An Ode to the Farm Kid

Three Stories of Amazing Young People in Illinois Beef Families

By Sara McClendon

Maybe it is the hard work and responsibility required to live on a farm or perhaps it is just an innate passion passed down through the generations, but if you ask around the beef industry, there is a good chance you will find a multitude of stories of farm kids doing incredible things. They take on extra work, build interpersonal skills, and gain equal parts humility and pride in their work. Growing up on a farm fundamentally shapes the character of a person. The following stories of three Illinois families in the beef industry are a celebration of the ingenuity of all the farm kids that we know and love.

The Spirit of Entrepreneurship Endures with the Hebert Family

The Hebert family raises beef, pork, and row crops. David and Kristy Hebert also sell their meat at the local farmer’s market. Their sons, Noah, who is 13 and, Evan, who is 11, are the sixth generation on the family homestead in Owaneco.

In addition to selling cuts of beef and pork locally, Kristy sells handmade soaps and lotions. In June of 2023, Noah decided to share in his parent’s entrepreneurial spirit and began selling his own products at the farmer’s market. He hand makes soy candles, which he has named Cowboy Candles. Scents include apple bourbon, which is Noah’s favorite, and vanilla pear, along with seasonal scents.

The candles were fairly popular at the farmer’s market, but Kristy says they really took off when Cowboy Candles became available in retail shops the West End Market in Shelbyville and the Dandy Lion in Taylorville.

“I think I’m going to stick with what I’m doing for a couple more years,” Noah says of his business. “And maybe make a few more types of candles.”

It is likely he will have buyers as he expands his business. The family recalls a member of their church who purchased a couple of candles from Noah, and only a couple weeks later placed an order for more candles because she liked them so much.

Working on his business comes in between band, choir, and showing goats in 4-H. Noah notes that he always makes time to participate in the goat costume contest. This year, he will also show beef cattle. Noah encourages young people to start their own businesses, pointing out that there is usually a lot of support for young entrepreneurs like himself.

“We’ve noticed that people love supporting kids,” Kristy agrees. Noah is not the only young business creator in the family. His younger brother Evan also sells his creations, which began with his state championship winning jigs. “I started tying crappie jigs with a lot of feathers and tinsel,” Evan explains. “That’s how I got started with entrepreneurship. I kind of got out of the lure business, and stopped selling for a little bit. Then I got into welding after we got horses.”

Evan creates designs by welding together horseshoes and rebar. He sells the designs at the West End Market. The functional pieces he creates include horseshoe coat hangers, boot racks and paper towel holders. One of his favorite projects was a wine glass holder he made for Kristy’s birthday. He is currently exploring expanding his business to include wooden lures in the future.

Evan also encourages young people to find their creative outlet. “I just think that if you have a dream, you should follow it,” he says.

In addition to his business endeavors, Evan also shows goats, where he has won a championship, and shows horses. This year he will add cattle to his showing resume like his older brother.

“This has really helped them come out of their shells,” Kristy says of the boys’ businesses. “They socialize with people and talk about their products. It’s instant feedback. They are seeing their hard work go out the door and receiving payment for it.”

However, for David and Kristy, it is more than just the skills they have gained from their businesses. Growing up on a farm has given their children tools they will take with them for life.

“It’s developed that sense of responsibility for them,” Kristy says. “They’ve gained skills, like Evan learning to weld. Working with livestock in general as well, doing chores, and keeping everything fed has given them a sense of ownership too.”

Evan says growing up on a farm gives you something to do, like going outside and being with the animals.

“I enjoy just getting to be outside,” Noah agrees, sharing what he loves about growing up on a farm. “I like having a huge yard, and not being cooped up inside all day.”

Bringing the Family Farm to the Classroom

When most people think about a classroom adopting an animal they might picture hamsters, lizards, or fish. However, Aubrey Veeder’s fourth grade class got an education in the beef industry when they adopted Duke, a calf from her family’s farm last school year.

“We have a lot of cows,” Aubrey says of Gallagher Farms. Aubrey’s mother Kayla Gallagher expands on that description of their small-to-medium size feedlot, explaining that they sell 100 percent direct to consumer, selling locally and shipping product out, which is unique to a farm of their size. The majority of their local business is from consumers coming directly to their farm to pick up product. The family also produces row crops, using cover crops, and hay. Additionally, the family has a small cow/calf herd.

The passion the Gallagher family has for their operation was spread beyond just their business when Aubrey’s fourth-grade class decided to adopt a calf last year.

“We had one baby, and my class wanted to adopt a calf,” Aubrey explains. “I gave them updates every time it got vaccinations, got weaned, or got castrated. They got to know about cows and how they grow and what you have to do.”

This was the first time that Danielle Hanshew, Aubrey’s fourth grade teacher at LeRoy Elementary, had taken on a project like this, but she recognized the opportunity to engage her classroom once she learned about Aubrey’s love of the farm.

“The idea originated from my awareness of Aubrey’s strong passion for the animals on her family farm,” Danielle says. “It is essential to me to connect with my students in meaningful and diverse ways, and I saw this as an opportunity to explore an area outside my own expertise. I recognized this as a valuable learning experience, not only for my students but also for myself.”

Aubrey shared pictures, and there was even a poster outside of the classroom with facts about Duke, which the class voted to name the calf. The poster was updated all year for the rest of the school to see. Aubrey said the class would ask her questions about raising cattle in general, and she was able to share her knowledge with peers. She enjoyed getting to teach her class about the things she knew, sharing her knowledge and experience with her peers.

For Kayla, the benefits of her daughter’s class adopting Duke the calf reached far beyond just the experience of Aubrey sharing with her peers.

“Her school is in a relatively rural area, but I could just tell from the things that she said when she came home that very few kids in her class have really any exposure to agriculture at all,” Kayla says. “So, she got to teach them a lot about the beef industry but I also think they learned about our way of life at the same time.”

It was not just the class that benefited from Aubrey’s updates, but the impact spread to the rest of the school.

“Engagement extended beyond my classroom, with students from various grade levels showing curiosity and involvement,” Danielle says. “We displayed a sign outside our classroom featuring monthly updates on Duke’s progress. This sparked regular interest from students of all ages, who would stop by to observe Duke’s growth. This created a sense of shared connection and excitement across the school.”

Aubrey also has experience showing cattle. Despite a tough first year when she was stepped on by a heifer, she went on to show a second year at county fairs and the Illinois State Fair, and even snagged a few awards for her heifer in the process. It is clear that no matter her future in showing, Aubrey’s passion for cattle and her family’s operation will shine through.

“I like just being on the farm,” Aubrey says.

Cultivating Passion: A 5-Year-Old’s Love for His Family’s Farm

Ask any 5-year-old what they want to be when they grow up and you are sure to get a variety of answers. However, 5-yearold Reese Jakobs of Sterling has one clear answer: He wants to be a farmer. It would be easy to guess that he comes from a farm family based on his answer, and that is true. However, it is more than that for Reese. His answer is rooted in a deep love of his family’s commercial cattle operation. It is his favorite place to be.

“The tractors,” is Reese’s answer for his favorite part of the farm. However, his father Alex explains that Reese’s answer about what he likes best changes daily between the equipment and the cattle, but he ultimately just loves spending time at the farm. In fact, every day on the way to preschool, the Jakobs family passes by the farm and Reese asks his mom if they can stop there after school. Usually, he is at the farm with his father at least two or three times a week after preschool, but if Reese had his way, he would be there every day.

“We pet them,” Reese explains his time at Jakobs Brothers Farms. “We work the cattle.”

At just 5-years-old, Reese has taken a huge interest in the ins and outs of the operation. He walks the pens with his father, and loves working cattle so much that at home he uses a magnetic construction kit called Magna Tiles to build pens and structures to mimic what he does on the farm. His favorite TV show is The Incredible Dr. Pol, a series that follows a largeanimal veterinarian. In his free time, he draws pictures depicting him walking with his father on the farm, checking on the animals. He is passionate about all things cattle and his family’s farm.

“He knows all the guys’ names,” Alex says of Reese’s familiarity with the farm’s employees. “He wants to ride with the guys in the grain carts. When we are working cattle, we let him run the side of the chute, so he can learn the right way to move cattle.”

Getting the younger generation as excited as Reese is about the family business is the dream of most parents involved in the beef industry. For the Jakobs family, it is an intentional, yet balanced, step to encourage the next generation to be passionate about farming while also allowing them the freedom to choose their own path.

“When my brother and I sat down and did a five-to-10-year plan, one of the things we considered is why we would want to grow our business and grow the legacy if we don’t take time to get our kids loving it at the farm,” Alex says. “We took the time to really focus on our kids coming to the farm to see it and learn it. It has paid off because Reese has just been obsessed with the farm.”

Alex and his brothers are the third generation on the family farm. They continue the success of the commercial operation which has grown from when their grandfather first purchased a small, 40-acre pasture in 1957.

“My grandfather always said if you’re not moving forward, you’re going backwards, so we strive to be the best farm in the world,” Alex explains. “We want to have the best attitude and the fire for it. We want to raise the best cattle and try to improve their performance as much as we can.”

Alex, like his son Reese, always knew he wanted to be involved in the farm. It was a passion he had from a young age. However, Alex explains that his father David was adamant each of his sons followed their own interests and passions, and never pushed them into the family business.

“As kids, my dad really wanted us to explore our own interests,” Alex explains. “We ended up having our own cattle when we were in high school. He would buy our first one, and then it was up to us purchase feed for it, take care of it, and buy more cattle if we wanted more. That was his way of teaching us how to work.”

It is a strategy that Alex is continuing with his children too. He is thrilled that Reese has taken such an interest in the farm at a young age and knows he will benefit from lessons on respecting animals and the responsibility it takes to raise cattle. At the end of the day though, the most important thing to Alex is Reese’s happiness.

“As a parent, whatever makes Reese happy gives me the greatest pleasure,” Alex says. “I would absolutely love for him to take over the farm and be that guy, but only if he wants it. Life is too short to not love what you do.”

Reese is adamant that he wants to be a farmer in the future and he seems to have his path forward figured out.

“School first,” Reese says. “Farming comes second.”

No matter where the future takes Reese, his experiences on the farm will help shape his future, just like any kid growing up in the beef industry. The hard work, responsibility, and community support in agriculture has a major impact on the person they will become, no matter which path they take.

Alex sums it up best: “There’s just something about the ag world that produces the best kids with the most creative minds.”