the wrong chickens, they spend the night in the trees and
you lose half your flock in one night,” he explains. “You
learn not to buy that breed of chicken again.”
Trial and error has even helped the brothers
determine marketing strategies when making sales calls.
“You learn what works, how to read people,” Dustin says.
That management method is helping the young
farmers get a grasp on their first attempt at potato
production, too.
Austin’s senior trip sent the family to Idaho to
purchase a potato harvester he had located online after
helping brother Dustin with a college project. Growing
potatoes intrigued Austin and the duo opted to give it a
try this year.
Long story short, their equipment venture proved
to be a learning experience as they returned home from
their journey with a half-paid-for, less-than-operable
machine. Its remnants remain in Idaho, awaiting a trip
to the Show-Me-State. And, that left the Stantons to dig
their two-acre potato patch by hand.
Though challenging, potato production is already on
the docket for next year as Andrew says there is money to
be made in growing the crop once they figure out the best
way to harvest it.
building a network
“They know ag,” Dustin says simply of his relationship
with FCS Financial. “That’s crucial for us. They have
experience with what they do.”
The adjacent 180-acre farm Dustin purchased with
assistance from FCS Financial’s small, beginning farmer
loan he says will eventually help save their family farm.
He’s certain the land, which sits at the end of their deadend road, was destined to be a subdivision. If that had
come to fruition, it could have had devastating results to
their operation.
“Again, it’s building a rapport with people,” Dustin
explains. “Dad had worked with FCS Financial for years.
I never even looked for another lender.”
Andrew is quick to credit FCS Financial for their
personal service and on-farm visits. “They can come out
here and really get a feel for what’s going on. This is our
bread and butter. (They) can see that.”