After serving over three decades in the Air Force, Bill Renfroe retired and began farming in northwestern Nevada.

Story & Photo Credit: Heather Emmons, USDA

Bill Renfroe is an Air Force veteran in Lovelock, Nevada, who can now add “beginning farmer” to his resume. While Bill had initially dreamt of retiring somewhere green, that vision enfolded into fields of green alfalfa in northwestern Nevada.

Life After the Air Force

Growing up on a dairy farm in nearby Fallon, Nevada, Bill got up at 3 a.m. and worked hard to grow alfalfa. He joined the Air Force at the recommendation of a friend. To Bill, it sounded like a good break from the rigor of the dairy farm and a great opportunity for he and his young wife, Vivian, who were expecting their first child.

His career spanned nearly 37 years, and he retired as a full colonel. He’s worked several overseas assignments, at the Pentagon, and rounded out his career working for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

With Vivian at his side, they’ve lived in 23 homes, including Portugal, Germany and two places in England. When Vivian wanted to spend her retirement back in Nevada, Bill never imagined that he’d end up a farmer. Continue reading →

Barbara Jean Hunter takes pride in serving her agricultural peers as a member of her FSA county committee.

By Anthony Landrum, FSA

Barbara Jean Hunter grew up on her father’s farm in Appomattox County, Virginia, and took over the farm as an adult. Passionate about conservation, she worked with USDA to transition her farm to protect the land.

Conserving the Land

After being introduced to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in the early 2000s, Barbara decided to enroll her farm land in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

The long-term goal of this land conservation program is to reestablish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality.

According to Barbara, knowing she is doing her part to conserve our natural resources is payment enough. Continue reading →

David and Gail Hodge operate their Florida farm along with their sons and their families.

By Lauren Moore, USDA

David and Gail Hodge are the owners and operators of Hodge Farms in Newberry, Florida. Established in 1919, the operation has transitioned with the ever-changing agricultural environment over the last 100 years.

A Family Farm

Originally a cotton operation, Hodge Farms was established by David’s grandfather, East Hodge. In 1936, the family started to grow tobacco, and later added watermelons and peanuts.

“Agriculture is all I’ve ever known and all I’ve ever wanted to do,” said David. Continue reading →

Daryl Kalua’u raises cattle on Hawaii’s Big Island where recent drought has left his pastures brown and thin.

By Patrick Lewis, FSA

Ranching is a tradition in Daryl Kalua’u’s family. His father and grandfather both worked as herdsmen for one of the largest ranches on Hawaii’s Big Island.

Originally not wanting to follow their footsteps, Daryl moved his family to Alaska where he operated heavy equipment on oilfields for 30 years. In 2000, he and his wife decided it was time to return home and start a ranch.

The Kalua’u operation is split into two herds. Half of his animals are located in South Point, the southern-most point of the United States. The other half of his herd is in the Kona area.

Today, his son Daryl Jr., the fourth generation of Kalua’u ranchers, tends to his father’s herd in South Point while building up a herd of his own. Continue reading →

Justin Knopf, of Knopf Farms, is a is a fifth-generation farmer in Kansas.

By Heather Emmons, USDA

Justin Knopf, of Knopf Farms near Gypsum, Kansas, is a fifth-generation farmer and a partner in a diversified operation that grows wheat, alfalfa, corn, soybeans, and sorghum.

Resiliency on the Rise

Justin started farming with his father in the 1990s. Having learned the ropes, he started farming full time in 2003. If there’s one word he thinks about the most—from a business, environmental, agronomic, and human resource standpoint—it’s resiliency.

Building a relationship with USDA has been key to the operation’s resiliency. Working with USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service helps Justin to manage risk and his land.

“One of the resources we think about regularly on our farm is human resources – and collaboration with other people. The collaboration we have with RMA, FSA and NRCS is important to our team,” said Justin. “These agencies’ programs help us offset risks we face season-to-season as we deal with weather and markets out of our control.” Continue reading →

Shelbi Rice, the 2018-2019 National High School Rodeo Association Queen, was raised on a family farm in Arkansas. Photo courtesy of the Rice family.

By Billie Hall, Farm Service Agency

Shelbi Kay Rice wears many hats and most recently it’s a cowboy hat adorned with a crown.

From Cattle to a Crown

The 2018-2019 National High School Rodeo Association Queen was raised on a family farm in rural Crawford County, Arkansas. This 18-year-old has been working cattle and putting up hay her whole life, while also working at the family-owned and operated Hero’s Rodeo Arena where she trains horses and tends livestock.

Shelbi served as the 2017-2018 Arkansas State High School Rodeo Queen before receiving the national title. It had been 50 years since a contestant from Arkansas held this title. As queen, Shelbi worked closely with many corporations who support agriculture and the western way of life. Her platform was fighting hunger, and she established the Rodeo for a Cure–Project Hunger organization that raises money to supply food pantries and Blessing Boxes throughout the country. Continue reading →

John Shepherd began grain farming during his last year of college working as a salesman by day and farming at night.

By: Herbert Brown, FSA

John Shepherd, a farmer from Blackstone, Virginia, began grain farming during his last year of college. After graduating, he worked as a salesman by day and farmed at night, building his operation from the ground up.

Top Priorities

In the grain fields of Blackstone, John sprays his corn fields and plants soybeans like many other farmers in the area. He scans the rows, looking for recently-planted soybeans as they begin to emerge from his tall wheat cover crop.

“This cover crop was planted by airplane,” he said. “It allows earlier planting in the fall and creates a good stand of small grains.”

Cover crops, nutrient management, and soil productivity are all top priorities for him.

“I’m attached to the land. It’s taken me years and a lot of inputs to get the land in good shape. I take pride in what I do,” John said. Continue reading →

Jason Bleich’s family farm has been a popular resting spot for monarchs over the past couple of years. Photo courtesy of Jason Bleich.

By: Dana Rogge, USDA

A natural phenomenon descends on the Bleich’s Illinois farm each fall. Now through the end of September, Jason Bleich’s family farm will be invaded with thousands of monarch butterflies traveling south to their winter hideaway.

“It’s really amazing to be honest. It will give you goosebumps when you go out there and see them all,” Jason Bleich said. “When you walk along a hedge row or a windbreak where they’re all roosting in the trees and they start flying up as you walk by them and being able to hear their wings beating and have them land on you. It’s pretty neat.”

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the monarch is the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration as birds do. Monarchs use environmental clues to know when it’s time for their journey south is to begin. Continue reading →