as I was on the floor, carpet farming with my toys, I matriculated to the bigger toys, the real ones.”

He started driving at age seven and by 10 replaced a 40-year-old hired hand. After graduating from Virgina Tech, Haynie returned to the family operation looking to build a future with a focus on technology and improving efficiency.

“Instead of planting from sunup to sundown, dad would say, ‘Hey, you can take that bubble on that roof, and you can work half the night, can’t you?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ So, he said, ‘I will get you into big fields, so you can work the night, and that way, you know, it increased our productivity with the equipment by being able to work longer days and longer hours,” Haynie says.

Today, as one of five kids, he and his four sisters still work together on the farm. But in 2010, while helping start and run a nonprofit called the National Black Growers Council, Haynie found himself in the Arkansas Delta.

He tells the story of how he and his father thought about the expansion.

“If we had a farm down south, we could probably start planting three to four weeks before we start here in Virginia,” Haynie says. “And with the equipment, we have our own trucks, let’s haul a tractor and a planter down and some equipment down, get it done, and then bring it back up to Virginia to spread the cost of that equipment over more acres.”

Sixteen hours and a thousand miles from home, Haynie went to work, building a satellite operation in Phillips County Arkansas, roughly 25 miles west of the Mississippi River.

“Here in the Delta, we have a lot of flat land,” he says. “And that’s a little different than the landscape in Virginia.”

No rolling hills and natural drainage, instead Haynie’s learning to plant on raised beds and furrow irrigate. It also opened the door to his newest endeavor: restarting an abandoned rice mill.

“When we went to this facility, we saw a diamond in the rough; we saw an opportunity,” he says. “A state-of-the-art facility that was constructed brand new in 2016 that had close to 4,000-bu. storage capacity and the milling capacity. They processed about 22 metric tons of rice per hour.”

Today, he’s running the nation’s only Black-owned rice mill.

“As a commodity farmer, no matter how much corn or wheat or soybeans that I grow that are for feed, you can’t directly take that home and feed it to your family,” Haynie says.

And thanks to new USAID contracts, he’s helping feed the world. It’s a mission he takes seriously as a farmer and a member of the Black row-crop farming community.

“You know, in 1920, there were a million Black farmers in this country, and African Americans owned 16 million acres of land. Present day, there are less than 15,000 Black row crop farmers, and less than 2 million acres of Black-owned land. And if we don’t continue to keep our foot on the gas, Black men and women in row crop production agriculture are going to be extinct.”

It’s a mission he’s working to fulfill every day.

“I’m hoping that my interest in my advocacy work, will show others in the country and other young men, who I was in their shoes one day, that through hard work and tenacity and faith, the opportunities can come your way,” he says.

Congratulations to PJ Haynie, a finalist for the 2024 Top Producer of the year.

At Just 31 Years Old, He Bought The Dairy Farm From His Parents. And In The 1st Year, The Growth Has Been Incredible

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 20:21:35 GMT

On the edge of a bustling and bursting Washington D.C., you’ll find a 4th generation dairy farm. The Smith family ventured to the Remington, Virginia area in the 1970s to uncover a land of opportunity.

“I’m the second-generation on this farm, but I’m the fourth generation of dairy farmers and Ben will be the fifth generation,” says Ken Smith, of Cool Lawn Farm in Fauquier County, Virginia.

Growing and evolving has become the way of life for Cool Lawn, LLC. Ben Smith, the fifth-generation to dairy in the Smith family, says he always knew he wanted to be a dairy farmer, but it took exploring throughout college to remind him he was destined for the farm.

Ben interned at dairies across the country while in college, and after graduation, he decided to return home to continue the family’s heritage.

“I thought it was great for him to be able to come into a progressive herd, but to start on the ground with the grazing operation was a good experience,” Ken says. “And it really brought him home to what he has become today, which is a successful dairy farmer.”

The First Signs of Growth

The farm’s grazing dairy is where Ben was able to get his feet wet right after college.

“It was a really good opportunity for me, because I had there I was alone, I had the opportunity to do well and to fail, to learn what works and to learn what doesn’t work,” Ben says. “I credit that to being kind of a one-man show over there and taking care of the cows and to developing some of my animal husbandry skills today.”

The dairy is still a 100% registered Holstein herd today, milking 800 cows, three times a day.

“We consolidated herds after we built a new freestall barn. And now what was a grazing dairy is now our dry cow facility,” explains Ben. “We’ve grown on the registered side to marketing genetics and selling registered bulls to either AI or other dairymen. We’ve also grown in grain production. What started as a 200-acre farm is now a 1,000 acre contiguous block of land. And we’re crop farming 2,500 acres.”

The family continued to make improvements to the freestall barn, but the Smiths simply outgrew the space.

“The building was built in 1967. So, it had served its purpose. And today, we’re milking in a BouMatic Rotary,” Ben says.

A Humbling Start

Ben will be the first to admit, the growth may be constant on the farm today, but when he first came home, there were bumps along the way.

“Those first few years back to the farm full-time were challenging,” he says. “You get out of school and you have all these big ideas that you learned in college, and we need to do this and do that now. It’s kind of humbling to come back and somebody tell you, ‘Hey, you need to slow your roll. Rome wasn’t built the day.’”

Remarkable Accomplishments in Year One

While his growth may have happened at a slower pace than what he originally hoped, his track record is already quite impressive, especially considering at just 31 years old, Ben purchased the operation from his parents.

“My gosh, he’s done a lot in the first year,” his dad says. “He expanded the calf raising facility. He saved us money right off the bat, and started going to bulk products. And he built a roof over the new bulk products.”

His dad says Ben also focuses on employee retention, launching training sessions on the farm.

“He created an environment that the employees would feel comfortable in,” Ken says. “He brought in a translator so that everybody understood what he was trying to accomplish. He gave me challenges. I handled things differently. Him and I, sometimes we’re black and white. And sometimes we’re just like a Holstein, we’re all mixed together.”

Keen Sense of Business Reaped From the Generations Before

Ben’s keen sense of business quickly became a tool to the farm’ progress.

“Our philosophy is if you’re not growing, you’re going backwards. So, the plan is always to grow. But growth could be a lot of different things,” Ben says.

His plans for the family farm involves more growth and expansion. And the growth here isn’t just happening in cow numbers. Ben says the goal is to become more efficient at every angle of the farm.

“It could be increase the rolling herd average from 32,000 to 34,000, increase our solids from you know seven pounds to eight. What can we do to be more efficient?”

Ben may be focused on the future, but for this fifth-generation farmer, he’ll always cherish the past.

“It starts with my granddad,” Ben says. “And then my father, Ken. They were the best mentors and coaches I ever could ask for.”

Like father, like son, those sweet sentiments are also shared by Ben’s dad.

“I’ve been really, really proud. If I talk too much about it, I will tear up, of just how proud I am of the young man he’s become.”

In just a decade on the farm, Ben’s journey has been one of dedication and innovation, which is what makes Ben Smith the 2023 Milk Business Conference Young Producer of the Year .

For the Love of Farming and the Land In Historic Virginia

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:48:16 GMT

Finalists for the Top Producer of the Year award represent the best in the business of farming, specifically entrepreneurial originality; financial and business progress; and industry and community leadership. This is not an award about size or scope. Instead, it focuses on professionalism, sophistication and innovation. Congratulations to Engel Family Farms , a 2023 Top Producer of the Year award finalist. The Engel family was recognized at a ceremony held Feb. 24 during Top Producer Summit in Nashville.

The short drive from home to the office gives first-generation farmer Kevin Engel just enough time to start his day.

“I talk to the Lord on the way here every morning,” he says. “I give thanks for a lot of stuff and put in a few requests too.”

Upon arrival the hustle begins. The Hanover, Va.-based operation stretches across 23,000 acres and grows corn, soybeans, milo, rapeseed and wheat with a focus on producing high-quality grain for premium prices. The operation works with 200-plus landlords in 19 counties in Virginia and three counties in North Carolina.

“Growing, harvesting and trucking to mills feeding poultry, pork and even people is no easy task,” Engel says. “We don’t hunt. We don’t fish. We farm. Seven days a week most of the time. Almost year round.”

It’s a work ethic he learned from his mentor, his father, Carol, who moved to Virginia from Illinois to be a farm manager. His father’s passion has bled across generations. Watching his father live and breathe farming, Engel developed his own interests in the business.

“I don’t know if it’s a genetic thing or not, but I think it might be because I’m the same way. You know, people ask me what I do for a hobby, and I say farm because I love it,” Engel says.

Today, his family loves farming as well. All three of his kids work in the operation.

Chris runs logistics, managing trucks, deliveries, farm crews and everything in between.

“When it’s harvest, I ask Chris, ‘Where do you want me to go today? Where do you need me today?’ I don’t go until Chris says this is what I’m going to do today,” Engel says.

Casey handles the technology and precision side of the operation.

“Technology changes every day in agriculture. It can get rather overwhelming, so somebody has to stay on top of it. That’s Casey’s job,” Engel says.

Daughter Savannah keeps the office, partnerships and paperwork in line.

“I’m so grateful to have them because I wouldn’t want to do it without them,” he says.

Together, Engel Family Farms delivers grain to some of the biggest agribusinesses on the East coast, including Perdue, Tyson, Smithfield and Byrd Mills.

“Some farmers have a tendency to think they are the customer when they’re buying equipment, fertilizer and seed. Then when they sell their grain, they think they’re the customer,” Engel says. “In my opinion, you can’t be the customer coming and going. Our customers are the grain buyers.”

A Steward of the Land

Close ties to their customers and proximity to Chesapeake Bay is why they planted some 16,000 acres of cover crops this year via airplane. Preserving the land and its rich history is important.

A house on one of the farms the family rents in Henrico county has cannonballs lodged in the side of it from the war. When Engel started farming, one of the first pieces of land he rented was part of the farm that Secretariat, a American Triple Crown winner, was born and raised.

A hard-charging horse with a big heart fits well among the Engels as they pursue each day. A farm where everyone is family.

“When you can get your people to say they enjoy what they’re doing, they’ve got to feel like family,” Engel says. “I want that culture to continue.”

A culture of hard work, respect and pure joy from farming.

“God’s promised us all increase if we work hard and do our part. Boy, He’s certainly fulfilled His promise to me and my family,” Engel says.

Congratulations to Kevin Engel and the Engel family, a finalist for the 2023 Top Producer of the year.

Get to know the other 2023 Top Producer award winners:

Silent Shade Planting Company, Top Producer of the Year

MoDak Dairy, Top Producer of the Year finalist

Marcia Ruff, Executive Women in Agriculture Trailblazer Award

Trey Wasserburger, Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award

Virginia

From 60 to 600 Bu. Per Acre: Is 1,000-Bushel-Corn Next?

Waiting Without Sacrificing Yield

Hula’s World Corn Yield Record

A Seed Legacy That Dates Back a Century

100 Years of Yield: 60 to 600 Bu. Per Acre

Is 1,000 Bu. Per Acre Yield Next?

Record Breaking Used Hay Baler And Seed Drill Headline Pete's Pick of the Week

Upcoming Auction

This Multistate Farmer Is Putting A Spotlight On Diversity In Agriculture

2024 Top Producer of the Year Finalist PJ Haynie: Advocacy And Tenacity

At Just 31 Years Old, He Bought The Dairy Farm From His Parents. And In The 1st Year, The Growth Has Been Incredible

The First Signs of Growth

A Humbling Start

Remarkable Accomplishments in Year One

Keen Sense of Business Reaped From the Generations BeforeBen’s keen sense of business quickly became a tool to the farm’ progress.

For the Love of Farming and the Land In Historic Virginia

Keen Sense of Business Reaped From the Generations Before

Ben’s keen sense of business quickly became a tool to the farm’ progress.