By Joann Pipkin
peace of mind
A fourth generation farmer, Justin Salyer knows if his boys want to
continue the family operation he’ll need to have his ducks in a row —
and have them protected.
Today, Salyer, his wife Teri and sons Garrison, 4, and Nolan,
2, raise corn, soybeans and cattle with Justin’s dad, David, north of
Higginsville. Part of the farm has been in the family since the Civil
War era.
While the Salyers first came to FCS Financial for help with a
real estate purchase, they’ve since worked with them for machinery
and additional real estate needs as well as crop insurance.
The relationship is one that brings the young producer peace of
mind.
“I can’t afford or have the working capital to survive a year if
we were to have a crop failure without crop insurance,” Salyer explains.
“It’s just that guarantee. It allows us to sell our guaranteed bushels at a
forward contract price.”
Salyer appreciates the ease of working with FCS Financial, too. “Working with FCS is just really easy,” he says. “Wendy (Hall) has been
great. I don’t know how many clients she has but I always feel like I’m the only one she’s got if I need something.”
From making loan payments and checking statements to text messaging and email, Salyer can do most everything he needs to on the
computer with a little help from the Internet.
“It’s nice to work with a company who understands agriculture,” he says. “They know our operation. They know what we need. If there
is something that fits us better, they let us know and give us the options if we want them.”
In this day and time, Salyer understands the value in not putting all of his eggs in one basket either. That’s why the cattle segment of
their operation is so important. In addition to weaned calves from their cow-calf operation, the Salyers custom-finish between 300 and 400
head of cattle annually.
“A lot of times, when the cattle are cycling lower, crop prices are better and when crop prices are low, then cattle are picking up the slack,”
Salyer says. “(Diversifying) allows us to stay busy and show a profit every year instead of having to face a downturn with just one enterprise.”
Knowing his cost of production helps Salyer keep his ducks in a row. “You have to know what every bushel is costing you,” he says. “It’s
the same way with cattle. You’ve got to know what those cows and calves are costing.”
Purchasing crop insurance and knowing his cost of production are just two ways Salyer is working to secure the family farm for the next
generation.
“It’s nice to remember that this is a business and that’s what we are doing this for, not just the way of life, but to hopefully carve out a
profit to sustain the farm for my boys if they want to farm someday.”
sleep easier
Getting a crop in the ground at the right time isn’t easy.
Weather is unpredictable and Mother Nature is more
than capable of dealing farmers like Mark Wilson a
brutal blow.
Still, Wilson sleeps easier knowing he has crop
insurance through FCS Financial.
“Our agent is second to none,” Wilson says. “He is
a partner in our operation. He’s got a stake in it just as
much as we do.”
Wilson — who raises corn, soybeans and hay, in
addition to finishing out nearly 300 head of slaughter
cattle every year — farms with his dad, Jim, near
Shelbyville.
Longtime FCS Financial customers, the Wilsons
rely on crop insurance to give them peace of mind — and
a benchmark in case of a catastrophe.