july 2013 | Section A
Shelby, foreground, and Sydney Stephenson practice walking their show cows.
FAMILY FARM
Business-Minded The Stephenson family looks to the future story By jenni l. muncie-sujan | photos by josh marshall
B
Todd Stephenson works at the Crossroads Family Farms offices.
efore marrying her husband, Brad Stephenson, city girl Stacey Stephenson says she thought that farms were primarily “just men driving tractors.” Since her marriage into a farming family, however, she has watched as the industry has morphed into something more complex. And she’s seen how much there is on a farm for females to do and enjoy. “There’s so much more now for girls,” she says. This is significant to the Stephenson clan. The two brothers, Brad and Todd Stephenson, and their wives, Stacey and Christy, are focused on growing a farm that is now in its fourth family generation. They want to pass farming opportunities to their children — four out of five of whom are girls. Brad recalls his grandmother, Patsy Stephenson, helping around the farm by cooking meals and occasionally driving a tractor, he says, but it was his grandfather, Herb Stephenson, who ran the farm. Herb, Brad says, regularly offered the brothers a “how-it-is” viewpoint of farming; he was straightforward with them about the struggles of the occupation. “Grandpa tried to be realistic about the future of farming,” Todd says. When the two brothers expressed the desire to farm as a career, they said, their grandfather initially told them they would have to figure it out on their own, but once he realized they were serious, he helped them in any way he could. The farm was passed to the brothers, and they later named it B & T Farms. As the two couples saw their children growing older, they knew it was time to think ahead. In 2010, the Stephensons made a decision See stephenson on A2 > >
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Farm Indiana // july 2013
stephenson
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(from left) Sydney, Shelby, Stacey, Brad, Todd, Nikki, Christy, Kaleigh and Thomas Stephenson. AT RIGHT: Todd climbs a storage bin. TOP: The Stephensons in a field at Crossroads Family Farms.
to do what they thought was necessary to make the farm viable for the future by being proactive in response to industry changes and forecasts. All four family members, Brad, Stacey, Todd and Christy, became co-owners and decided to rename the farm to Crossroads Family Farms. “We all started going to training,” says Brad, naming the various areas they pursued to prepare: business practices, management, control system, structure, employees, compliance. Stacey explains that, in the past, it was common to have small farms. Now, she says, there are fewer farmers. She says the average farmer is about 55 years old and is farming approximately 1,000 acres. Many of these farmers, she says, will retire with no one to take over. She says that these farmers will most likely lease their farms out to larger farms. “There’s not going to be a middle-sized farm,” Stacey says. “There will be hobby (farms) and large.” “We believe consolidation is going to happen in the ag industry,” Brad says. “We needed to prepare for that to stay competitive.” But simply avoiding extinction is not the goal. The Stephensons have a larger vision that includes continually adding acreage to their farm, eventually becoming a multistate farming operation and offering the opportunity of farming to their children. At the forefront, the Stephensons want land owners to know that they are forward-thinking, seeking ways to improve processes and achieve certifications that testify to their efforts.
Also in 2010, the family received environmental certification by a third-party auditor and an on-farm security safety audit. Brad says that Crossroads is one of only 50 or 60 farms in the United States with the environmental certification status. “We took that initiative upon ourselves,” he says, “and we want to promote that, telling the people out here in the country that we do things differently than other farmers.” The on-farm safety audit establishes specific measures and operations to ensure food security and prevent theft on the property. This audit, they say, shows food suppliers what they do to keep the food safe, keeping records of how and where it is stored. This process helps the family communicate confidently with a supplier about the traceability, the fertilizer and nitrogen applied to the food, and the various locations the food has been carried or stored. Currently, the Stephensons sell to a middle man before the food goes to the producer, such as Frito Lay or Quaker Oats. Eventually, they want to work directly with the end producer, Todd says. Today, Crossroads Family Farms leases acreage in seven counties, in addition to the 500 acres owned by members of the family. They employ seven people full time and have up to 20 employees during the planting and harvesting seasons. The full-time employees work all year long, about 50 hours per week, even through the winter. They haul grain out of storage, work
on the fence row, do tile work to keep the land maintained and prepare for spring by conducting maintenance on the machinery. Even though the farm is family-based, Crossroads has been restructured as a business. The owners have positioned themselves to manage a growing corporation with a plan to survive a transition that the Stephensons expect most mid-sized farms will face. A large building on their property in Hancock County holds offices, a maintenance garage and a conference room on the second level where they hold an employee meeting every Monday. The building was completed in 2007, and after a tornado, it was restored in 2008. It has a full kitchen, and the family supplies an evening meal to all their workers each day of planting and harvesting season. Crossroads employees are always in uniform. Each person has a clear job description,
but those expectations often overlap with multiple roles. “We have put in management layers and have structured our organization as a business,” says Brad. Brad, Stacey and Todd are quick to point out that they are making no assumptions about their children’s involvement in the farm. “Just because we have a business doesn’t mean they have a job,” Brad adds. “They won’t come back (from college) to just an inherited farm,” Stacey says. “Hopefully, they will come back and prove themselves.” For now, though, only one thing is for certain. If the Stephensons want to pass a farming business to their children, they have to take big steps now. “If we were a middle- or small-sized operation,” Stacey says, “there would be a loss of an opportunity (for the kids).” “Our foundation is built,” says Todd. *FI
Farm Indiana // july 2013
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EDITOR’S NOTE
july 2013
The Way the Wind Blows ...
A4 Waterman Family Farm A6 Heather Hill A7 Food Science
» As I’m sure most
the Midwest had seen in decades. In
everyone did,
2013, continual rains have threatened
I spent my fair
farmers’ abilities to get their crops in
B1 Clearview Christmas Tree Farm
share of time this
the ground. Each week’s — and each
B3 Seed Count
spring watching
day’s, really — shift in weather pat-
B4 Carrier's Tree Farm & Sawmill
news reports about
terns can negatively impact the health
B6 Obermeyer Agri Group
the tornadoes that
and wealth of your harvests. And that’s
rolled through the
probably a pretty big understatement.
B7 Kopper Kettle Inn
Midwest, includ-
B8 Bane-Welker Equipment
B7
ing the monster
new. But if most people are like I was
storm that hit the
two years ago, they don’t really think
town of Moore, Okla., in May. It’s hard
much about the overwhelming conse-
to wrap my mind around tragedies
quences of these sorts of things. Each
on such grand scales. It’s difficult to
day matters in the life of a farmer. If it
imagine the immense sense of loss …
rains too much, you worry. If it rains
of life, of possessions, of future dreams
too little, you worry. If the winds are
and long-ago memories, of a sense of
too strong, the sun too hot, the clouds
security, really.
too thick … you get my drift.
And storms like these make me
Comments, story ideas and suggestions should be sent to Sherri Lynn Dugger, The Republic, 333 Second St., Columbus, IN 47201, call (812) 379-5608 or email farmindiana@hnenewspapers.com. For advertising information, call (812) 379-5690.
I know I’m not telling you anything
In recent years, weather patterns
think about you. Each morning
have continued to become more ex-
around 8 a.m., I receive three alerts
treme — creating ever-more uncer-
from The Weather Channel application
tainty for the success of people we
I’ve downloaded to my phone. One
most need to be successful: farmers.
alert tells me of the current tempera-
Today, harvesting a successful crop
ture, one informs me of the expected
must feel a little like playing the lottery
high temperature for the day, and the
… and hoping to win every single time
last is a farm alert, which tells me the
you play. Not many of us head to work
day’s weather and soil conditions. I’m
each morning with an entire year’s
not sure why I opted to receive the
paycheck balancing in the wind. But
farm alert a year or so back, but I did,
you brave souls do. For that, my hat
and it’s been eye-opening to track how
goes off to you.
drastically the weather can change
©2013 by Home News Enterprises. All rights reserved. Reproduction of stories, photographs and advertisements without permission is prohibited.
and to consider how those changes can impact your lives. At this time last year, we were experiencing one of the worst droughts
AGRITOURISM
Southern Indiana’s New Fruits & Flowers Trail taste of southern Indiana agriculture and lifestyle. There
featured on the trail. The Big Peach in Bruceville
are 34 places to visit on the Fruits & Flowers Trail this
and Prairie Acres Restaurant and Farm Market in
summer. Other attractions include botanical gardens,
Oaktown are being highlighted on the trail. Visit
wineries, farm-to-table restaurants and much more.
either one of these establishments to collect a
When travelers visit one of these trail venues, they will find Hoosier-grown produce or flowers and can also pick up something special to take
The terrain of southern Indiana is known for rolling
recipe for watermelon salsa, made with Knox County’s famous fruit. The Fruits & Flowers Trail was developed and is
home. Each trail venue provides a free local recipe
being promoted by the Southern Indiana Regional
or gardening tip to all visitors.
Marketing Cooperative (SIRMC), an organization cre-
For example, during a family trip to Beck’s Mill
ated almost 20 years ago to facilitate partnerships
hills, meandering rivers, dark caves, underground
in Salem, kids can see water power grinding corn
to effectively motivate travel to the southern Indiana
limestone and dense forests. This summer, it is the
into corn meal, which is sold at the mill, where free
region. Last May, SIRMC was awarded a $9,000
southern Indiana abundant farmland that is taking
Fruits & Flowers recipe cards for Indiana cornbread
trail grant through the Indiana Office of Tourism
center stage.
are also available.
Development for the Fruits & Flowers Trail. The state
The Fruits & Flowers Trail is a brand new Indiana
At Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, families can
invested funds to assist communities in developing,
trail designed to attract visitors to the area to enjoy
relax in the park and pick up the Fruits & Flowers
expanding and marketing thematic trails that will
local produce and agricultural activities during the
recipe card for persimmon pudding. While on the
drive tourism in Indiana communities. *FI
spring and summer. The trail highlights local estab-
park grounds, visitors can stop by the restaurant at
lishments, such as farm markets, orchards, gardens
Spring Mill State Park Inn to taste the dessert.
and restaurants, that are located throughout the
Adults will enjoy unique recipes on the Fruits
18-county area. Each establishment was selected
& Flowers Trail, including strawberry sangria from
to represent locally produced favorites and to offer
Clark County and a fruit and wine recipe from
travelers a unique Indiana experience.
Spencer County.
Every venue on the trail provides a special sight or
Knox County’s homegrown bounty is also
Travelers can visit the Fruits & Flowers Trail website (www.FruitsAndFlowers.org) to view all the establishments on the trail.
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Farm Indiana // july 2013
FAMILY FARM
A Great Cause The Waterman family helps Burmese refugees reconnect to their heritage story By Ashley petry photos by josh marshall
Bitter melon and Asian long beans aren’t typical Indiana farm products, but in recent years they have been common sights in the fields of the Waterman Family Farm. Since 2008, the Watermans have set aside a three-acre plot for the use of Burmese refugees, for whom farming is both a financial boon and — more importantly — a chance to reconnect with their cultural identity. “I just saw it as a great cause,” Carol Waterman says. “When they got here, people weren’t speaking the same language they knew, and the culture wasn’t the same. Food is so important to feeling grounded, and that’s something we could offer them — the ability to grow the foods they liked.” Central Indiana is now home to about 10,000 Burmese refugees — the world’s largest Burmese community outside of Burma itself. Most are members of ethnic minority groups, such as the Chin, Karen and Karenni, that were persecuted in their native country.
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For more than half a century, the country now officially known as Myanmar has been ruled by a repressive military junta, which denied citizenship to many ethnic minorities and committed violence against its own people. The country has undergone significant democratic reforms in recent years, but the ethnic violence has continued. Genocide Watch, which coordinates the International Alliance to End Genocide, identifies Burma as one of five nations currently experiencing a genocide emergency — the organization’s highest alert level. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has tracked more than 400,000 Burmese refugees, many of whom fled to Thailand, China, Malaysia and other nearby nations. In Thailand alone, nine refugee camps along the border house more than 140,000 refugees. The Waterman farming partnership was organized by Maria Figueroa, who runs the Refugee Resource and Research Institute of Indiana. She began developing the project in 2006, soon after the first wave of Karen refugees had settled in Indianapolis. “Most people would think it’s for income supplement, but that’s just a bonus. It was mostly to take back a part of their identity that was lost through persecution,” she says. “It’s a part of their DNA, to be connected to the land, and reconnecting them to that part of their identity is crucial to the process of integration.” With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for farm equipment and seeds, the project got under way in 2008, with 10 Burmese Karen families working together to tend three acres on the Watermans’ Greenwood farm, one of two properties the family owns. One participant was Hanary Pee, a former rice farmer who fled Burma with his family in the late ’90s. They lived in Thailand for a decade before ultimately being resettled in Indianapolis, and they joined the Waterman project in 2009. “When we lived in Thailand and Burma, we used to plant vegetables. When we came here, we wanted to eat foods like that,” Pee says through a translator.
The families sold some of the produce at a farmers market, which was set up in an apartment complex where many of the refugees live. The rest they brought home, using the familiar fruits and vegetables to create traditional Burmese dishes. “I’ve often been amazed by what can be produced in a small amount of ground if it’s tended carefully,” Carol Waterman says. “They just stuck with it and got it done.” The project wasn’t without challenges. The families had to adapt to different weather patterns and a shorter growing season. But when the Watermans offered to teach them mechanized farming methods, the families opted to do much of the work the traditional way, by hand. This season, the Karen families have bowed out of the project, largely because they have made other commitments of their time and resources. Pee, for example, recently bought a house and now works full time as a furniture assembler. Another former farmer has set her sights on becoming a nurse. In other words, the Waterman farm project has produced exactly the results Figueroa intended — helping the families integrate more fully into American life while still honoring their cultural heritage. “It’s a success story, quite honestly,” says Bruce Waterman, who has farms both in Greenwood and on the east side of Indianapolis. At the end of last summer, the families threw a thank-you party for the Watermans, giving them gifts of traditional Burmese clothing and food. “I was really touched by that,” Carol says. “If you are one who works the soil, there’s just something really important about that. I think there’s a kinship among people who work the soil.” As the refugees move forward, they say they are optimistic about their futures in this country. “If you’re not lazy and you try hard, you’ll be fine,” Pee says. “When we lived in Burma, the government wouldn’t give us citizenship, and when we came to Thailand it was exactly the same. But here, if you want to become a citizen, nobody can control you.” *FI
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Farm Indiana // july 2013
FAMILY FARM
(from left) Addison, 10, Hadley, 4, and Reese, 7, sit with their mother, Heather Hill, on their family's farm.
On Borrowed Land
Heather Hill shares stories of life on the farm story By teresa nicodemus photos by josh marshall
Heather Hill began writing her blog (www.3kidsandlotsofpigs.com) in 2010 with the hope that “by sharing bits and pieces of our life on and off the farm, I can connect with others and help answer their questions about food,” she says. She describes that life from the points of view of her daughters, Addison, 10, and Hadley, 4, and her son, Reese, 7, whom she affectionately refers to as Big Sissy, Little Sissy, and Bubby on the site. Farm life is a family affair for the Hills. Heather and her husband, Marc, are a fourth generation of hog, wheat, corn and soybean farmers in Hancock County to live off the land. “I’m very blessed to marry into a farm family,” she says. “My children get to see their grandparents every day, and we can raise our children with the values of hard work and giving back to the community.” The Hills’ Hancock County farm spreads across approximately 1,300 acres of lush fields of corn and soybeans, punctuated with hog barns and two farmhouses, one of which houses Marc’s parents, Steve and Debi Hill, and the other Marc, Heather and their children. “Farming is such a part of my children’s lives,” Heather says. “When they get home from school, they immediately ask, ‘What’s Dad and Pop Pop (Grandpa) doing?’ or ‘How can I help?’”
Busy Seasons Spring brings the hustle and bustle of planting season and a reliance on Mother Nature to stall the rain for a good day’s planting. “There is never a dull moment,” she says. “This time of year we are getting the crops in the ground, which means long days from field to field.” The family’s most important task, however, is caring for the pigs. “Our every effort and focus is centered on raising healthy pigs,” she explains. Hill describes hog farming as both a lifestyle and a business. Bringing 13,000 hogs to market every year is no small task. The family farm runs on good farm sense and generations of experience. At any given moment on the farm, at least 5,000 pigs are in various stages of development and preparation to go
to market. Within a six-month life cycle, a Hill farm pig is born from a sow in the farrowing house, living with its litter for about three weeks. It then moves to the nursery barn and after 10 weeks lives in the finisher barn being fattened for the market. Sows will make their home on the farm for about three years and can weigh more than 400 pounds before heading to market. Each pig is closely monitored with extensive record keeping and constant care. “Technology has opened the door for farming,” explains Hill, “just as it has our lives. Between Marc, myself, Marc’s parents and one employee, this large farm is maintained.” Technological advancements have allowed automated feeding systems, climate-controlled barns and ventilation systems to be meticulously regulated and computerized. “We can maintain such a small farm staff because of a combination of hard work and the use of technology available today,” she says.
A Healthy Food Philosophy Hill began forming her philosophies surrounding food, animal health and agriculture when she was approximately 10 years old and became more involved in 4-H. Her mother grew up on a hog farm and instilled in her daughter a respect for the outdoors and farming, says Hill, who eventually went on to earn an animal science degree at Purdue University. Currently, she holds a full-time position off the farm in the animal health industry. She values the importance of community service, she says, and she serves as president of Indiana Pork, a not-for-profit association
representing Indiana’s 3,000 family pork farmers. She is also a member of CommonGround, which was started in 2011 to bring farm women together from across the U.S. to network and share their farm stories with each other through its website and social media presence. Hill describes herself as a firm believer in having a choice in what she eats. She urges consumers to pay attention to food labels and to educate themselves on what they mean. Being an informed consumer regarding price, nutritional value and the source of your foods, she says, is essential for healthy eating. “My kids go to school with many children who don’t think twice about where their food comes from, and they are often subject to misinformation on the Internet,” she says. “I want to tell the
true story of agriculture.” Experiencing the ebb and flow of life on a farm, Marc and Heather’s children, the next generation of potential farmers, are learning the value of stewardship. The Hills care for their land and animals based on their philosophies of responsible planning and management of resources. Hogs are raised on the Hill farm in climatecontrolled buildings protected from weather and predators. Manure from the pigs is used as an organic fertilizer and is applied to the farm’s corn and soybean crops, which are in turn used to feed the pigs. “We realize that farmers are the original stewards of the land,” Hill says. “We don’t ‘own’ this land in the true sense of the word. We are simply borrowing it from future generations.” *FI
Farm Indiana // july 2013
Story by Ed Wenck
The Science of Food
Today’s university students work to ensure safety in what we eat tomorrow
F
ood science. There’s some who might be uncomfortable seeing those two words next to one another in a single phrase. After all, don’t scientists conduct … experiments? Allow the Purdue University Department of Food Science Web page to set the record straight: “As the largest industry in the United States, food processing employs nearly 2 million people and accounts for more than 16 percent of the country’s gross national product.” The folks managing those 2 million people are trying to make what comes to your table safer, healthier and more convenient. Someone has to make sure the processing of the things we eat happens in a fashion that’s best for both producer and consumer. This isn’t to be confused with “agronomy.” Food scientists aren’t necessarily the folks behind the creation of Roundup-ready corn seed. Back to the website: “Food scientists use principles from biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering to convert agricultural commodities into edible foods and beverages.” More specifically, according to Suzanne Nielsen, head of the food science department at Purdue, “Sometimes food science is best explained by the kinds of jobs our students are taking. … Most of them work in quality assurance roles, in product development roles, management, sensory evaluation roles or technical services to help develop and ensure
GBC 5.75”x5” 033013+ SS Farm Indiana -
the safety of foods in our supply.” Food scientists make your bread taste better. Food scientists make sure your chicken is being cut up and packaged properly. Food scientists figure out ways to make a potato chip plant run more efficiently. And the research being done at Purdue impacts all of those things. “The research that our faculty does falls into one of four categories,” Nielsen says. “Either it’s chemistry-related — we call it chemistry structure and function; it’s in the area of foods for health and safety; microbiology; or food processing and technology development. They’re chemists, they’re nutritionists, they’re microbiologists or they’re engineers.” Of those four, the one generating the most interest is the notion of creating foods that are safer and healthier — the “intersection of food science and nutrition,” according to Nielsen. “Consumers are concerned about the health of the food and the safety of the food they’re eating — even though in the U.S. we have one of the safest food supplies in the world.” Still, food scientists have learned that microorganisms can adapt, making, say, the need for an ever-vigilant monitoring system in the processing of meats more urgent. The research in this area is incredibly varied. Some examples: Purdue University professor Kevin Keen-
er found that cooling fresh eggs as rapidly as possible after they were laid could extend their shelf life for weeks at a time. Purdue professor Lisa Mauer created a technique using infrared light to cut the detection time of E. coli in meat from two days down to one hour, speeding the investigation of an outbreak in order to track the source in a vastly more effective way. And Mauer and Purdue professor Lynne Taylor discovered that anti-caking agents (additives that keep out moisture) designed to protect powders rich in Vitamin C actually help to degrade the very vitamin those agents were designed to guard. But the research doesn’t end at the plant. Purdue professor Arun Bhunia is leading a team that has discovered that modified probiotics — those happy little bacteria that live in the human digestive tract — may one day help combat the chance of a listeria infection among those who might have weakened immune systems. Their findings could lead to a simple pill that boosts human defenses against a nasty foodborne bug. In fact, a lot of the work that the food science department has undertaken deals more with the way that humans, not factories, are processing food. Purdue professor Kee-Hong Kim has found that the charred lines that result from grilling your steak at searing temperatures
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Farm Indiana // july 2013
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1. A student visitor smells a product in the sensory evaluation laboratory at Purdue University. 2. Purdue students work on their senior year product development projects in the pilot laboratory, also called the pilot plant. 3. Students use the test kitchen for their projects. Photos by Laurie Swift, courtesy of Purdue University
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may create a chemical reaction that causes the human body to add extra fat cells and that the mix of protein, sugars and high heat may help lead to heart disease. Purdue professor Bruce Hamaker is working with another researcher to figure out how to switch on and off human enzymes that turn starch into sugar, providing help for those struggling with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. And one of the studies that really garnered media attention of late came from Purdue professor Mario Ferruzzi, who discovered a startling downside to fat-free salad dressings. They blocked some of the naturally occurring goodness in salad veggies. Nielsen explains: “If you have a no-fat salad dressing, then you’re not going to absorb some of the nutrients in that salad as well as if you had some fat in that dressing.” That fat actually made nutrients more “bioavailable.” Purdue food science grad Katie Clayton, who’s now an outreach specialist for the food science department, was a lifelong 4-H’er with a love of applied science. When she vis-
ited Purdue, she was excited by the work the aforementioned professors were doing, and she was drawn to the close-knit community of students in the department. “While I was in college I worked in the meat industry for three and a half years,” says Clayton, who got her bachelor’s degree in 2011. “I worked here on Purdue’s campus where we processed meat start to finish (harvest to retail sale). I also worked for a genetics company while I was in school, which took me to the Tyson plant two days a week to collect data on hogs in a large-scale processing plant.” Clayton also spent time with flavor companies and a beverage lab before she got her current job at the university. Now she helps entrepreneurs get their products to market safely and legally. She explains how the course of study is structured for undergrads: “We have to have general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, microbiology, biochemistry and physics all as a basis; then in junior and senior year we get into applying those sciences to food.”
“It’s about understanding food chemistry and microbiology in the food system and how we can create the highest quality, safest food products with a shelf life.” —KATIE CLAYTON
Some of the food science electives are dairy science, culinary arts for the food scientist, food in the media and public opinion, and wine appreciation. “My mom will joke with me sometimes about being a food scientist that can barely cook ... but it’s not about whether I can
cook or not,” she says. “It’s about understanding food chemistry and microbiology in the food system and how we can create the highest quality, safest food products with a shelf life.” For students more interested in cooking, there’s something called “Culinology.” It’s a joint program between Purdue and Ivy Tech that prepares students for a career as a research chef. “Culinology,” a registered trademark of the Research Chefs Association, “is the blending of food science and culinary arts disciplines. This is a collaborative program with the Purdue University Food Science program in West Lafayette in that we teach the culinary arts courses with general education, including the math and science necessary to prepare students to enter the Purdue Food Science program,” according to Jeff Bricker, Ivy Tech’s hospitality administration department chairman. Research chefs are usually involved in either assisting companies as they develop recipes for pre-packaged foods or helping restaurants build a better menu. And two years at Ivy Tech followed by two years at Purdue can be a wise economic choice, says Bricker. “Students … can complete their associate degree here and earn industry-based credentials for the culinary/food service industry and are able to transfer those credits on to Purdue University toward their bachelor’s degree, where they complete the food science portion of their Culinology training.” For the bulk of those who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Purdue’s food science department, the average starting salary is $47,500. “About half of our students will eventually go on and get some sort of an advanced degree, either in food science or let’s say, an MBA,” says Nielsen. “So they, many times, can combine their food science background with a business background and do very well in their careers.” *FI
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Riley Park Tire 1/4 Page Farm Indiana wn
july 2013 | Section B
The holiday spirit is celebrated year-round at Clearview Christmas Tree Farm
John Norris uses a rotary pruner. Using a constant pendulum motion, he sweeps up and down, at an angle that shapes the trees.
’Tis the Season For John and Lora Norris, the Christmas experience includes an annual artisan market offered the first week of December in the original barn on the property. The annual event includes wagon rides to the tree fields and artisan demonstrations that range from hand-thrown pottery to basket weaving.
Story by Robin Winzenread Fritz | Photos by Josh Marshall
C
ome July 4, when most farmers will be sweating in their fields comparing corn crops to knee caps, John and Lora Norris will be dreaming of a white Christmas. Standing next to 900 pots of evergreen seedlings, it’s easy to understand why the holidays are ever present to the owners and operators of Clearview Family Christmas Tree Farm, just southwest of Rushville, where they sell pine, fir and spruce trees to their third generation of customers. Thinking of those longtime customers, John smiled, “It’s the people. That’s what we do this for. We have the children’s children’s children coming back out. “I don’t remember names,” John added, “but I remember trees.” And there are a lot of trees to remember for John and Lora, who reside on 30 acres of Hoosier Homestead Rush County land that has been in John’s mother’s family — the Wessings — since 1892. The original farm totaled more than 585 acres and included his aunt’s house, which John and Lora call home, just yards from the original farmhouse, which still overlooks their property. Originally, the farm served as a cattle operation with more than 1,000 head at one time, and eventually included hogs. Lora added that the Wessing brothers were also well known for their Belgian horses, which they worked and showed at area fairs. John and Lora returned home to the farm and Indiana in 1982 after five years spent in Rockford, Ill., where John wrote aircraft technical manuals.
Returning to Indiana, John used his woodworking skills to land a job at the Sampler, known for its handmade cherry wood furniture in nearby Homer. It was at this same time that they began making long-term plans for their acreage. Working with local forester Ron Linville in the early 1980s, they began a reforestation project for animal and bird habitation on 10 of their 30 acres. That initial project included planting 4,600 trees and culling dead, dying or diseased trees. While working on the reforestation project, Linville suggested planting pines for Christmas tree harvests, and the idea stuck. “What we were planning out there (originally) was a long-term project, with a 40- or 50-year return,” John said. “But we wanted to do something that was our own enterprise.” John and Lora planted their first crop of Christmas trees in 1984. For the first 10 years, they planted anywhere from 1,800 to 2,000 trees annually, mostly Scotch and white pine as well as blue spruce and Norway spruce. Fir trees were added to the mix in 2002, and the farm now includes more than 10,000 pine, spruce and fir in their south lot. Though that variety is good for business, it comes with a price. “Each one of those species has problems altogether different than the others,” said John. “If it’s mites on spruces, it’s a fungus on the firs, or it’s sawflies on the Scotch pines, or it’s bagworms on the white pine.” “When somebody says to us, ‘Well, I want to See christmas on B2 > >
To further encourage that holiday spirit year-round, the tree farm will be hosting its first annual “Christmas in July” event this summer. Set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 6, the day-long party will include sack races, watermelon seed-spitting contests, corn-hole games, wagon rides, face painting and balloon animals. Homemade apple pie, ice cream, iced tea and lemonade will also be available, and Lora encourages visitors to bring a filled picnic basket and blanket to enjoy lunch on the farm while watching performances by the Little Red Barn Theatre Workshop. Visitors can also take guided tours of the farm and can tag a tree for this Christmas. People who tag a tree that day will also receive a monthly email report noting the progress of the tree. During the event, a variety of artisans will also demonstrate their skills while offering handmade wares for sale. Lora said she is expecting artists to offer hand-knit hats and scarves, jewelry, paintings, pottery, handmade soaps and beauty products, and baskets.
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(Standing) John Norris and his wife, Lora, with their son, Jonathon, and (seated) daughter, Holly, granddaughter, Rose Alice, and son-in-law, Daniel Collett. BELOW: John checks the hydration of trees by looking at their needles.
Farm Indiana // july 2013
continued from page b1
get 10 acres of land and put some Christmas trees on it for my little hobby’ we just kind of laugh,” Lora said. “It is no hobby,” John added. “It’s a full-time business. And it’s such a learning process.” John and Lora plant a new crop of trees each year, preferring seedlings in pots — called plugs — over bare root stock. They originally planted bare root stock, but after losing 80 percent of their crop to transplant shock, they switched to potted seedlings, which start their days at the farm heavily irrigated and grown under protective shade. Since switching planting methods, John said results have improved tremendously, adding that last year, for example, they only lost 10 percent of their newly planted stock —despite the drought. According to the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association (ICTGA) — of which John is the 2013 president — the average Hoosier Christmas tree grower will plant three seedlings for every tree successfully grown and harvested. When trees reach roughly three years in age, John begins shearing the new growth with an eye toward shaping individual trees into the traditional Christmas tree look — a full, perfect cone with no bare spots or oddly protruding branches.
For the Norris family, harvest time comes in December, but as their primary product is 6- and 7-foot-tall trees, the payoff for their hard work is years in the making. It can take anywhere from five to eight years to grow a 6- to 7-foot tree, though factors such as drought, insects and disease can extend the time to harvest by years as stressed trees take more time to mature. Raising a fully mature tree is also labor intensive since trees are sheared annually to encourage the growth of denser, fuller branches. Weeds also need to be kept at bay to prevent lower branches from dying off, and newly planted seedlings require regular watering until well established. “I don’t get paid per hour,” said John. According to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), real trees annually outsell artificial trees (the majority of which are manufactured overseas in China) by a three-to-one margin, with national sales equating to roughly $1 billion annually. Contributing to that total in Indiana are 200 Christmas tree farms — though, according to John, only about 75 of those farms are currently active — with roughly 200,000 trees ready for harvest each year. Indiana is 11th nationwide as a Christmas tree-growing state.
Roughly 24 percent of the real trees sold nationally each year come from pick-and-cut operations like Clearview Family Christmas Tree Farm, in part because consumers are not only guaranteed a fresh, fragrant tree, but because it also offers the opportunity to support local growers. Pick-and-cut operations are a popular option with Christmas tree growers themselves because it reduces the amount of wasted inventory. Unpicked trees remain in the field awaiting next year’s harvest. Additionally, allowing consumers to pick their own trees while still in the field enables growers to
sell more variety without second-guessing consumer needs, whether it be for a 2-foot tree for a table top or a ceiling-scraping 8-footer. Additionally, pickand-cut operations enable growers to offer not only trees, but memories as well. “People come out here, and they say they’re coming out to Mom and Pop’s place,” Lora said. She added that their repeat business is strong because they’re not selling trees, but rather family traditions. “And that’s what we want,” said Lora. “We make a point to talk to each one of the people that come out here. We want it to be a family experience.” *FI
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Farm Indiana // july 2013
The Countdown Farmers head to the fields to assess the growth of their seeds
story By jim mayfield photos by tom russo
As with almost any campaign that involves working with the land, you can calculate, prognosticate and anticipate, but there’s no substitute for getting out there to authenticate with boots on the ground. Though late spring rains kept many farmers on the sidelines until well into the traditional planting season, by the last week in May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) reported that 86 percent of the state’s intended corn acreage had been put in and 60 percent of the projected soybean crop had been sown, pushing farmers ahead of the state’s fiveyear averages of 77 percent and 49 percent for corn and beans, respectively. According to Purdue University corn specialist Bob Nielsen, most of the state’s corn crop — some 78 percent — was planted in the last three weeks of May. With seed in the ground, it didn’t take long for local fields to begin glimmering green in the morning sunlight. The NASS reported that crop growth was running only slightly behind the curve set during the last five years, with 56 percent of the corn and 24 percent of beans in emergence compared to the five-year standards of 59 percent and 30 percent for corn and beans. With all the hurry-up-and-wait of the previous month behind them, it was time for farmers to climb down from the cab to find out how much of what they put in was going to come up with the time-honored stand count, parsing their fields into mathematical thousandths and counting the number of plants in each stand. Not every farmer necessarily gets up close and personal with his crops, but it’s something most do and that experts recommend. “You can certainly see a lot more with boots on the ground than you can from the window of your pickup truck,” says Roy Ballard, Purdue University extension educator for Hancock County. “Some farmers take stand counts more than others, but it’s certainly something we encourage, being an active grower.” Shelby County’s Purdue extension educator Scott Gabbard agrees that taking stand counts is a crucial part of early season strategy. “Everything looks good from the window of your pickup truck,” Gabbard says. “And when (you finally figure out) it doesn’t, you’re way behind the eight ball.” Checking and counting the stands during early season emergence are a crucial component to one of the most critical and nerve-racking decisions made as the plants begin to emerge: whether to replant. “It costs so much to plant that it’s a good way to make
sure you get what you pay for,” Gabbard says. “It’s an excellent way to project your yield, and it’s a first indicator of something going wrong.” Checking stands early will show whether the planter was calibrated properly, whether it malfunctioned or whether the rows didn’t close. Other issues such as slugs, corn maggots and other pests, seeds that were packed in by too much rain keeping them from emerging or other concerns on the ground can be spotted quickly and early by spending time in fields, experts say. Brad Burkhart, who farms corn and soybeans northeast of Greenfield, says he generally walks his fields and checks his stands early to see if his populations are correct and what he put in is germinating and coming up. “The first 115 acres of corn I put in got pounded by the rain,” Burkhart says. The crop was cemented in fairly well, and Burkhart was concerned the crop wouldn’t break through; however, a later walk through after some subsequent rain showed things were sprouting nicely. Chris Merlau, who farms 1,000 acres in Hancock County’s Sugar Creek and Buck Creek townships with his father and brothers, says he gets into the fields early to check his planting. “We usually go out shortly after we plant, just after the plants are up, to check our planting and germination, determine if our spacing looks right or if there is a question on the count,” Merlau says. Early field inspections also help the Merlaus scout for disease and other deficiencies, he says. Stand density can be determined by a variety of methods, all of which estimate the number of plants per acre by counting the number of plants in a row equal to 1/1000th of an acre. Row lengths will vary depending upon crop spacing. For example, a 26-foot-2-inch row would be counted for fields with 20-inch spacing, and a 17-foot-5-inch row would
be counted for crops utilizing 30-inch spacing. Multiplying the result by 1,000 will give an estimated stand density in plants per acre. Other ways to count stands use measuring wheels to walk off the distance covered by 150 plants per row and factoring that number into standard equations, or using varying sizes of “hula hoops” or rings that can be thrown into fields to mark off representative stands for counting. Regardless of the method, only those plants deemed to have a good chance for survival should be counted, and taking five random measurements over 20 acres is recommended to get an accurate snapshot of the entire field. Though the frequency of taking stand counts will vary by farmer and crop during the season, extension educators recommend counting just after emergence, during the midsummer season and right before harvest to monitor planting and mortality from early to late season along with plant loss from mid-season to harvest. Systematically checking the fields is just good agronomic practice, Gabbard says. So far, early reports from the field show nothing unusual or disturbing this season. The state is running ahead of its seasonal planting quota, and the earlier the plants get in, the more time for generation and yield. “So far this year has been very lucky,” Gabbard says. As with most things farming, a good deal of whether a farmer takes a stand count and how often during the growing season depends on tradition and personality. “You’ve got all sorts of personalities in farming,” says Merlau’s father, Charles. “I’ve seen some farmers out in their fields every day and just worrying themselves to death about every little thing,” Merlau says. “My theory is you do the best job you can and then turn it over to the good Lord. He does most all of it anyway.” *FI
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Farm Indiana // july 2013
Carrier’s Tree Farm & Sawmill, 4847 N. Road 775E., Manilla, (317) 407-9304, jimcarrier1.wix.com/hardwoods Jim Carrier's main goal on his property is to provide habitat for wildlife.
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Farm Indiana // july 2013
Jim Carrier holds a burl, which can grow on a tree as result of injury or fungus. After trees are harvested, Carrier sells burls, which are sought by wood sculptors for their beauty and rarity.
Jim Carrier gives new life to fallen trees Story by Kate Franzman | Photos by Josh Marshall
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hen Jim Carrier sees a tree, he sees its purpose and the possibilities for its future. “Trees aren’t for you,” says Carrier, who owns Carrier’s Tree Farm & Sawmill. “They’re for wildlife; they’re for your babies and grandkids. Trees are a sustainable product that God gave us. We need to use it, but we also need to conserve it.” Carrier harvests fallen trees on his 160-acre farm in Manilla, where he lives with his wife, Denise. He then slices up the wayward timber in his barn, turning the logs to lumber. “We search our woods for trees that have fallen in storms. Then we go out and drag them to our small sawmill and saw them up for use by woodworkers and the like,” says Carrier. He prefers to do this work in the fall or early spring, he says, when it’s not too hot, and when it’s much easier to see and retrieve harvestable trees because there’s little understory growth and few leaves. Carrier then bucks (cuts) the logs to 8.5 to 9 feet and drags them back to his barn to be milled. In rare instances, even living trees get the axe. If a “perfectly good” tree is in competition with another tree or it is about to fall, he says, he will cut it down and saw it up. Cutting the logs doesn’t take much time — about a half hour to an hour per log. Then he must stack the wood for drying, using 1-by-1-inch sticks set between logs to allow for air flow. How the wood is dried is just as important as how it was cut. “We dry our lumber nice and slow,” he explains. “Many people prefer air-dried lumber, as opposed to kiln-dried” because air-dried lumber better retains its natural color. Carrier sells his lumber at prices ranging from around $1 to $1.50 per board foot. Walnut and cherry are most popular with woodworkers, he says, but some like to experiment with other species. “They want ‘figured’ wood,” he explains, which means it has some pretty grain. “Sometimes I even get spalted maple, which has … a little rot in the wood that makes for a black thread appearance within the wood grain.” The most desirable kind of wood to Carrier? One that can be rescued from the forest floor and given a new purpose. With that mission in mind, he says, he began his sawmill business in 1997. “I bought a little kit, and it took me three days to put it together,” he says. “Then I learned how to be a sawyer. It was a challenge, and it was fun.” But major medical issues put Carrier’s tree sawmill operation on hold. “I had a couple heart attacks and sold everything,” he explains. Ten years after his recovery, he bought a smaller, more manageable sawmill, and business picked up again. “Recently we had a red oak tree that fell down, so we sawed it up,” he says. “And we had one guy who bought the whole tree and build a bedroom set for his wife.” Carrier has also used his home-milled lumber in his home. The tree farm/sawmill industry isn’t exactly booming these days, but Carrier doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he donates half of the money he makes to a charity that sends food to children in the Caribbean called Food for the Poor. “I just want people to know there’s an alternative (source for wood),” he says. “Instead of going to Home Depot or Menards, come pay me a minimal price, and you can make your stuff. We’re trying to preserve as much as God gave Denise and I to do. We do the best we can.” Carrier wasn’t always surrounded by nature on a daily
basis. He spent a good deal of his adult life working in the medical industry. He began his medical career serving as a navy medic, before working as a civilian medic in Indianapolis for more than 12 years and later as a medical salesman. But he says he has felt a connection to the outdoors and to farming his whole life, thanks to time spent on his grandparents’ farm during his childhood. “It’s in my genetics,” he explains. “Grandpa was an accountant who ran a philanthropic organization in Indy, but on the weekends I would go with him to the country. He had bees, a huge garden, goats, rabbits and chickens.” Jim and Denise moved to their farm in 1990 and have two children, Rob, 18, and Nikki, 14. Carrier retired from his medical career in 2011, giving him an opportunity to dedicate more time to rehabilitating the farmland. When they purchased the farm, it was in bad shape, in need of major work on both the house and the land. All of Carrier’s hard work inspired him to certify the land as a classified forest and wildland through the Indiana
ABOVE: Carrier checks on lumber that is drying. The logs are stacked vertically with spacers between planks to allow air to flow.
Department of Natural Resources, which requires a set of standards to be met and maintained. “You can’t build on the land, and you have to provide for nature,” he explains. “We had to kill some tall fescue so trees and wildlife could grow. We also try to control invasive species like honeysuckle bush and privet and such.” Carrier has set aside more than 60 acres of his property for wildlife. In one wooded section of the property stands a dead tree. He keeps some dead trees, or “den trees,” around because they are vital to providing homes for squirrels, birds, raccoons and other cavity dwellers. In addition to this natural home for wildlife, he has also installed dozens of bird houses, a butterfly garden and five beehives on his property. “The rehabilitation of the land has been a work in progress. I’ll never get it done in my lifetime,” he says. “There was quite a bit of abuse of this farmland; we were glad to acquire it. “I may never see all the fruits of my labor,” he adds, “but it’s for future generations to enjoy.” *FI
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Nick Obermeyer, left, and his father, Bill, hold recently earned sales awards.
Farm Indiana // july 2013
Story by Barney Quick Photos by Josh Marshall
Installation designs are printed in-house.
Obermeyer Agri Group strives for full partnership with customers
system, create presentations and use those to allow customers to consider their options. Then the group supplies the soil boring and foundation specs, concrete, steel, welding, fabrication, electrical and crane work. Ongoing service after installation is part of the package as well. Obermeyer Agri Group can provide Another example of the partnership turnkey grain storage and drying sysethos is the company’s biannual newsletter. tems for farms, but its people are also It keeps customers apprised of what’s hapa storehouse of knowledge, which they pening with the company, as well as new happily pass on to customers. The products developed by its vendors. It also breadth of that knowledge includes techincludes safety tips and news pertaining to nology, safety and project management. U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. For instance, the company holds Company President Bill Obermeyer training classes for customers each year began his involvement with grain sysjust before harvest time. “We test-fire a tems shortly after high school in 1970, new grain dryer and conduct beginning, going to work for a corn crib dealer from intermediate and advanced classes on whom his father had bought a crib. He how to operate it,” says Nick Obermeyer, says the changes in that field over the last vice president. “The technology keeps 40-plus years have been substantial. advancing, so we want customers to un“Back then, we dug all the footers by derstand the latest developments.” hand,” he recalls. “We’ve gone from a Grain dryers and temperature cables are shovel and a two-man transit to an excawireless now, he explains, so farmers can vator with a one-man total station.” He check grain bin temperature from anywhere says cranes have become so commonplace in the world with a smartphone or tablet. that the boom truck his crew used to use That’s just one example of the partnerregularly has become “an afterthought.” ship approach the company takes to cusThe scale of grain storage keeps extomer service. It can provide particular panding, too. “We used to do many jobs pieces of equipment or services, but where in three to seven days, but now we often it really shines is managing turnkey projset up a job site trailer for several months,” ects, handling everything from concepBill explains. “In the 1970s, the average size tion to completion. Obermeyer staff will of a bin was 6,000 to 8,000 bushels. Now design a we routinely sell 50,000-bushel bins. Back then, you could only put 2,500 pounds on the roof of a bin. Now it’s 130,000. That just blows my mind.” The company moved into its current facility in Greensburg in 2008. The open area at the entrance has old barn siding for walls and is decorated with antique grain equipment. One piece of note is a 1905 wooden grain leg. “I originally —Nick Obermeyer, vice president thought about putting the latest products in there and making it kind of a show-
The technology keeps advancing, so we want customers to understand the latest developments.
room, but I like antiques,” Bill says. His son, Nick, graduated from the University of Southern Indiana in 2008 with a degree in business. After a few years in construction equipment sales, he moved back to the business in early 2010 and became vice president in 2013. The company employs more than 30 full-time workers. Three of them handle administrative matters, and the rest apply a variety of skills on crews at job sites. (Many days during the peak season, the crews expand to upward of 75 men and women.) Due to the acquisition of ever-larger equipment, the group gets into some projects beyond its traditional scope. “Recently, we’ve been setting transformers for REMC and setting signs for Green Sign Company,” says Nick. “That doesn’t really have anything to do with ag, but we have the cranes.” Obermeyer has installed hopper tanks for barley, as well as flex augur tanks, for some central Indiana beer brewers. Recently, the University of Kentucky’s feed mill south of Lexington experienced a devastating fire. “It was a total loss,” says Bill. “Within 24 hours, we had four guys and two cranes there, tearing the rest of it down.” “Each job is so different,” says Nick. “We get into redesigns and building around existing structures.” Safety is highly valued by the company. It holds weekly safety training sessions for all employees. “We just had 15 guys get qualified by Accredited Safety Solutions in hand signals and rigging,” says Bill. He and Nick have taken rescue-tube training at Purdue University. “I’ve put on presentations about it for 4-H groups,” he adds. Decatur County farmer Larry Pum-
phrey has used Obermeyer extensively. “They’ve put in grain dryers, bins, you name it,” he says. “They’re confident, professional people.” Pumphrey has taken the harvest-time training the company offers. “We couldn’t operate our dryers without those classes.” Vallonia farmer Wayne Burcham has used Obermeyer’s services for over a decade. “You talk to them over the phone, and the next morning someone is at your door,” he says. He recalls a time when he confided to an Obermeyer crew that he was afraid of heights and how they gave him a 130-foot ride in a cage to the top of the structure they were working on. “That was tremendous. I had 400 percent faith in the crane operator.” Nick derives a great deal of satisfaction from the multigenerational relationships he encounters. “We’re working for a guy in Morristown whose dad dealt with my dad years ago, and now the sons are collaborating,” he says. Cultivating a reputation for integrity is another important element in the group’s growth. “We have customers who have given us the codes and keys to their buildings and equipment,” says Bill. “A customer called me the other day and said, ‘I know you’re really busy right now, but I have a job I need done, and I’d rather have you do it than call someone else.’ You don’t build that kind of trust in a short time.” *FI
4814 W. Old State Road 46, Greensburg, (800) 241-4020, www.obermeyeragrigroup.com
Farm Indiana // july 2013
Restaurant Profile
Comfort Food Morristown’s Kopper Kettle gives the tiny Indiana town a heaping reputation By sherri dugger | photos by josh marshall
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ith only a couple of gas stations, a local
taurant’s hostess, greet guests.
hardware store and a Dollar General,
The restaurant’s two floors (much of the second
Morristown isn’t known for much.
floor, where the current owners live, is off-limits, but
Unless you’re in the mood for home cookin’. Two
some rooms are open for guests to peruse) are filled
local restaurants, Bluebird Restaurant and Kopper
with antiques, both functional and stylish, which
Kettle Inn Restaurant, have given the small Indiana
were amassed by the restaurant’s original own-
town a sweet-tasting reputation for miles around.
ers during their travels. Thanks to Chinese crests,
Farmers converge on Bluebird every morning to
marble and alabaster statuary, European stained
discuss the weather over bacon, eggs and freshly
glass and mismatched china, the quaint home is an
brewed coffee. Across U.S. 52, on the south side
accidental art museum, displaying fine art from all
of the thoroughfare, sits Kopper Kettle, where the
over the world. The décor in the main restaurant is
thick scent of deep-fried chicken and catfish wafts
decidedly Victorian, with lace place settings and
out of the 19th-century structure daily.
flowery murals on the walls, while sconces, candelabras and chandeliers set the mood. But it isn’t just the ambience that brings in diners by the dozens. It’s the food. Each meal begins with a warm cup of creamy onion or chicken noodle soup and a basket filled with crackers. Guests then take on course No. 2, homemade coleslaw or a house salad, which — if you choose wisely — features one of the restaurant’s house-made thousand island or blue cheese dressings, says Danyelle Moore, Kopper Kettle general manager. The rest of the meal is served family-style; shareable bowls of mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls and gravy accompany individual entrée choices, which include filet mignon, catfish or pan-fried chicken, pork loin or french-fried shrimp, among others. And, for added atmosphere, the food is served by waitresses wearing traditional peasant costumes. Each meal ends with dessert, first — a scoop of ice cream and chocolate syrup is included with every dinner — and second, a wet, warm washcloth to towel off after such a big meal. When leaving the Kopper Kettle, each guest receives a bag of homemade kettle-cooked popcorn and a couple of suggestions from the hostess: “Tell your friends and family about us and have a great
Kopper Kettle Inn Restaurant 135 W. Main St., Morristown, (765) 763-6767, www.kopperkettle.com. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For 90 years, families from all over the region
day!” The restaurant’s current owners, Leigh and
have come to eat at Kopper Kettle, which is housed
Kristi Langkabel, who bought the property in 1997,
in a Victorian-era home that was originally a grain
initially began offering kettle corn to guests dur-
elevator and later served as an inn for weary travel-
ing the holiday season, Moore says, but the pop-
ers. Carefully tended gardens, thick with regional
corn has since become an everyday staple. “Now
plants and flowers, and furnished patios surround
you get it every time you go,” she explains. “The
the restaurant outside, where weddings, receptions
owners don’t really need to advertise their restau-
and other special events are sometimes held. Inside
rant anymore. The popcorn is their advertising. It
the front parlor, a crackling fireplace and a collec-
(the business the restaurant gets) is all (through)
tion of vintage copper teakettles, along with the res-
word of mouth.” *FI
Committed to protecting the environment. Where you’re treated like family.
Specializing in Grain Farming
crossroadsff.com
317-326-7031 Crossroads Family Farms
16th pg
@crossroadsff
process
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Farm Indiana // july 2013
Bane-Welker expands its Pendleton location
story By Julie young photos by tom russo
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ervice, parts and availability are big priorities for farmers, and they don’t want to travel too far to get them. Thanks to a recent expansion at Bane-Welker Equipment in Pendleton, they don’t have to. “We have over 17,000 square feet of space in the new facility dedicated to parts and service,” says Mike Romack, Bane-Welker sales manager. “We not only can take care of our customers, but we have also built a presence that says we’re planning to be here for a long time.” Romack is no stranger to the area. He owned the Heartland New Holland dealership at 5729 W. State Road 38 for 15 years before selling his business to Bane Equipment in 2011. He says the company was excited to bring its full line of Case IH products to the local farming community, many of whom were already loyal “Red” tractor customers. “There hadn’t been a Case IH presence in the area for about 35 years,” he says. “There were a few dealerships at one point that closed for one reason or another, so if farmers wanted to stay ‘Red,’ they had to drive all the way to Lebanon for parts and service. Now with the new store, their equipment can be serviced locally.” Operations manager Rick Isenhower says it was only natural for Bane-Welker to expand its operations to the area. He says the company saw it as open territory that would enable it to serve Case IH customers all the way to the Ohio state line. “People were already used to coming to that location for parts and services, so it made perfect sense,” he says. The only problem was the lack of space. The Heartland New Holland facility was built in the 1960s and designed to accommodate hay equipment and compact tractors. The 8,500-square-foot facility was ill-suited for the large tractors, huge combines and other heavy equipment Bane offered. After settling into the area and announcing its merger with North
Service tech Darin Garrison
Sales manager Mike Romack
“We not only can take care of our customers, but we have also built a presence that says we’re planning to be here for a long time.” —mike romack, Bane-Welker sales manager
Central Agri-Power earlier this year, the company made plans to raze the former building in order to make way for the new edifice that would add more indoor space, accommodate bigger machines and establish it as a solid presence in the region. “It was a good opportunity for the community as well as the company,” Romack says, noting that in addition to Case IH products, Bane-Welker also sells Woods equipment and services Kinze products. Founded in 1967 by Kenneth Bane, BaneWelker is a family-owned and operated company with nine locations throughout Indiana. It is composed of growers, family and people who know the agriculture industry and is constantly working to bring the latest innovations in equipment to the ever-expanding farming community.
A recent Case IH survey showed that 85 percent of growers were looking into new technologies for the 2013 planting season and that cover crops and precision farming tools and bigger, more efficient equipment are the current trends dominating the industry. Romack says across the nation, the number of farms has decreased, but those that remain are getting bigger and turning to larger equipment manufactured by industry leaders who understand today’s agricultural challenges. Romack also says both Bane-Welker and Case IH are on the cusp of those industry trends and are committed to providing these innovations backed by dealerships ready to go above and beyond to meet their customers’ needs. “Sometimes there is only a small window of opportunity to get your corn in the ground, and
you need bigger and more efficient equipment to get it done,” Romack explains. “I have one customer who uses nine pieces of seeding equipment across his land in order to get his fields planted within nine days. It’s our job to provide the equipment and service he needs to get that job done.” Isenhower says that the eight-acre complex in Pendleton affords the company an additional opportunity for further expansion as its customers’ needs grow and change. He says there is plenty of room to add another facility at the same location in the future, provided that the industry remains strong for years to come. “Right now though, we really have our work cut out for us here,” he says. “The building is finished, but we still have some landscaping and concrete work to finish. People are really glad we are here.” *FI