Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Henry Spies V of Caroline County, MD is one of ten recipients.

Henry operates Marsh Creek Cattle Company. He established the farm in 2019 in partnership with his younger brother; they are both beginning farmers. The operation currently spans 37 acres and raises pastured-based proteins: beef, pork, chicken, and eggs. They started with rotationally grazing beef calves in 2019 but then shifted toward hogs, chickens, and egg layers due to a quicker return-on-investment. They started with 250 layers in April of 2021, with a plan to offer home delivery of all proteins. Demand for eggs grew and Henry ultimately increased the flock to 800 hens.

Henry and his brother both farm full-time, with Henry managing delivery, farmers' market presence, and online sales. They plan to further increase the flock size and partner with other farms to provide beef, pork, and chicken to their online customers. To that end, the brothers have secured a lease on a larger parcel of land in Denton, Maryland. They plan to establish some basic infrastructure there, including the rebuilding of a high tunnel for winter housing of the hens. Additionally, they going to improve the structure that will contain their egg washing system; it needs water, electric, and insulation to allow for year-round washing and packing.

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!

Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Duy Pham of Somerset County, MD is one of ten recipients.

Duy is a first generation farmer. He owns and manages a poultry farm on 25 acres. He purchased his six house, 180,000 square foot operation in 2020 and grows broilers for Mountaire Farms. He is passionate about the wellbeing of his flock and all contributing factors from nutrition to housing and veterinary care to biosecurity. Prior to farming, Duy spent eight years as an electrician, three years as a welder, and was employed in the area of environmental enhancement practices for a large manufacturer - all of which have helped him to keep his poultry farm clean, safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly.

Duy is planning to upgrade the heating system in his poultry houses. Currently, he relies on tube heaters in his chicken houses, which have been in use for 18 years. Overtime, their efficiency has significantly decreased, resulting in wasteful fuel consumption and decreased performance. Upgrading this heating system will have an immediate and substantial impact on his farm's efficiency and overall success.

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!

Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Julie Henninger of Cumberland County, PA is one of ten recipients.

Julie established Good Keeper Farm in 2014 and hasn't looked back. She started growing vegetables on one acre and is now growing in four high tunnels and one heated greenhouse, on a total of six acres. All of her produce is Certified Organic and Real Organic Project certified. Good Keeper Farm operates a CSA and is a year-round vendor at a downtown market in Carlisle. Additionally, the farm provides vegetables and eggs to ten wholesale customers on a weekly basis.

To increase efficiency, Julie plans to purchase a tractor for the farm. She currently has shared access to an older tractor, but that arrangement does not provide the reliability or consistency needed for her operation. The implements Julie would like to use, such as a waterwheel transplanter or potato harvester, are not compatible with the shared tractor. A new tractor will mean fewer hours troubleshooting mechanical problems, more timely planting, cultivating and harvesting, and will speed up field preparation, leading to increased yields.

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!

Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Richard & Jennifer Hartleib of Berks County, PA are one of ten recipients.

Richard and Jennifer founded Castenea Farms, LLC in 2018. They designed the operation within an agroforestry concept, integrating multiple crops on the same acreage. Their primary crop, chestnuts, is grown throughout their property. They rotationally graze hair sheep and cow calf belted Galloway pairs in pastures shared with the trees. The trees are grown to produce nuts in the future, get fertilized by the livestock, and the livestock benefit from the dappled shade provided by the trees. The Hartleibs grow fresh figs and early spring greens in a high tunnel and offer pick-your-own strawberries. They utilize a riparian area to grow woody florals (winterberry holly, curly willows, pussy willows). The plants not only provide a water quality benefit, they offer an early season pollen source for honeybees.

They recently acquired additional acreage for nut production and are planning to break ground on a storage barn to protect equipment, hay (made on site), and produce bins containing fresh product waiting for transport to market. Having this storage will significantly reduce unnecessary crop degradation and contribute to the longevity of their equipment.

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!

Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Tyler and Katie Fraser of Clarion County, PA are one of ten recipients.

Tyler and Katie are beginning farmers who own and operate Fraser Cattle Company, on just over 60 acres. They started with four cows, a bull, and a gilt in 2020. Over the past three years, they've expanded to a breeding herd of 19 Hereford cattle including cow/calves, yearling heifers and bulls, ten Angus-cross feeders, one bred crossbred sow, 13 feeder hogs, 30 laying hens, 42 broiler chickens, and a home garden.

Both Katie and Tyler have extensive farming experience. Katie has worked in beef and dairy operations, and currently works as a Program Technician for the USDA Farm Service Agency. Tyler has worked on large grain farms, a dairy farm, and is a heavy equipment operator. They are planning to construct a corral and a chute system for their cattle and purchase ewes to start a sheep flock. Additionally, they are hoping to winterize some existing shelters for the hogs and sheep.

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!

Joe Waddell, Farm Credit's Director of Innovation

Agriculture professionals, like consumers, can become entrenched in their specific areas of expertise. This sharp focus can often narrow perspectives, and limit potential collaboration with people who may challenge what or how we think, causing a significant barrier to agricultural innovation within our industry. Agriculture professionals, like consumers, can become entrenched in their specific areas of expertise. This sharp focus can often narrow perspectives, and limit potential collaboration with people who may challenge what or how we think, causing a significant barrier to agricultural innovation within our industry.

The Age of Agricultural Innovation is Among Us

It’s important that we all take a step back from our day-to-day, view the broad agricultural ecosystem in front of us and explore positions from other perspectives. We should encourage broader sharing of knowledge across segments and look for opportunities for collaboration to drive sustainability across the ag value chain. As I reflect on some conferences I attended this past year, I’ve noticed an exciting trend towards breaking down silos within the industry. Understanding the nuances of each segment requires a comprehensive grasp of its history and current state, and the focus is beginning to shift from pure competition to collaboration, recognizing that in a world faced with a growing population and finite resources, all sectors must contribute to the greater good of the industry. 

The Need to Elevate the Farmer’s Voice

There is progress, but an essential aspect that seems to still be lacking is the recognition of the need to amplify the farmer’s voice in industry discussions. The key players across the complex value chain - including but not limited to farmers, input suppliers, capital suppliers, equipment manufacturers, technology providers, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, processors, retailers, and end users - need to work together to better understand each other. There is often a disconnect between professional dialogue about the future of agriculture innovation and the realities farmers face daily to meet current demands. Bridging this gap is crucial for meaningful progress. 

For example, too often farmers are being presented with a $10 dollar solution to a $1 dollar problem. This makes new tech adoption and operational changes very difficult to accomplish. Without a proven track record of success, it’s difficult for a farmer to justify taking the risk of adoption due to being economically unviable. If there isn’t a true grasp on the market potential for that new technology, it has no long-term economic viability and will have minimal adoption in the field.

Below, I’ve recapped two of my top ag innovation experiences from this past year, highlighting the main takeaways and what to keep an eye on.

1. FIRA USA 2023: Innovation in Agriculture Robotics

This year’s FIRA USA (International Forum for Agricultural Robotics) conference showcased advancements in agriculture robotics, with a focus on larger amounts of labor required for specialty crops like lettuce, carrots, berries, and other orchard products. Innovations ranged from precision laser weeders to autonomous mechanical weeding systems. A few to highlight: 

GUSS: Technology – GUSS (gussag.com)

GUSS, an autonomous orchard sprayer, is not new to the marketplace, but is beginning to cement its position. Sales began in 2019 and as of September 2023, there were upwards of 235 units in the field. GUSS has a unique partnership with John Deere to sell and service their units. They use a patented autonomous technology to be able to operate with precision under tree canopies where traditional solutions have some blind spots. GUSS also has a Select Spray option, which only applies chemicals in appropriate volume when it senses the trees present, reducing overall chemical usage while more accurately applying product.

Swarm Farm: SwarmFarm Robotics | Robotic Agriculture

Swarm Farm, an Australian company, presented a midsize autonomous platform designed around a farmer-first approach, creating a platform that can be serviced by the farmer and add value through supporting a variety of off the shelf implements. Their platforms have already covered more than two million acres in Australia since their inception in 2015 and they have plans to expand into the US market to demonstrate the potential of the scalable farmer-centric technology. The platform was designed and built on farm with the intention of addressing a labor shortage, while allowing 24/7 farming when conditions are right. Swarm Farm’s approach is not “bigger is always better” - instead, they prefer the duplication approach. With autonomous ability, crops can be sprayed and fields can be farmed when conditions are right, no matter the time of day. 

Verdant Robotics: Verdant Robotics

Verdant Robotics is taking spot spraying to the next level with its Bullseye Technology. This technology enables millimeter level precision that can handle high density bedded crops, such as carrots, while offering up to a 96% reduction in chemical usage. The same system can also be used to precisely place nutrients on plants. Verdant’s approach is supplying an implement that can fit in the current system, such as a human-driven tractor, with the additional ability to be carried by an autonomous platform.

2. Transform Food & Agriculture USA

A significant challenge discussed at this year’s Transform Food was the difficulty in defining regenerative agriculture. Major CPG companies and other industry stakeholders were using the terms “regenerative ag” and “sustainability” without offering up context to what it means for their respective companies, but consistent definitions matter as we seek alignment across the industry.

Along those lines, collaboration emerged as a central theme with several companies investing in partnerships with integrated farms and cost sharing initiatives. One topic missing from the discussion about sustainability was food waste. While it was brought up, there weren’t any serious conversations around the topic and its impact on the ag ecosystem’s efficiency.

The Path Forward for Ag Innovation

The future of innovation in agriculture hinges on the continued breakdown of barriers across the value chain both in terms of industry silos and conceptual understanding. By elevating the farmer’s voice, defining and aligning on key narratives, and fostering collaboration over competition, the industry can address the challenge of feeding a growing population while mitigating the impact on the finite resources and ecosystem. Working together, we can continue to drive the sustainability and resilience of the agricultural industry.

Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Jarrod and Becky Burall of Frederick County, MD are one of ten recipients.

Jarrod and Becky operate Burall Farms. They began farming in 2017 and grow beef, corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, and straw on 1,000 acres. They were named among their county's Top 20 Young Ag Professionals in 2022 and have demonstrated a commitment to integrated practices, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. Their revolving steer herd currently consists of approximately 200 head at various stages of maturity. Jarrod works full-time on the farm, managing daily operations. Becky oversees steer production and care while also managing the marketing of all beef through private and commercial sales.

The Buralls currently sell most of their steers through a commercial processor and sell about 20 steers privately in bulk, as halves and quarters. Beef marketing is where they see the greatest potential for growth. They are planning to build an on-farm market, which would enable them to sell small bundles and individual retail cuts of beef direct-to-consumers. After thorough analysis, they've determined that such a shift has the potential to increase their net profits by 44.3%.

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!

Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Megan Bogle of Chester County, PA is one of ten recipients.

Megan began farming in 2018. She owns and operates True North Farmstead, which is a small-scale family run sheep farm and dairy, raising East Friesian/Lacaune sheep. Megan produces artisan farmstead sheep’s cheese, pasture raised spring lamb meat, wool products, and seasonal batches of hot sauce. She sells direct to consumers at the Growing Roots Farmers’ Markets in Chester County and has seen a strong demand for her artisan cheeses continue to grow—and plans to expand her cheesemaking as a result.

Megan is planning to add a laboratory to the farm, so that each batch of milk processed for cheesemaking can be tested. Her operation is currently exempt from the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) for antibiotic testing, but in order to expand, she will need to bring in milk from neighboring farms to supplement current operations, which will require the addition of a testing lab on site. Acquiring the lab will allow for growth and year-round market and cheesemaking activity.

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!

Farm Credit awarded a total of $100,000 to beginning farmers through the Farmers on the Rise Award Program on December 7, 2023. Bradley and Kacie Bachman of Lebanon County, PA are one of ten recipients.

Bradley and Kacie Bachman jointly operate Bachman Equine LLC, an equine recovery facility in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Their operation, founded in 2018, offers specialized medical care and attention for horses requiring a quiet environment to rest, heal, and rejuvenate. They collaborate with owners and veterinarians to provide much-needed lay-up services for racehorses and brood mares to decompress and recuperate from physically demanding lifestyles. Kacie holds a veterinary technician license and draws upon experience gained while working in equine vet practices to care for her boarders. 

They are planning to upgrade their bank barn by installing automatic, heated waterers, which would provide a consistent supply of fresh, temperature regulated water as well as reduce the workload of filling tubs with hoses and breaking ice during winter months. Additionally, Kacie and Bradley would like to purchase two large hay feeders for their horses to use during turnout. The feeders simulate natural grazing habits through a slow-feed process that also greatly reduces hay waste. 

You can meet all of the 2023 award winners here, and learn more about their farming experience on our blog!