Page 33 - KMA Ag Mag 2020

KMAland 2020 Overcoming Current Challenges in the Ag Community 33

handy. I believe educa- ing wrong with ask- petitive and land prices start of their working
tion after High School is ing for help. I was still are on the rise again. We career to the end. Most
very important, whether farming with my dad have to be open minded of them had four or five
it be a 2 or 4-year de- and grandpa and rais- and think outside of the jobs before they took
gree or pursuing even ing cattle with my dad box. I know that if my to only farming. Some
farther. I took a position and it got very stressful kids want to be a part of of that period they held
of District Sales Manag- with time management. our operation we may three jobs at once. I had
er for Kruger Seeds cov- Then you throw high have to think of ways known these people for
ering Southwest Iowa. input costs and low mar- to expand within the most of my life and I
Making the transition ket prices into the equa- means of our operation never knew that about
of farming full time to tion and it got to be ex- today. I think as human them. I had never asked
working a full-time job hausting. beings we must be un- either. They may have
and moving farming to It was at this point I derstanding of why our had the same thoughts
nights and weekend was had to find my why. I neighbors do what they about pushing farming
probably more mentally had done this before, do to grow their opera- to the side for a while
difficult than anything. many times. Things got tions. We live in such a too. It all comes down
Convincing myself that fast paced and seemed fast-paced routine we to finding what is im-
pushing farming and to lose track of it. Why forget to slow down and portant and sticking
my cattle business to do you want to keep enjoy the little things. your nose to the grind-
the side for a while was farming when you put One of my favorite stone and pursuing it.
not easy. That’s been my all your time and money things to do to unwind The other night I was
dream since I was car- into it, and it doesn’t is go on antique tractor watching the news and
pet farming as a young pay you back? I was drives with my grandpa. a story about young
boy with my cousins. given every opportunity There is something spe- farmers came on in
I struggled for a while, growing up to carry on cial about slowing down Mills County. I heard a
thinking I had failed and our family tradition of to 8mph on a 70-year- quote from Dane Kruse
not knowing what to do farming. Who was I to old tractor taking in the that put it all out on the
next. When all I had deprive my kids that natural beauty of the table and it’s completely
ever done is work on a same opportunity if they land. We miss a lot just true. “You could say it’s
farm, and now I couldn’t so choose? I focused in driving to our next des- in my blood. You could
do that all the time? on managing my time tination at 60 mph. say I’m crazy, but I just
There was a brief period between being a DSM In the past couple of like farming.” Let that
I was heartbroken. and farming. More im- years, I had attended sink in. Everywhere
When I was getting portantly I focused on some funerals of very we look is agriculture.
my start in farming I had balancing those two successful farmers in Blood, sweat, and tears
in my mind that I need- roles and being a father, my eyes. I tend to be a put into those fields,
ed to do it all by myself husband, son, and friend pack-rat and put all the those feedlots, those
to “prove my worth”. I that everyone needed obituaries in a drawer pastures. Whether it’s
learned quickly some more. When I worked and occasionally will for past generations,
keys to success were us- hard on that, that’s when read through them next generations, or you
ing your resources and things got easier. Inputs again. I noticed a cor- just like farming. Let it
there is nothing wrong are still high and market relation of all of them. be. It’s stressful but take
with asking for help. prices are still low, but Not even one of them care of yourself because
When I took on my my attitude is up! farmed, and only farmed someone is watching
DSM role I seemed to Attitude is everything. as a sole source of their and learning from what
forget the part of noth- Cash rent is very com- family income from the you do.