For Jay and Wade, farming isn’t just a job, it’s a century-long heritage. As the 7th generation to work their farm’s soil in northwest Ohio, the brothers are balancing the weight of tradition with a high-tech push for expansion.
Since their father handed over a 1,500-acre operation, they have doubled its size. Today, Jay and Wade cultivate over 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat, alongside a specialized 265-acre tomato processing operation.
Efficiency Through Automation
Scaling their grandfather’s 250-acre farm to more than 4,500 required a shift in mindset and machinery. Jay and Wade recently invested in an automatic tomato planter and a high-capacity harvester that utilizes electronic color sorters.
“We went from having eight people riding our old harvester to nobody riding this one,” Wade said. “It’s neat to think that this farm was my grandpa’s. I wish he could see what we do now.” The upgrades have tripled harvest speeds, allowing the team to load a semi-truck with 23 tons of tomatoes every 20 minutes.
Diversification and Risk
Jay and Wade feel that managing risk is essential to protecting a seven-generation legacy and ensuring the farm is ready for the eighth. By utilizing crop insurance with Farm Credit Mid-America, they’ve created a risk management plan that provides peace of mind during challenging seasons.
Farm Credit Mid-America wants to see us succeed and to see us pass this on. They’re helping us do that by mitigating risk through loans and crop insurance.
After a record-breaking rainy season in 2019 left fields unplanted, the brothers relied on crop insurance to navigate prevent plant claims. “Crop insurance definitely makes it easier to sleep at night if you’re having a poor year or having a hard time getting planted,” Wade said. As the brothers move their operation forward, they’re doubling down on risk management.
Wade and Jay view crop insurance as a tool that works together with their diversification strategies to ensure the farm remains viable. In 2020, they partnered with Farm Credit Mid-America to build a 4,800-head hog integrator barn. “Being a diverse operation helps mitigate risk,” Wade said. The swine operation does more than provide a steady income stream; it closes a nutrient loop for the operation. Grain grown on-site feeds the livestock and the manure is returned to the fields as fertilizer.
The Right Partnership
“Without Farm Credit Mid-America, we wouldn’t have been able to buy this farm or take on extra acres,” Jay, who was also a three-year member of Farm Credit Mid-America’s Advocate Council, said. “Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to make the deal.”
Beyond lending, the partnership focuses on long-term stability through crop insurance. “Farm Credit Mid-America wants to see us succeed and to see us pass this on,” Wade said. “They’re helping us do that by mitigating risk through loans and crop insurance.”
The Next Generation
While the technology is modern, their motivation remains rooted in their family’s history. Through initial implementation of a long-term succession plan, the brothers are ensuring the farm remains viable for their children to step into someday.
This is how I want to raise my kids; to work hard and get up and enjoy what they do every day.
“Farming means carrying on my family’s legacy,” Wade shared. “It means putting in the same hard work that my grandparents did and building something for my kids.”
Jay echoed the sentiment, noting that hard work is the blueprint for the 8th generation. “This is how I want to raise my kids; to work hard and get up and enjoy what they do every day,” he said.
Learn more about how Farm Credit Mid-America can help secure your operation’s future.
