1 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:15,490 [MUSIC] 2 00:00:15,370 --> 00:00:22,370 We’re Petersen Family Farms, located south of Knoxville, Iowa. My wife, Julie, and I 3 00:00:23,140 --> 00:00:29,080 have four children, which are all involved with the farm with us in one way or another. 4 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:36,080 To me, the biggest thing for the young people, I think you need to be diverse. Not think, 5 00:00:37,010 --> 00:00:41,680 “okay, I’m gonna raise corn and beans. I’m gonna go sit in the tractor so many 6 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:47,269 hours in the spring, plant, go out and spray it, and sit in the combine in the fall.” 7 00:00:47,269 --> 00:00:54,269 I think you need to go out, be ready to try some new things, you know… With the livestock 8 00:00:55,070 --> 00:00:59,909 we don’t have to have as many of those expensive crop acres. 9 00:00:59,909 --> 00:01:06,909 I graduated from high school in 1980 and started farming with my parents that year. In the 10 00:01:07,820 --> 00:01:14,100 ‘80s, through the farm crisis, my parents lost the farm – went to the sheriff’s 11 00:01:14,100 --> 00:01:19,340 sale. But, Julie and I had some relatives that stepped forward, said they would loan 12 00:01:19,340 --> 00:01:25,799 us the money so we could buy the land back, and we bought it, the original 290 acres back 13 00:01:25,799 --> 00:01:32,799 at that time. And have -- we worked the debt, and have grown, and since then we now have 14 00:01:36,409 --> 00:01:43,409 bought another 260 acres altogether, and we rent several more acres. We typically, between 15 00:01:44,530 --> 00:01:51,530 me and the boys, have between 900 and 1000 acres of row crop each year. We do the GMO, 16 00:01:53,649 --> 00:02:00,649 some non-GMO conventional crops, and organic crops. We run about 800 ewes that we lamb 17 00:02:02,439 --> 00:02:09,439 every year now, and try to have around 300 stock cows is what we’re running at this 18 00:02:09,810 --> 00:02:13,310 time. I do not work off the farm now. I did for 19 00:02:13,310 --> 00:02:20,310 20-some years, at the local factory, and I worked a lot of times the night shift, or 20 00:02:25,660 --> 00:02:30,540 whatever. My father and our children have always been very helpful, had to help do a 21 00:02:30,540 --> 00:02:33,390 lot of work around here to keep everything going. 22 00:02:33,390 --> 00:02:40,390 There’s been so many things that have just happened in our life, that you know… Basically, 23 00:02:40,420 --> 00:02:45,000 I wouldn’t have done organic if it hadn’t been the relatives that said, “hey, why 24 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,650 don’t you try this?” And then after we did, it’s been a very good thing. And I 25 00:02:49,650 --> 00:02:54,860 think there’s always things with the science and technology are developing new uses for 26 00:02:54,860 --> 00:03:01,470 these crops, too, I think. You know, wasn’t that many years ago that biofuels wasn’t 27 00:03:01,470 --> 00:03:07,400 around, and I think that’s been a very important technology that has developed very strongly, 28 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:14,400 too… the science always developing new and better seeds and technology that way. Also, 29 00:03:14,980 --> 00:03:20,440 the technology with the GPS and that with the tractors, so that when we get ready to 30 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:26,520 go cultivate the rows are nice and straight. I’ve been the one, I guess, that kinda has 31 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:33,520 the final say, Julie and I are, on our operation. I ask our children for input all the time, 32 00:03:34,770 --> 00:03:41,570 “what do you think?” And just kinda -- it has continued to grow as far, you know, it’s 33 00:03:41,570 --> 00:03:46,790 grown a lot more than I ever dreamt it would be -- our farm.