Rhonda Larson is a cut flower producer in South Dakota. Photo by Andrew Thomason, NRCS.

By Andrew Thomason, NRCS, Iowa

Meet Rhonda Larson of Hayti, South Dakota. During the school year Rhonda serves special needs students as a teaching aide in Hamlin County. When she’s not focused on her day job, her passion is flowers, a tradition that was passed down from her mother and grandmother. With help from her conservation efforts and pollinators, that passion has sprouted into a blooming cut flower business.  

Growing the Business  

Rhonda started growing flowers in her basement and a makeshift shed on her family’s farmstead. She began selling her flowers at farmers markets, and as her business flourished, Rhonda wanted to expand her operation by using a portion of a former soybean field to increase her yields. Because her husband is a farmer, she was already familiar with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and reached out to see if NRCS could help her reach her goals.  Continue reading →

Jesse Hegemann with his wife, Joni, and their three children, Madison, Kennedy, and Peyton. Photo by Sydney Erickson, FSA.

By Sydney Erickson, FSA, Nebraska 

Meet Jesse Hegemann, a first-generation farmer and rancher from Burchard, Nebraska. Growing up, Jesse developed a passion for agriculture while helping on his uncles’ farms and watching his dad raise hogs. He aspired to start his own operation, but without an easy claim to land, it seemed like a difficult path to pursue until he found a unique opportunity with a local farmer.  

A Valuable Connection 

“Growing up my mom and dad owned the local plumbing and heating business in Howells,” he said. “My dad always wanted to come back and farm full-time, but the ‘80s hit, and my grandpa said that wasn’t going to be able to happen. He was still active and had hogs, but the hog business eventually ended up selling out.”  Continue reading →

Michelle Eckhart picks peaches in the orchard on Sweet Berry Farm. Photo courtesy of Sweet Berry Farm.

By Leila Naylor, FSA, Rhode Island

Jan and Michelle Eckhart are the owners and operators of Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown, Rhode Island. What began as a small farm primarily growing strawberries has turned into a labor of love. In addition to strawberries, the Eckharts now grow cherries, cane berries, peaches, blackberries, pumpkins and more on their 100-acre farm.

Growing the Operation

Jan and Michelle started out only farming part-time, both working full-time jobs and selling their produce out of small coolers and fresh-cut flowers out of buckets at a few local farmers markets.

They reached their turning point in 1996 and decided it was time to quit their full-time jobs to follow their passion. To become full-time farmers, Jan and Michelle realized they needed to acquire more land. Continue reading →

By Samantha Blair, Latoyia Elliott and Samantha Turner, FSA, Virginia 

Meet Elisha Barnes, a fourth–generation farmer from Southampton County, Virginia. Elisha’s love of agriculture began while working in his family’s peanut fields at the age of six. He purchased his own farm in 1989 where he continues to grow peanuts, along with soybeans, corn, and a variety of produce, only stopping to rest on rainy days and Sundays. 

Farmer Elisha Barnes with FSA County Executive Director in Training Latoyia Elliott in front of the Southampton County USDA Service Center. Photo by Samantha Turner, FSA.

Getting Started 

At 15, Elisha wanted to quit school to become a full-time farmer, but his father insisted that he finish his formal education. His father was unable to finish school and wanted his children to have the opportunities that he didn’t.  Elisha went on to finish school and later graduate with a degree from Nashville Auto Diesel College. His degree has paid off, allowing him the ability to work on and fabricate to fit the needs of his operation.   Continue reading →