forgot him. There are still days I get called Russell by people who remember him.” Helping youth have a positive experience showing livestock is a common goal in the family. “It’s just like my mom teaching kindergartners all those years. She taught the kids of kids she taught a generation before. We do the same thing in 4-H,” Randy said. Adam said, “Showing livestock is what we do. We’re super busy in the summer, not only working on our own livestock projects, but also farming and helping our customers. It’s what we enjoy. Showing is our sport. We go hard at it trying to get those big outcomes.” Randy said, “The biggest thing you get out of showing livestock is the friendships. I’ve got life-long friends all over the country. You build a lot of connections over the years.” Of course, the world has changed with more connections occurring online. Adam handles the farm’s website, social media and online sales. They have a few online sales every spring and held their 43rd annual live sale this year. “Every spring, I’ll sell in the neighborhood of 80 to 100 show lambs. Dad will sell 150-200 show pigs.” Cousins at the fair: Emerson, Jovie, Braelyn and Brysen
BULK FUEL DELIVERY
‘WHERE THE BOSS STILL SITS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT’ JESSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (605) 660-2290 BRUCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (605) 660-2292 Turkey Ridge, SD
Independently owned and operated
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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | September 2021
In addition to his role on the farm, Adam manages the POET Bioethanol plant at Hudson. “My story is pretty simple. When I got done with college, there wasn’t enough land for me to come back to the farm fulltime. There was my grandpa, my dad and my uncle. Trying to slide a fourth one in wasn’t possible. You can only cut the pie so thin. Meanwhile, over the horizon nine miles was a new ethanol plant at Chancellor. I didn’t think 18 years later I’d still be working for the company. But it has provided me a career pathway in agriculture that I didn’t see coming when I was in school.” He started in Chancellor in 2003 on the front line of production as a plant operator. Because the ethanol industry was booming, the company couldn’t find people fast enough to fill leadership positions. He became a night supervisor and then kept moving up in management. He’s worked at six different POET locations including the corporate office. “Everything I’ve ever needed in a career, they always put it in front of me. I’ve done research, I started our biomass business, I worked in our pilot testing facility, and now I’m back in Hudson for a second time, this time to manage it. “POET has good people. Most importantly to me, though, the ethanol space is huge for supporting agriculture on so many levels – supporting our local corn farmers and creating that market opportunity; supporting our communities and helping to keep them alive. While I didn’t get the chance after college to come back to the farm fulltime like I had hoped, by running the ethanol plant and driving stronger grain markets, I hope I can create the chance for others to start their farming career like I was not able to.” In his current role, Adam has the flexibility to be able to help farm and run a part of Wirt’s operation.
