get to know :
Danny and Hannah Kiehl
educated, how are they expected to be if they can’t do
their homework, and how can you expect businesses to
come into rural areas if they don’t have the internet,”
Hannah said. “It’s not worth our time and money to
invest in technologies if we don’t have the resources to
use them.”
Jenny is hopeful the visit to the nation’s capital
will have a positive impact on agriculture in Missouri,
noting what happens there has a trickle-down effect.
“All our regulations, crop insurance, guaranteed
loans, it all trickles down to the state level,” she said.
“Hopefully, (that will) help secure options for those
Missouri producers. We’re already so far behind
when it comes to technology, when it comes to road
improvements, we’re kind of at the bottom of the list.
And, if we don’t keep the line of communication open,
we’re off the list.”
young producer perspective
Among a minority of young agricultural producers,
the Bradleys and Kiehls both see value in helping
lawmakers understand the need for financial assistance
on the farm.
Labor and resources are often the limiting factors
for young producers, Jenny said.
“The problem with labor is that if the farm only
produces this pile of income, maybe it can support one
family, maybe it can support two families, but it likely
can’t support three families,” Ben added.
As more and more college graduates take the
road to industry rather than the one leading back to
the farm, Jenny said they’re discovering that can help
them pay for a farm later in life. Jenny works one-on-
one with farmers as an adult ag education instructor at
North Shelby High School in Shelbyville. In that role,
she assists producers with records management and
transitional plans as well as with finding sources of
funding and with financial meeting preparation.
“Agriculture is the number one source of local
revenue for our schools,” she said of the North Shelby
district.
Danny is hopeful the fly-in will encourage other
young producers to share their story. “If they tell their
Photo by Joann Pipkin
Danny and Hannah Kiehl graduated from the University
of Missouri-Columbia in May 2017 — Danny with a
degree in agriculture systems management, minor in ag
economics and animal science and Hannah with a degree
in agribusiness management.
The couple has been employed with Harrisonville-
based Roth Farms, owned by Hannah’s uncle, Doug
Roth, since graduation. Roth Farms includes 6,000 acres
of row crops as well as grain merchandising and irrigation
businesses. While Danny’s responsibilities include working
with the operation’s row crops and hauling grain, Hannah
primarily works in office management at the grain elevator.
In addition to their responsibilities at Roth Farms,
the Kiehls manage a small herd of cattle that Danny first
established as part of his 4-H and FFA projects while
in high school. He developed a relationship with FCS
Financial then through a grant program which helped him
grow his project.
By participating in FCS Financial’s Connect program,
the Kiehls were able to learn the ins and outs of farm
business management in addition to crop insurance and
other services the cooperative offers.
“I give them a lot of credit for taking the time to
provide a service to us,” Danny said. “Getting the valuable
information makes it worthwhile.”
Both Hannah and Danny are fourth generation ag
producers. “There are a lot of young, beginning farmers
that don’t have nearly the opportunities that we do, so we’re
very grateful for that,” Hannah said.
HEARTBEAT | FALL 2017 7