Kent and Dana Weatherby: The Family Behind

from Live.Work.Grow. Volume 9 Issue 1

Landoll Tilloll 877: Built for Generations

The Family behind the Farm

Kent and Dana Weatherby

To Kent and Dana Weatherby, the farm family lifestyle is all they have ever known. From being raised on multi-generation farms to building their own together, they cannot imagine any other way of life.

Dana grew up near Spaulding, IL helping out around their corn and soybean farm with her two younger sisters and her parents, Fred and Judy Kramer. Dana grew up watching the successful partnership between her parents as they farmed with one another throughout their lives.

“My family was very hands-on and always did it ourselves no matter what the job was,” says Dana. “It was always instilled in us as kids to work together until the job was done and we didn’t question it.”

Growing up, Dana was always eager to chip in wherever she was needed, between driving a Farmall M tractor spraying corn, running the combine, and helping build their new machine shed. She also spent countless summers walking beans with her sisters while their father jokingly sang old songs to keep them entertained.

Seeing her mother be so active on the farm gave her the desire to pursue a career in agriculture and farm alongside her own family one day.

Close to where he and Dana live today, Kent also grew up on his family’s farm in Fancy Prairie, IL with his younger sisters and parents, Kenneth and Erna Weatherby. Kent was destined to be a farmer ever since his father had him riding along in their open, 2 row combine when Kent was just a baby.

As he grew up, he became more involved baling hay, doing mechanical work on equipment, and helping raise their cattle and hogs. He and his sisters also raised show calves as their 4-H projects each summer.

Similar to Dana, Kent always knew he wanted to farm for a living, so when they got married during their last year at the University of Illinois, they began to build the life they had envisioned for themselves together.

During finals week, just before graduation in 1988, Kent and Dana rented their first farm together in Cantrall. In the years following, they farmed with Kent’s father and gradually added their own ground. Today they raise corn and soybeans in parts of Sangamon, Menard, and Logan County and still continue to farm that first field in Cantrall which started it all.

Dana is grateful to have had her family as a great example while she and Kent have worked to build their operation. “I have seen over the years the commitment my parents and grandparents have shown to the farm, and somehow always made it work,” says Dana. “It shows us that with the ups and downs of farming, you are always in it for the long haul”.

Her parents farmed together until they were 80 years old and decided to retire. Around the same time, Luke Weatherby, Kent and Dana’s son began to farm with them full time. Their other sons, Adam, Cole, and Jacob are also heavily involved and always have been throughout their childhood. “We always wanted our boys to have that same lifestyle of growing up working alongside their parents as we did,” says Dana. “It was good for them to be a part of the operation and develop the work ethic that comes with it.”

With their children older now, farming has become more of a family affair with everyone pitching in, especially during the fall. “Harvest is always the highlight,” says Kent. “Now more than ever, we look forward to harvest because it brings us all together again and we get to spend more time working alongside each other every day,” Dana adds.

The best part to Kent and Dana, however, is still having their parents around the family farm as well. “Our kids got to grow up riding along with Grandpa and now they get to have grandpa ride along with them,” says Dana. It is special to them to get to share this lifestyle and passion for agriculture between generations.

Another tradition that has been shared from generation to generation, is their love for red equipment. Kent grew up with International Harvester equipment along with some Oliver tractors. He remembers the first red combine on the farm was a 1440 when he was a kid.

Dana’s family has always had red equipment, so together she and Kent continue to be loyal to Case IH today with the help of Central Illinois Ag. “We are familiar with Case IH and the combine has always been known for being efficient,” says Dana. “I can’t imagine we would ever switch.”

Kenneth and Luke

“Central Illinois Ag has put such huge efforts into customer service,” Kent adds. “Our salesman Austin Coers and the mechanics have been so attentive, and we have to give them credit for helping us as much as they have, it is worth a lot.”

Kent and Dana have seen first-hand the improvements in Case IH equipment and technology that have come about since they were kids. The increased efficiency, productivity, and communication alone has made a huge difference, and they are hopeful to gradually keep improving their operation for generations to come.

“Our ancestors have worked tirelessly for generations to build up their farms, keep them together, and pass on to the next generation,” says Dana. “We are not doing this just to earn a living, but to pass it down and build upon what previous generations have given us as a foundation.”