A central Iowa farmer says breaking into agriculture isn’t easy for young producers, but it can be done.
Corey Hillebo raises corn, soybeans, and wean to finish hogs in Polk City…
“I’m a fifth-generation farmer and it seems like you have to almost be born into it,” he said. “But that’s not completely the truth.”
He tells Brownfield it’s critical for beginning farmers to think outside the box.
“Farming is not great right now,” he said. “One of the topics we’re talking about is all these off-farm jobs that we have and the profitability in farming. Don’t be scared to try new things like these cover crops. There’s a lot of landlords out there that will actually value you for doing stuff like that.”
Hillebo says there are some misconceptions about eligibility for USDA young farmer programs.
“What’s great about most young farmer programs is you actually don’t have to be a certain age,” he said. “It’s how long you’ve been in farming and what your net worth is. You could be a young and beginning farmer at 50 years old if you’re just getting into it.”
Hillebo says he also advises young farmers to attend field days and other networking events to connect with landlords and fellow producers.
