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Beginning Row Crop Farm Quickly Expands Organic Acres

Growing up in a rural community and working on family members’ farms, Nick Casey always wanted his own operation. But it seemed almost impossible to get into farming without being grandfathered in. Especially in central Illinois, where farms are typically 2,000 to 4,000 acres in size. “I didn’t have the cash to buy a farm […]

Organic Transition Provides “Peace of Mind” and an Edge

Not so long ago, Todd Grohs realized he had a problem. He was doing the budget for his 5,000-acre farm in Wessington Spring, S.D., and the numbers didn’t look good. “I said, ‘I’ve got an option here. If I stay doing what I’m doing, in three to four years I’ll have all of my equity […]

Profits and Soil Health Draw 4th-Generation Farmer to Organics

Chuck Thompson was tired of living hand-to-mouth. Like many farmers, he grew up on a traditional, corn-and-soybean operation in Humboldt, Iowa, and returned to it after college. Today, he and his brother farm with their father, making them the fourth generation of the family farm. But in the last decade, the Thompsons have struggled to […]

Demand for Organic Foods Sets Up Long-Term Benefits for Farmers

When Steve Merfeld heard Farmers Business Network (FBN) was investing in AgriSecure, he started to think about whether his 2,200-acre farm in Nashua, Iowa, should get into organic production. He presented the idea to two farmers he works with and they agreed to investigate further. After meeting with AgriSecure and reflecting on their experiences with […]