CHECKOFF INVESTMENT
Paul and Jennie Hodgen post by their farm sign in rural Putnam County, Ind.
Central Indiana farmers keeps farm’s focus on sustainability and succession BY REGAN HERR
W
hat is the probability of meeting your spouse in a college statistics class? Not very high, but for Paul and Jennie Hodgen the odds were in
their favor. After meeting at Oklahoma State University, in statistics class, Jennie and Paul began their life together. They both graduated from Oklahoma State with masters’ degrees, and both pursued doctoral degrees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Paul had a focus on agronomy and soil fertility throughout his college career, and Jennie focused on food science and meat science. Upon graduation in Lincoln, Neb., and with higher education degrees in hand, they moved to St. Louis to begin their careers. After both being in the research field for a few years in their respective areas, they felt called to move back to Paul’s family farm in central Indiana in 2012. Today, the Hodgens raise corn, soybeans, wheat, commercial cattle and a few 4-H animals on their farm in Putnam County. Through the years they have tried many different environmental stewardship programs, and some have stuck and some have not. Paul said keeping a long-
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INDIANA CORN & SOYBEAN POST
term view on sustainability helps them stay on a conservation-minded path. “We have adopted a lot of practices to reduce our impact on the environment without sacrificing yield or profitability,” Paul said. “Most of the practices and changes have helped increase and stabilize our yields since we have a very diverse climate in Indiana.” Their farm uses no-till, strip-till and other tillage methods to keep the soil covered, when possible. The Hodgens said they don’t follow one specific practice. Since each field on their farm is different, they cater to each field to its unique needs. Their approach is an extended view toward sustainability, and they focus on practices that both keep the soil healthy and yields high. Paul’s Advice? “Don’t be afraid to do something different, trial and error is key.”
Planting cover crops The Hodgen farm works cover crops into their sustainability plan and has been planting cover crops in many forms for nearly 20 years. They keep their cover crops focused on
