Lucas Amundson has always been intrigued by the diverse ways families run their farms and solve challenges. When he was young, his family sold its dairy in favor of a feed-to-finish operation. After graduating from college with a degree in agricultural business, he worked as a banker, a job that gave him a window into other families’ money decisions.
“There is never one right answer,” Amundson said. “But there are a million different wrongs. And if there is a smoother way of doing things, I’d rather do it that way.”
It took less than a year in finance to decide that he preferred working with his own money. He returned home to Ivanhoe, Minn., in 2019, and his father started a roughly three-year transition of the family’s cattle and grain business to Amundson and his older brother.
Amundson had been farming in partnership with his brother for a few years when he received an invitation to Side X Side, our conference exclusively for young and beginning producers. Side X Side brings together farmers and ranchers from the eight states served by AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Services of America, and Frontier Farm Credit. The conference combines insights and education from leaders in farm finances, marketing, risk management, succession planning, and more with peer-to-peer networking.
As curious as ever about other producers’ farming practices, Amundson and his wife, Shania, registered for the event. “It’s like a little squirrel,” Amundson said. “If you can pick up an acorn of knowledge and take it with you, eventually you have a whole stash of knowledge.”
They arrived to find couples juggling the same demands of family and work, on and off the farm, cattle operators with different cost structures and risk tolerance — and even an old college buddy Amundson had lost touch with.
“They saw each other in the lobby, and they were like, ‘You’re here.’ ‘You’re here.’ said Scott Anderson, Amundson’s developing markets officer. “It’s a meeting that brings all these producers from all these states together, and a friendship is solidified. It was fun to see.”
"It’s a meeting that brings all these producers from all these states together, and a friendship is solidified. It was fun to see.
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Like attendees historically, Amundson said the networking was one of the most valuable parts of the conference. Producers had ample time and opportunities to share stories and experiences during organized activities, social hours, and between learning sessions.
“The different operations and how people make different management decisions, what they base them on – it was cool to see what other options a guy has,” Amundson said. “There were several guys I talked to who dabble in the futures market—taking options on their cattle, for example—to try to mitigate risk. I have always been interested, but I’m a chicken when it comes to margin calls. It was interesting to hear about it from their standpoint.”
For now, Amundson is focused on what he knows will move the family’s operation forward. He is farming because of the sacrifices and work of his grandparents, parents, siblings, and wife. He is both grateful and determined to build—slowly—an operation that will provide the next generation the same opportunity to join the family farm.
“That’s when I will feel achieved,” Amundson said.
Curious about the Side X Side Conference? Click the button below or visit our Young and Beginning Producers page to learn more about our commitment to the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
