ountry C Friday, June 18, 2021
cres A Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Volume 8, Edition 26
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
The multi-generation Schneider family farm includes (front, from left) Brockdan and Camran; Back: Mike, Sara, Hailey, Olivia, Larry, Julie, Landan, Stacie and Dan Schneider.
Building a
generational farm
Sixth generation of Schneiders learning the way of the land BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER
KIMBALL – Larry Schneider grew up knowing he’d one day take over the family farm; it was the expectation as he was the only boy, and it’s always what he envisioned for himself. Now, decades later on the five-generation LJS Farms, his grandkids, the sixth generation, are learning the ways of the land – and their fathers are beginning to envision their own children perhaps showing interest in taking over the farm – including the young women. “A farm is not built in one generation – it starts in one, but it doesn’t end in one,” Larry said. “If you want it to continue, you’ve got to continually build it.” He and his wife, Julie, are building it with their sons, Mike and Dan Schneider. Their third son, Dave, helps on the farm in
the fall and assists with combining and big projects, but he works as an assistant principal and activities director at Eden Valley-Watkins Schools. Since Mike and Dan were old enough to remember, they’ve always talked about the day they would take over the farm together. Starting around the age of 10 or 12, the kids were responsible for doing chores before and after school. As they grew, so did their level of responsibility. N o w ,
they’re doing the same with their own children. Once the kids hit double digits the farm takes them on as an employee. They begin with simple tasks like cutting the grass and they get more complex as they grow older, cutting hay, raking hay, moving bales, running cattle through the chute and hauling bales down the road when they get their license. “We kind of see where their interests lie, it’s not being forced on anybody,” Mike said. “We want to keep them involved, so if they want to get into (farming), they know.”
All the grandkids assist when there’s a big project going on, like planting or harvest. Julie said her older granddaughters have purchased their own cattle, raised them and sold them. “For me, it’s fun to watch them get involved and want to help in some way, shape or form,” she said. For the Schneiders, the farm is a source of pride. Dan said he enjoys watching the kids grow up on the farm and mature, the way he and his brothers did. “It’s been in the family for so long, you hope to keep it going,” he said. Working with fam-
Dan (from left), Larry and Mike Schneider work together operating LJS Farms. Each owner is tasked with spear-heading a different part of the farm.
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ily, he said, also teaches the importance of life skills such as communication. “Families often assume somebody is going to do something,” he said. “They need to communicate.” For that reason, the Schneider brothers and their dad have divided up the big sections of farm responsibility; each man is tasked with specific duties. Larry is in charge of the cattle; Mike is in charge of agronomy and Dan oversees the mechanical and project engineering. They all help one another, but dividing up the responsibility gives them focus. “There’s a little pressure when it’s the fifth generation,” Dan said. All the men juggle off-thefarm jobs as well as farm management. It’s the reason Larry, who worked full time for the United States Postal Service until he retired in 2013, changed over the farm from its original dairy status. His father operated the land as a dairy and when his dad didn’t want to expand or upgrade the dairy, the cows were sold in 1987. Larry opted into hogs from 1988 to 2007 knowing dairy would be too time-intensive with his
Schneiders page 2 4
Open door policy Bowlus
14 The women of Karen Raymond
23 The cows are coming to town Litchfield
7
Farmers from everywhere Diane Leukam column
18 Farm advocacy thanks to a robot Albany
25 What’s this?
9
Something new to study Cold Spring
21 Country cooking
27 FFA student
