Defining Success: Insights from the Ag Industry

2023 (January-May) Question - What does success look like to you?

Our listeners want to be successful, which is why they choose to listen to our podcast.  We have the pleasure of interviewing experts from all over in the ag industry all year and now we get to recap what success means to them.

Jacquelyne Leffler – Former KSU athlete owner & founder of Leffler Prime Performance Beef (DTC).  Planted her first crop in 2020 – 4th generation farmer in Americus, Kansas @jaxlef14

Finding a passion or love and living that each and every day.  Old adage “You’ll never work a day in your life doing what you love”

5/11/23 – Thur – F4F – E220 (E280) Ethan Clark, first generation farmer, Washington, IN

Long term sustainability financially and environmentally. Do what you love, love what you do.  If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. 

5/4/23 – Thur – F4F – E219 (E278) Bushels & Barrels – Ryan Peter

            Happiness.  Find what you love and do it better than anyone else.

5/1/23 – Mon – F4P – E125 (E277) Young & Beginning Farmer Loan Options – Kaitlyn Niemeyer

I have my dream job and continue to educate people around me.Work hard and be a good person. Help whoever you can, whenever you can. It matters who you hitch your wagon to.  People who make you happy will make you a better person.

4/6/23 – Thur – F4F – E215 (E270) Dusty Berry – Coal Roller  Louisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show 

Being able to do what you like to do and get paid to do it.  Being able to leave something behind for your kids when you’re gone.  Legacy.

3/2/23 – Thur – F4F – E210 (E260) Badger State PullingLouisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show

            Emily Matzke, Avery Elsing, Mason Elsing

Emily: Having a business or work that fuels you.  There’s no point in working so hard, if you’re not going to enjoy life.  Success is balance between work and enjoying life.

Mason: Not always working 24/7, 365 days a year.  You need to have fun.

Avery:(The same as Mason) 

4/3/23 – Mon – F4P – E121 (E269) Taking the Pulse of the Equipment Market – Andy Campbell, Tractor Zoom 

If you wake up eager to do what you’re going to do.  You can’t wait to get at it.  And at night you go to bed smiling, fulfilled and accomplished.  Using those ‘bookends’ to your day, go out and do what you’re passionate about. 

It’s all about family and how you treat them.  Family can be whoever you make or want them to be.

1/5/23 – Th – F4F – E202 (E244) - Gavin Spoor - Popcorn Farmer (and girlfriend Farmer Grayce) Omaha – Define Success

            Grayce – Happiness.  If I’m happy, I feel I’ve been successful.

Gavin – 1) Having a huge crowd at your visitation and funeral.  People showed up to show your family how much they cared about you and how much you meant to them.

2) When it’s all said and done, leave something in better shape than when you found/got it…while also getting what you needed from it.  Successful farmers don’t just make a living off the land, they leave it for the next generation to get value from it as well. 

4/27/23 – Thur – F4F – E218 (E276) Tyne Morgan      Commodity Classic-Orlando, FL

            Being mom! Being present and giving back to my community.  Leaving a positive image of ag.  Strong work ethic. 

            Whatever you put your mind to, you will do or be.  With enough hard work, anything can be accomplished.

3/30/23 – Thur – F4F – E214 (E268) Farmland Mike  Louisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show

            Being a good person.When your kids are grown up, and they still want to hang out with you.

4/20/23 – Thur – F4F – E217 (E274) Noah Young – Shiloh Farm  Louisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show 

Waking up in a warm bed and house with your family.  Good health and being able to provide for your family off the land.  Build something to pass on to your kids.Wake up every day, and say “I can’t believe this is the life I get to live.”

4/17/23 – Mon – F4P – E123 (E273) Understanding the ROI of Cattle Buildings Bill Rubis, TenCorp

Be a good husband and family member.  Have great conversations and collaborations with other people.  Help producers change and grow their operation.

2/2/23 – Thur – F4F – E206 (E252) Tony Reed – Growincorn2020   North American Conservation And Drainage Expo

Money doesn’t matter.  At the end of the day, it’s your wife, kids, and family are all that matters.  Happy marriage and good kids, you’re successful.Success=happiness.

Success is a sense of having community.  Whether that be in your local environment, an online platform, or somewhere in between.

5/8/23 – Mon – F4P – E126 (E279) Mike Downey – Farm Raised Capital (Iowa Farm Bureau 1:00 commercial)

Provide good information to your community.  To experience the fulfillment of helping others.  Be significant and impactful while helping others.

4/13/23 – Thur – F4F – E216 (E272) Chip Flory – Commodity Classic-Orlando, FL

When you train your predecessor, and they’re better than you.  Your family is your legacy. When people you don’t even know tell you that you’ve had an impact on their life and their farming decisions.

3/13/23 – Mon – F4P – E118 (E263) Strong Leadership Habits with Steve Sukup

Louisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show

            People want to be around you.  Not just in your office at a management level, but also personally.

2/20/23 – Mon – F4P – E115 (E257) Managing Water and Fertility with Dr. Lindsey Pease, University of Minnesota

North American Conservation And Drainage Expo

            Success is leaving people after meeting, working with or knowing me, better than I found them. 

Doing my small part to make the world a better place.

1/30/23 – Mon – F4P – E112 (E251) The Business of Fatherhood with Ben Killoy

When is a veteran forgotten? When does your name no longer mean anything? A 100 years from now will your family say “Gpa used to always say/do that, and it’s still true today.”  Is there something you left behind that’s not just wealth?  Success is how well my kids know me. They know enough that what I did lives with them and through them in a way that keeps getting passed on.  How I lived, treated people, wisdom I left behind, and who you are are ‘anchor’ memories for your kids. 

1/16/23 – Mon – F4P – E110 (E247) Finding the Right Entity Structure for You – Ryan Haaland

            Men of his generation thought being useful was the most important thing they could be.  Success is to be a

useful member of the team.  (Book about a make believe town in Iowa, Gilliad)

Being of good character and having a clean conscious can lead to the feelings of success

1/12/23 – Th – F4F – E203 (E246) – Quick Dick McDick

People that are true to their roots are living success.  Success isn’t money or stature, it’s being happy with who you are and where you’re at and being able to bring others to that same mindset.  Be ok with where you’re at!

1/9/23 – Mon – F4P – E109 (E245) - Top Advice for Farmers with Mike Burkhart "Father of FarmTok" 

Mike, - Don't try to be a man of success, but a man of value.If your values are right, success will follow right behind it.

5/18/23 – Thur – F4F – E221 (E282) Farmer Beas, Tyler “Killer” Beas Louisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show 

            If you go home at the end of the day, and go to bed with no worries or problems, that’s been a successful day.

2/6/23 – Mon – F4P – E113 (E253) Tackling SNIRT with the Stock Cropper Guys Lance Peterson and Zach Smith

            North American Conservation And Drainage Expo

Lance – Being able to sleep at night.  Being comfortable with all your decisions in life and not second guessing and having doubts.

Zach – Leave things in a better place than I found them.  Leave a positive impact.

Success can be measured financially, but is it more stability than wealth?

3/16/23 – Thur – F4F – E212 (E264) Brian’s Farming Videos – Brian Brown 

Louisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show

           When I look back, I’m successful if I can pass on a profitable farm to the family.

5/25/23 – Thur – F4F – E222 (E284) Kendal Johnson, multigenerational farmerLouisville, KY National Farm Machinery Show 

            Small wins to all add up to success.  Successful is being able to continue the family farm.

work hard so that you can make the family more money than you cost; living broke until you can get your own farm; the ultimate goal is to get your own piece of the family farm.

Make the most of the gifts God’s given you.Make your blessings/opportunities have an impact

2/23/23 – Thur – F4F – E209 (E258) FarmerDan97

            The Lord called us to be stewards of the land, and if we take care of it, He’ll take care of us.  Live life to His glory.

2/13/23 – Mon – F4P – E114 (E255) Swine Tech – Taking it to the Next Level Barrett Eller, Matthew Rooda

            Barrett – God put you on this earth for one intent, but He left you to pursue it.  Go chase your dream.

Matthew – Make the most of the gifts God’s given you.  Make your blessings/opportunities have an impact.  Look back at the industry and see that you’ve made it better, that’s success.

Summary:

Have faith and share the great news, passing along a legacy for the next generations to come, leaving things better than you found them, being of high character and being able to sleep at night, being a useful member of a team, being a person people want to be around, build a community around you and ultimately finding and doing what you love.

If you could go back and stand alongside yourself at 18 right now, what would you say?