How I prepared for a career in agriculture

In college I studied horticulture and golf course management at Kansas State University. I was in the golf course business for a stint and got to travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Then when the financial crisis hit in 2008, I made a pivot and got my Master’s degree in agronomy and cover crop science from University Nebraska-Lincoln before moving back to where my family farmed. It’s pretty hard to carve out a niche and raise a family on a beginning farmer income, so I used my background to start doing agronomy sales and consulting. 

Our greatest challenge

Right now I would say our greatest challenge is the volatility of agriculture. There are a lot of changes happening industry wide and commodity prices are up and down. There’s not really a steady price you can use to gauge the future. You really have to have a lot of faith and try your best to make educated decisions in a very competitive industry.

My relationship with Farm Credit 

My loan officer and I had a relationship prior to me working with Farm Credit so that was a positive. Also, working with a loan institution that was willing to take a risk on a younger farmer and getting me to a starting point with an operating note was a good opportunity for me to grow my business both on the sales side and on the farming side.

What sets Farm Credit apart

I think the reach and geography Farm Credit covers brings a lot of different things into play. They work with large growers, they work with smaller growers, and they have a large body of experienced loan officers and business professionals in the financial world to draw upon. Having a wider footprint and just more individuals involved in a variety of operations and economic settings is very beneficial. 

Advice to young and beginning farmers

My advice to others getting started in agriculture is to be diversified and invest in yourself by going out and learning new ideas or skills beyond the farm. The more tools you can put together the more risk averse you’re going to be. Any outside education you can get will open up your horizons and allow you to look at things differently than your competitors.