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FRENCH LICK, Ind. — While Indiana Farm Bureau commemorated its centennial anniversary, the Farm Family of the Year also was celebrating 100 years.
Everett Family Farms, like INFB, was founded in 1919.
Gov. Eric Holcomb joined the Everett family on the INFB State Convention stage Dec. 13 at the West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick.
The award, presented annually by AgriNews and Beck’s Hybrids, recognizes an outstanding Hoosier family for its farming efforts and community involvement.
Aaron and Carolyn Everett were honored with their son, Doug, and his wife, Nanette; and three of Doug and Nanette’s adult children, daughter Sally Steffy and sons Tyler, with his wife, Brittney, and Luke, with his girlfriend, Logan Glassburn; as well as Nanette’s parents, Dave and Carolyn Patrick.
Doug’s sister, Linda Patneaude, and her husband, Bruce, who are part owners in the family farm, and Doug and Nanette’s daughter, Abby Nice, an optometrist in the Florida Panhandle, were not present.
What was your reaction when you were told your family had been selected as the 2020 Indiana Farm Family of the Year? How did your family react?
Aaron Everett: "We are very excited and honored to receive this award at the 100th anniversary of Indiana Farm Bureau. We are humbled to join the list of outstanding farm families from all over the state who have won in previous years."
Carolyn Everett: "We are happy to see our kids and grandchildren recognized for not only the hard work they do every day on the farm, but also for their community involvement and all the hours of volunteering they all do each year to help our community, county and even our state."
What is the key to your farm’s success?
Doug Everett: "Teamwork, hard work and low debt are the keys to our success. Everyone involved has special skills and contributes to the overall management and operation of the farm. Carolyn and Nanette are the best referees at times trying to make sure everyone gets along and takes time to listen to everyone else and their ideas.
“Nanette and Brittney both grew up in the city, so they have learned how farming can be an around-the-clock business, especially during harvest season, and we may not eat supper at the same time every day.”
How have you been able to create opportunities for family members to return to the farm, a common challenge for many farm families?
Doug Everett: "With the help of Professor John Kadlec, my senior project when I was at Purdue University was to develop a written operating and transition plan. This was a valuable guide to help me and my father transfer not only financial responsibilities, but also management tasks and the day-to-day decision-making.
“More recently, Tyler was also able to return to the family farm and work full-time after graduating from the John Deere TECH Program at Lake Land College. He has started his own LLC and purchased two semis that are used solely on the family farm, and he saves the farm a lot of money doing most repairs on our farm instead of taking them to the shops in town.”
Tyler Everett: "In the winter of 2013, my dad suggested to me that maybe I should look into being a Beck's Hybrids seed dealer and that with his help we could become a dealership together. We saw that as a way to become more educated on seed technology to help us make better choices for our farm and for me to build a business with local clientele to help diversify my income."
How does your family communicate about the farm? Do you have regular meetings? A written business plan?
Doug Everett: "Almost every Sunday, we all go out to lunch together after church and fellowship as a family. We usually talk about the past week on the farm and the main things we need to look at for the following week to come. My father always has and continues to make a list of what needs to be done — today, this week and after the next rain. Then, every night or early morning, he usually calls me on the phone and sets up a game plan for the day and what each person will be doing.
“As much as possible, Tyler and I tend to eat lunch together and discuss current tasks and make decisions as needed. Unfortunately, we do not have a written business plan.”
What is your vision of the farm in the future?
Doug Everett: "Like most farmers, we would like to expand our farming operation and possibly allow our younger son to farm full-time. But since we are located on the northwest side of Indianapolis, just off I-65 and near the Amazon warehouse and a growing industrial park, farming in our immediate area is changing fast. Not only is the commercial growth and increased traffic starting to alter the way we farm, but also the availability of land to farm.
“We cannot blame our landlords or neighbors when they sell out to these investment groups that offer eight to 10 times what the land is worth to farm. So, our precious farmland commodity is becoming harder to obtain and even harder to cash flow with some of the cash rents that are being paid by farmers in an effort to just keep what they’ve got right now.
“We must continue to focus on keeping higher working capital levels and, as a result, make wise investments in machinery and equipment and possibly repair or update what we have. We have been slow to purchase newer equipment and expensive technology add-ons unless it truly makes us money, not just make things easier.”
Tyler Everett: "My vision of the farm's future will be for us to continue to be good stewards of God's great earth that he lets us live and grow on every day. I will also continue to be a frugal and smart farmer with what I've been blessed with and to continue to run and grow our farm on the same good morals my grandpa and dad have used for many, many years."