Part 1 & an Interview with Will Glazik
At first, we thought the calls were flukes.
A smaller-scale conventional row crop producer would call us and share how hard it was to get more acres. He would say he needed enough land to make a decent living in light of low commodity crop prices and high inflation.
The farmer would also talk about the tough competition he faced. The “big guys” could afford to pay much more to buy or lease land. The small farmer couldn’t compete. The farmer might not even know of purchase opportunities until the transaction had already been completed… by one of the big guys.
Well, the calls and conversations aren’t flukes. We keep hearing from farmers like this from all over the state. Some of them are young and just trying to get into the business. Others are middle-aged. They all desperately need more acres. Meanwhile, some larger operations have full-time land scouts scouring the landscape for new opportunities.
When the small-scale conventional row croppers ask us for advice, we can give them some ideas about building their networks and being creative in their outreach methods. But as we reflect on their situations, we realize our advice may not increase their odds by much.
If you offer the same product that your bigger competitor offers, your bigger competitor will always have the edge when it comes to paying more.
So how can smaller scale row crop farmers increase their odds of securing more farmland acres?
We believe one important way forward is rethinking how you farm. So, in this article and in next month’s follow-up, we’re going to examine that question and the potential answer further.
If you’re a conventional row crop producer and finding enough farmland is a challenge, we encourage you to bravely ask yourself a fundamental question:
“If I farmed differently, whether that be organic or using some kind of regenerative practices like cover crops, would I stand out to landowners for my care of their soil and their land?”
We know some farmers will not want to seriously consider this question. In some rural communities, how you farm can have big social implications. Also, if you have a lot of debt or are getting closer to retirement, switching systems may be a bridge too far. And if there are large-scale organic farmers already active in your particular area, you may also face tough competition even if you make a transition.
But we need to share that we have also had landowners contact us because they haven’t been able to find an organic or regenerative farmer to farm their land. We’ve also heard of farm managers seeking organic farmers so they could serve a farmland owner who wanted organic farming.
The bottom line is that changing practices could give you the ability to stop competing with big farm operations on the same unlevel playing field. You could instead fill your own unique farming niche in your area and not be outbid.
Of course, the best kind of person to give you real advice on this kind of thing is a farmer. For that reason, we interviewed Will Glazik, an organic grain farmer in Paxton, Illinois, about approaching land access from this angle. He also has experience in the ag inputs retail industry where he worked closely with conventional producers, so he knows the whole spectrum of farming practices. You can watch that interview above.
There’s just something to be said about being immersed in the farming lifestyle from a very young age. Lessons in life came in full circles, from watching in awe as a cow calved to the solemnity of what took place on butchering day. A good work ethic was acquired. I came to know that putting up hay in the sweltering summer heat enabled me to feed my very own horse through the bitter cold of winter. Through the highs and the lows, farming instilled a passion in caring for and nurturing the land and animals.
Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, staying on the farm was not an option, but I was determined to continue a path in agriculture. I have always felt agriculture was part of my identity. I was active in 4-H and FFA and obtained my bachelor’s degree in animal science, with a minor in crop and soil science from the University of Illinois. I also spent two summers in college working and conducting research at U of I Extension farms.
My professional career has spanned across the animal agriculture industry, ranging from research and production scheduling at a large-scale pork processing facility to my current role in livestock feed manufacturing. Each position was fulfilling in the sense that I was contributing to agriculture at a larger scale, but they left me yearning for a more personal and grounded connection. Getting a piece of the pie was great, but I wanted a whole pie. The risks. The rewards. All of it.
There’s just something to be said about being immersed in the farming lifestyle from a very young age. Lessons in life came in full circles, from watching in awe as a cow calved to the solemnity of what took place on butchering day. A good work ethic was acquired. I came to know that putting up hay in the sweltering summer heat enabled me to feed my very own horse through the bitter cold of winter. Through the highs and the lows, farming instilled a passion in caring for and nurturing the land and animals.
Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, staying on the farm was not an option, but I was determined to continue a path in agriculture. I have always felt agriculture was part of my identity. I was active in 4-H and FFA and obtained my bachelor’s degree in animal science, with a minor in crop and soil science from the University of Illinois. I also spent two summers in college working and conducting research at U of I Extension farms.
My professional career has spanned across the animal agriculture industry, ranging from research and production scheduling at a large-scale pork processing facility to my current role in livestock feed manufacturing. Each position was fulfilling in the sense that I was contributing to agriculture at a larger scale, but they left me yearning for a more personal and grounded connection. Getting a piece of the pie was great, but I wanted a whole pie. The risks. The rewards. All of it.
Part 2 & an interview with Rich Ritter
In last month’s article, we explored how some small-scale conventional row crop farmers can increase their farmland access odds by shifting their farm practices.
The article included a virtual interview with organic grain farmer Will Glazik, who talked about how organic, regenerative, or even strip till practices with cover crops can make you more attractive to some landlords. Will also shared tips about the organic transition process.
In this article, we want to tackle two other factors you should be aware of. One is the financial realities of going organic. The other is the trend we are seeing of growing numbers of farmland owners wanting organic/regenerative/conservation-stewarding farming.
Please don’t think that we are under the illusion that switching practices is an easy thing to do. From what Will and other farmers have made clear, it’s not. In fact, it may not make sense for some farmers to go organic, because the learning curve is steep and it takes time to master the practice.
To make such a transition requires you to carefully look at the dollars and cents. With that in mind, we interviewed Richard Ritter, Senior Vice President of Flanagan State Bank.
Richard grew up on a diversified farm in rural Blue Mound (Macon County) and has 40 years of experience as an agriculture lender. He has been a determined and creative voice in the banking and farming industries for his data-based conclusion – organic row cropping makes more financial sense.
Flanagan State Bank is a family-owned bank with seven offices in central Illinois. You can read more about Flanagan State Bank’s services for organic farmers and subscribe to get their organic farming newsletter here. Loans for organic grain farmers now represent more than 10 percent of Flanagan State Bank’s lending portfolio, and the percentage keeps growing.
You can view the interview above.
Additionally, we are hearing that more and more landowners are having a desire to find farmers who are soil-friendly and conservation focused.
Landowners reach out to us asking for help for finding such operators. We also know this from what other farmer, landowners, and service providers in the field are telling us. We’ve even heard from a farm management company that they can’t find enough organic farmers to serve the farmland owners requesting transitions to organic production in a number of areas of Illinois. (Of course, we can’t guarantee there are farmland owners like that in your area.)
You shouldn’t assume, by the way, that because conventional farming is being done on a property that the landowner actually wants that. You should also be aware of generational differences in thinking about farm practices. We recently heard from a farm manager that the younger generation of farmland owners are much more interested in organic and regenerative practices. He guesses this is because they are also a generation that is more likely to seek out food that is nature-friendly, whether that be organic, regenerative, or something else.
We wish the best to you in your farmland access journey. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions. We also encourage you to reach out to Katie Bishop at [email protected] who leads The Land Connection’s Organic Mentorship Program.