2 minute read
Craig Farmers Coop
IOWA FAMILIES - 2021
THE GROENEWEG FAMILY
Advertisement
THE SEUNTJENS FAMILY
Lyon County, March 2021
Jeff and Heidi Groeneweg farm and feed cattle east of Inwood. Jeff and his dad, Loren, own the cattle together as JL Cattle.
Jeff gained his dad’s trust and confidence early in life. “I grew up in a tractor – the hired man was my babysitter. By the time I was in the fourth or fifth grade, I was driving the tractor the 20 or so miles between our Larchwood farm and our home place.”
“I grew up wanting to feed cattle,” he said. He enjoyed the years of growth and expansion. “But the past four years have been a choker. People ask how things are going in the industry – and I reply ‘Wonderful, the packers are making $300-$400 a head.’”
Jeff and Heidi appreciate the Christian values and family traditions in northwest Iowa – Sunday dinners after church with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. “Farming communities are one of the only communities where a lot of extended family are still around. We’re pretty blessed really,” Jeff said.
Heidi and Jeff with their children, Naomi, Adriel, Elias and Malachi.
Plymouth County, March 2021
Bill and Amanda Seuntjens, along with their children, Sydney, Carson and Kaylinn, raise crops and custom-feed hogs near Kingsley. Bill farms in partnership with his brother, Bobby.
Whether it’s gardening, teaching, coaching, feeding pigs or growing crops, hard work is a fundamental value for the Seuntjens. “My dad was a huge influence in my life,” Bill said. “His philosophy was to work hard if you wanted to get anywhere in life. ‘Play’ always came second. He was very adamant that if we were going to be successful in farming, the work always came first. I feel that I have taken that advice to heart and have instilled it in my own children.”
Bill and Amanda said they’re proud of the values their children display. “Our children are always respectful of others, they have that willingness to be their best, and they want to be successful in school and life. They realize that what they put into life, they get back out of it,” Bill said. Amanda added, “When you look at anything, it’s not necessarily what you have, but what you do with it.”
