GROW
Young, Beginning, and Small Farmer Feature
TAKING EVERY OPPORTUNITY Ben Kasik is using a variety of resources to continually educate himself about farming, including conferences, networking, and business planning.
He farms with his grandparents, Jerry and Carolyn, in Henderson, Michigan, where they grow corn, soybeans, and wheat. He began farming full-time in 2018. “I didn’t know I wanted to farm fulltime until I went away to college at Michigan State,” Ben said. “Being away that first month was so awful. I couldn’t wait to come home and help. All through the fall harvest I drove home almost every day after class to help – I couldn’t stand not being there.” Ben graduated with his bachelor’s degree in crop and soil science and brought back his new knowledge to his home farm. His main mentor and teacher on the farm is also his coworker – his grandpa Jerry. “My grandfather has a vast amount of knowledge and wisdom he acquired from farming his entire life,” Ben said. “He’s a well-rounded farmer, and he’s good at everything, like fixing machines, agronomy, working with View a highlight reel video at: www.greenstonefcs.com/YBSFWinter22
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Winter 2022 — Partners
people. I’m so thankful I can work and learn alongside him.” Ben went to his financial services officer Nicole (Nikki) Burke in the spring of 2018 to obtain an operating loan, and she not only assisted him with financing, but also introduced him to other GreenStone services. “Every time I have a financial question or a business idea, I know I can call Nikki anytime and get help,” Ben said. “She’s always willing to give me good financial advice, and if she doesn’t know something, she points me to resources to find the answer.” Nikki works with a number of young, beginning, and small farmers out of the Corunna branch. In her 11-year career with GreenStone, she makes it a point to reach out to her customers to share about available programs. “I care a lot about my customers, and I want to see their businesses succeed and grow,” Nikki said. “Putting the customer first is the most important
➡B en Kasik was matched with mentor Eric Blaine of Blaine Farms in St. Charles, who also is a cash crop farmer. Eric brings his 21 years of knowledge to the mentorship.
