FEATURED FARMER: Home is where the Farm is

Ag Mag Featured Farmer Home IS WHERE THE

Boomer Klostermann left farming for about a year to go out and explore what else the world may have for him. The grass is definitely not always greener on the other side of the pasture’s fence. That’s all he needed to do to realize that farming would be his life. “Growing up on a farm and being all around it my whole life; it’s like I was just born to do it,” said the fourth-generation farmer, who is in his first full year as

a Klostermann Farms partner along with his dad and an uncle. “But there was a time when I didn’t know if I’d want to be a farmer but I looked into it and got away from it for a year and I quickly realized that anything else was not for me and I got serious about it and came back to farm.”

Klostermann farms began in the 1920s when Boomer’s great grandfather Fritz came to the United States from Germany and moved to Robstown.

Fritz’s two sons, Fred and Elroy Klostermann, continued with the farming operation, harvesting “basically sorghum and cotton – those were the two big things at the time out there in the middle of nowhere,” said Boomer, who was born in Harlingen but lived in Raymondville of his life, except times like when he was in college at Texas A&M or at Kingsville.

Upon finishing school he returned to the farm, then being run by his day Dan and his two uncles, Russell and Jack. Russell recently retired, opening up the spot for Boomer to become partner.

As a young farmer, Boomer said there is so much technology and other areas that have been major changes from the time his great grandfather – or even his dad – started farming.

“There are a lot more tools that you have at fingertips. You have social media and the Internet in your hand on your phone. If you need to know anything, you can just look it up,” he said “But it’s a double edged sword. There’s so much out there you need to realize when something might not fit into your operation. You’re just trying to implement new stuff but you also need to stay true to what works for you and your operation.”

Of course prices have risen for equipment while they’ve stayed fairly steady on the Ag market and with commodities. Those are two other crucial areas Boomer said farmers need to keep a steady watch on. Gone are the days of owning five or six tractors, he said. “Ag market and commodities are more volatile than they used to be; those prices can change a lot over a tweet and we’ve seen that happen a lot,” he said. “But when you’ve grown up on a farm and that what you do, you realize it’s just another thing to keep an eye on, it’s part of what you do.”

Year’s Even party. He came to McAllen with a friend from college. She quickly caught his eye. The couple have a young daughter who may or not be part of the farm operation as she gets older. It will be pretty much her decision. For now, however, she’s learning a lot while growing up on the farm.

Boomer fondly recalled summers on the farm. “It’s the busiest time and summers don’t consist of what normal kids do. You’re on a tractor or moving a truck or shoveling grain that spilled out of a semi,” he said. “But being able to work with family and having something to put so much work into and see it pay off – I’ve always like harvest in the summer when you see your hard work come through. That has always been the coolest thing for me.”