Pfeiffer Family Farms: Farm. Family. Future

“I don’t know how to put into words how important the family farm is to us,” says Darrell Pfeiffer. “We want to leave it the best we can to pass on to the next generation.”

Husband and wife Fran and Darrell Pfeiffer have been farming together since they were married in 1966. They have many combined years of experience in the agriculture industry from growing up on farms that they have been able to use to their advantage to build up their operation to where it is today.

Fran grew up on a fifth-generation grain and dairy farm in Green Valley, Illinois. The value of hard work was instilled in she and her siblings at a young age as they were expected to help with daily chores on the farm growing up. She was involved in all aspects of their operation: milking the cows, building fence, baling hay, and grinding feed.

Similarly, Darrell was also raised on a fifth-generation family farm. His family owned a vegetable and grain farm in Forest City, Illinois, and he grew up on the same homestead that he and Fran live on today. Darrell can remember being outside doing whatever he could to help his dad, grandpa, and uncle farm as a kid. “I started driving an International H when I was five years old, and I was hauling ear corn to the farm when I was six,” says Darrell. He was also involved with raising feeder cattle, raking and baling hay with an International Harvester 460, and even running the combine at a young age.

When Fran and Darrell got married in 1966, they began farming with Darrell’s father, Leo J. Pfeiffer, and his brother, Dean Pfeiffer. They were able to purchase their first farm shortly after and had three daughters, Gayle, Cindy, and Tena. Planting and harvest were a family affair, raising corn and soybeans as well as a variety of specialty crops over the years including tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, sweet corn, carrots, beets, and potatoes.

The Pfeiffers had the opportunity to experiment with raising specialty crops because Darrell’s father, Leo, invested in irrigation systems early on. In 1957, Leo was the first to start irrigating in Mason County, which is now a standard practice around the area today due to the sandy soil conditions and the county’s ideal location on the Mahomet aquifer. After testing out and setting up their own irrigation systems, they began selling and installing center-pivots for other producers around the county.

In 1991, Leo retired from farming, allowing Fran and Darrell to buy out his side of the operation. The vegetable production slowly dwindled away as they acquired more ground and decided to focus on raising just corn and soybeans, the two crops they still grow today.

Irrigation, however, is one important aspect of their operation that they have maintained and improved upon throughout the years. Today, they have 27 center pivots located on their farm ground around Mason and Tazewell counties.

The technology and innovation of irrigation systems have come a long way compared to when they started using them in the 50s. They have now converted eight of their systems over to being controlled by and monitored through their cell phones. They have been blown away by the convenience and usefulness of these systems and find them especially helpful on their fields further away from home which have weather stations on them. These help them monitor weather patterns and make informed decisions on when and how much to irrigate, without having to make constant trips to those fields.

As the years have gone by, Fran and Darrell have been able to see many technological advancements in agriculture and have been fortunate enough to implement them on their own operation. Besides irrigation, the biggest advancement on their operation has been implementing GPS systems. “Technology in ag has come a long way; we now have GPS in almost everything,” says Darrell. “It saves on time, saves on equipment, saves on fertilizer; everything is so precise now.”

Darrell in their 7230 combine with Fran behind him in their 7240 during harvest of 2020. www.centralilag.com · Volume 8 Issue 2 22

Like most, the Pfeiffers were hesitant at first when introduced to such a new concept. “When it first came out, we did not think we would ever switch over, just like with irrigation,” says Fran. “We wondered what farming was about anymore if you could not drive the tractor yourself, but now that we have adapted to it, GPS and autosteer have been wonderful tools to have.”

Despite the initial hesitation, Darrell and Fran have been able to keep up with the rapidly changing technology with the help of Central Illinois Ag and salesman Austin Coers. The Pfeiffers have been loyal to red equipment all their lives as they both grew up with International Harvester equipment on their family farms. When they were first married, they had an 815 International combine, which Fran enjoyed running, usually with one of their young daughters riding along with her. Today, they have a Case IH 7230 and a 7240, one for each of them to run during their favorite time of year, harvest. “To me, harvest is the thrill of farming,” says Fran. “It is always fun to reap what you sow.” Darrell and Fran always look forward to harvesting together and say they love getting to work as a team to get the crops out each fall.

Even though the Pfeiffers love the farming lifestyle they have, they do not fail to recognize that just like with everything in life, it comes with its own challenges. “It is a different way of life, you have got to know that there will be ups and downs and swings of the market,” says Fran. “Some years you have just got to hold on tight.” They acknowledge that being in this industry can be trying sometimes but being able to do what they love together each day is what truly matters.

“All the hard work makes farming worth it,” says Fran. “There are some tough years, but you always find a way to get by. We feel blessed to have kept the farm for so long and to have made it through the good times and After all these years, Fran and Darrell say that when the time comes that they are ready to slow down, they know that there will be a sixth generation to hand the farm down to. Having three daughters, Fran says she always tells people that their girls do not have to farm it themselves, but that does not mean they can’t carry the farm on and keep it in the family.

“We have both always held on to the values of working hard, being honest, and doing the best we can to improve the land,” says Fran. “Our goal is to pass the farm on and hope the future generations will do the same.”

“Our advice to young farmers is to follow your dream; it is a great life,” says Fran. “You cannot take it with you, but you will always have something to look back on with pride.”