Association News

Email Us

Young farmers jump at full-time farming opportunity

How many young people who after leaving the farm to work at an off-farm job have the opportunity to return and jump at it? Brandon Barbre and Clinton Wolff, of Carmi did, and now farm full-time, as equal partners with Brandon’s father, Martin, in Chestin Farms.

“This (farming) is in the blood,” said Brandon, who worked as a grain merchandiser for Consolidated Grain & Barge. “That’s a dream job besides farming but I was sitting inside all day wanting to be here,” he said. Clinton agreed, relating that his short venture into off-farm employment didn’t suit him. He said his father farmed and worked full-time as a mail carrier and that situation didn’t appear to have any opportunity to farm full-time. “Last year we were in the “trial and error” period. We farmed my dad’s land in 2003 and we worked well together,” Clinton said.

Chestin Farms -- a name formed by combining parts of names of both young men’s grandfathers – was forged in January 2004 and outlines a 10-year plan of gradually transferring responsibility for the partnership from Martin to Brandon and Clinton, who are cousins.

“Most of our peers didn’t get the opportunity to do this. With older farmers who may be nearing retirement there’s often not enough land to support them and their son full-time, or parents steer their kids away from farming to ag-related jobs such as crop insurance sales. We’re pretty fortunate to be given the opportunity to farm full-time,” Clinton said.

Martin says the opportunity in the partnership benefits him as well, as a farmer and as a father wanting to transfer the farm to Brandon and Clinton. “There is a lot of value for older farmers to help younger farmers. Most of us don’t want to quit. Even when we retire we can help young farmers drive a tractor or a combine,” he said.

In addition to Martin’s experience and willingness to give Brandon and Clinton the opportunity to farm full-time, he’s lending them his experience with his financial services provider: Farm Credit Services of Illinois. “Our relationship with Farm Credit Services is relatively short,” Brandon said. Although Brandon and Clinton’s relationship with Farm Credit is new, Martin is a long-time Farm Credit Customer, he related. “Still, Dick Brewer (Farm Credit Services Vice President who has now retired) helped with a lot of things he didn’t have to. He facilitated the development of the partnership and went beyond what was expected,” Brandon said.

“Farm Credit’s background in agriculture – the true knowledge and understanding of what goes on – is invaluable. The Farm Credit staff understands what happens if we don’t get rain in July. Prices may rise, but that doesn’t mean we have much of a crop to sell,” Clinton added. “The changes in banking are also unsettling; there are many mergers and consolidations that not many at the local bank really understand our business. We feel comfortable with an institution with Farm Credit’s history.”

The elder Barbre was in and out of the shop where this interview took place, addressing issues related to the Illinois Corn Growers Association, of which he is president this year. He took time to talk about his partners’ future. “They’re down to learning what you have to learn with experience,” he said, adding that he encourages the two young farmers to utilize resources like Farm Bureau young leaders, Corn Growers and other associations that have members they can relate to.

Brandon and Clinton both say their future is on the farm. “This was a good year to start. We have never had this good of prices and have the crops in the ground,” Brandon said. At the same time, they know there is just as much possibility of poor prices and weather issues.

“They have a good, solid base. They’re determined and have grit. They’ll make it,” Martin said.