Acres & Assets | Part 1: The Evolution of Farming: What Makes a Good Farmer Today?

In every farming community throughout much of modern history people knew who the good farmers were.  These were the farmers who made it through the ups and downs of ag production, were visibly prosperous, raised award winning livestock, kept a neat farmstead, had the largest barns, and had a role in local governance.  As farmers changed with the ever-evolving landscape of production agriculture, knowing what it takes today to be a good farmer has changed as well.  Many new aspects have been added to the equation.  

Why is it important to know the good farmers in the neighborhood?  For non-operating landowners, it is a critical component in owning a profitable and well-maintained farm for the long term.  Having a farm that is a good investment currently and also one that is valuable for the next generations are the goals of most landowners.  A good farmer as the tenant will greatly help a landowner accomplish their farm ownership goals. 

In this and a subsequent article, we will examine the evolution of farming and farmers over the past fifty years and then take a look at what makes a good farmer in the current environment.

As a farm boy growing up on a western Illinois grain farm in the 1960’s and 70’s, I remember from an early age following my father and older brothers as they went off to the field or shop to work.   You learned what it took to be a good farmer by watching and doing: when the ground was ready to work, how to change oil, how to set a combine, when to bale hay, what to feed the livestock, and how to work.  One of the biggest lessons was learning to work no matter the hour, weather, or the aches.  A pivotal moment for a young farm kid was when they first were allowed to drive a tractor by themselves.

In the 1960’s our farm used a four row planter which was typical at that time.  But we had a combine big enough to handle a four row cornhead which was on the larger side for grain farms at the time.  A good farmer worked the ground several times in the spring to get the finest possible seedbed in order for the planter to work well and produce a good stand of corn or soybeans.  A good farmer had some livestock too, mainly beef cattle or hogs.  The decade of the 60’s was a relatively calm time in commodity agriculture with less weather variability and more stable grain prices.

Production agriculture started to change in a big way during the 1970’s.  National and world events beyond the farm gate started to impact grain markets, profitability of farmers, and the operation of the farm business.  The 70’s were the start of the “Go big or go home” and “Plant fence row to fence row” attitudes in farming.  With grain demand and prices being propelled by world events, energy shortages jumping fuel costs, very high inflation, and high interest rates happening at various times during the decade, farmers started to concentrate on growing the size of their operation.  Renting additional farms became more aggressive and the movement to cash rent type leases started to take off as it was the fastest way to grow the acres farmed.   

The 70’s were a growth decade for farmers and their operations.  My father moved to an eight row planter and two combines.  The sign of a good farmer was working hard enough and long enough to timely till and plant the larger amount of acres they now had.   Good weed control on our farm  was achieved by cultivate corn once and soybeans twice after planting and to walk bean fields to take out escaped weeds and volunteer corn.  Labor was needed all summer long.  We moldboard plowed most farms in the fall after harvest, even the ones that had a hillier topography because that was what we knew and the practice would lead to earlier planting and a larger yield.  In hind site, we also had to “fix” some erosion every spring on those hilly farms.  (We learned better and changed practices over time.)  

The early 70’s were my high school years and I started out in farming by crop share renting a farm.  Working long hours at night after school, being sent off alone to work a field, and taking a middle of the night shift watching the grain dryer were all steps to being a good farmer.  Good farmers of this time began to farm over 1,000 acres, drove newer equipment, bought land, and farmed land at a greater distance from the home operation.

And then came the 1980’s and lumped in with the decade of the farm crisis go along the 90’s.  These were two decades of below average farm incomes, high interest rates on farm operating notes, fighting inflation, financially struggling farmers, bank foreclosures on farmland, and a change in what made a good farmer.  The good farmers in the neighborhood survived the farm crisis and continued to be profitable by having less debt and wise cost control management.  

I started farming full-time after college in 1979 by growing the rented acres in our operation.  With little debt to start with and no recent purchases of what at the time was record high farmland, we weathered the lower income period.   Good farmers of the times not only continued to strive for high yields and profitability, but started to examine ways to do things differently.

My brother and I explored and adopted no-till planting in the mid 1980’s for two reasons.  One was to conserve and improve the soil by lessening erosion and enhancing soil quality.  The other reason was to be more cost effective with the need for fewer trips across the field (moving from moldboard or chisel plowing and spring tillage to just no-till planting the crop), and lower costs.  We were able to lower our cost of production to remain profitable.  We also kept costs lower by running our equipment longer and being able to maintain and repair it ourselves.  (We even waxed our tractors and combines during this time to keep each piece looking in top condition.)

Several aspects of what made a good farmer started to change during this period.  Were the good farmers the ones who continued with conventional farming practices and maximum yields or the ones who adopted minimum or no tillage which created less than pristine fields and sometimes lower yields but other better outcomes?    For some, the sight of “dirty” fields at planting because the field was not clean tilled was the sign of a poor farmer until over time, no-till became an adopted practice.

Next up: Part 2 | Farming in the 2000s: Technological Advances and Changing Demands

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About the Author

Randy Dickhut has a fifty-year career in agriculture, combining production and professional farm management experience that has given him unique insight into owning and operating a farm. Starting in the 1970s, Randy actively farmed for thirty years in western Illinois, expanding the family operation to over 1,600 acres with twenty landowners before leaving in 2002. During his tenure, Randy embraced innovative practices like no-till and cover crops while maintaining communication with landowners and writing a quarterly newsletter. In 2002, he joined Farmers National Company for a twenty-year career, managing farms for non-operating landowners, obtaining the Accredited Farm Manager designation, and eventually serving as the Senior Vice President of Real Estate Operations, overseeing significant land sales nationwide. Throughout his career, Randy has worked closely with landowners, investors, and farmers, gaining firsthand knowledge of regional production and operational differences. He is also a prolific writer, contributing hundreds of articles to various agricultural publications and programs.