John Jr. says, “My spring and fall focus on planting and harvesting the potatoes and grains. Spinach fits in from spring through late fall. Fertility, pest and irrigation management are ongoing during the growing season for both of us.”
Both help the other as needed during the seasonal cycles. John Sr. is an active partner, contributing wherever his expertise—and another knowledgeable worker—will make the most impact.
Kevin says, “John and Dad were handling all of it while I was in college, switching their attention back and forth between the crops as needed. We’re seeing gains in productivity by putting more focus on our respective crops and our improved planning for integrated crop rotation to take full advantage of our land, equipment and personnel.”
Business Management Kevin says, “John Jr. and I are pushing the change for more company structure and more overall business structure. Dad had always managed the farm his way, so it’s a big adjustment for him. But he’s on board with it, which is great.”
Both John Jr. and Kevin report they are all working to improve communications within the management team. John Jr. says, “We’ve had a lot of growth in the company since 2012, so there’s a lot more to be managed. We need to make sure we’re all on the same page so we can direct our staff effectively and keep moving forward. It’s still a little new for all of us, but we’re improving and making progress.”
John Sr. says, “I do see the value in what our sons are doing—in all of it.”
Continued Growth With all the crops combined, they’re faming 1,500 acres. Kevin says, “We own approximately 1000 acres. We rent the remainder and are looking for more land to rent or buy. It’s definitely a challenge to find new ground. It can get competitive with other farm businesses in the same situation, a bit of a biding war. Te bigger issue is availability. Tere’s not a lot of ground up for rent and many rental relationships have been established for years. Our township and many surrounding townships have quite a bit of preserved land and ordinances that affect the availability of that ground. So even when land does come up for sale, it can be difficult to purchase it for farming.”
John Jr. says, “Opportunities do keep presenting themselves and we consider all of them. We try to be open-minded and help our core business grow. If we think we can manage it effectively, we’ll take the opportunity. If it’s just not the right time, or too overwhelming to handle well, we’ll pass on it.”
TPI Turf News November/December 2017
Te kids working on the farm is family tradition. Here, John Jr. and Lee are shown grading potatoes several years ago.
John Sr. says, “I’d not have any of this without Donna and our sons. We truly are a family farm that is now run like a business—and I guess that is unique. It’s a pretty cool thing to watch it evolve as we make the transition to the ninth generation.”
John Jr. adds, “Our operations keep changing as we seek to expand our markets and make adjustments for greater efficiency. We want a farming business that is sustainable and consistently profitable. We’re getting close to that point.”
Suz Trusty is co-editor of Turf News. All photos courtesy of the Coombs family.
91
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
