CHECKOFF INVESTMENT
Raising a family is the most important job on the farm for Josh and Jennifer Miller. They are raising three small boys, Liam, 6, Declan, 4, and Cole, 1.
Central Indiana farmer working to ensure free and fair global trade markets BY REGAN HERR
A
fter living all over the world and experiencing many different cultures, views and policies, Josh Miller and his wife, Jennifer, knew their priorities were on the family farm in Anderson, Ind. Upon high school graduation, Miller enrolled to serve America in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served with the Marines from 2000 to 2005. When his military service ended, Miller was a Staff Sergeant and had served in Afghanistan, Iraq, China, the Philippines, Egypt, Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland and many other areas. After returning home, Miller went on to further his education and received an undergraduate degree in management and economics from the University of Maryland and a Master’s of Business Administration with a focus in finance from Indiana Wesleyan University. Prior to moving back to the farm, Miller was a contractor for Lockheed Martin, which is an aerospace, arms, defense, information security and technology company that operates worldwide. Josh and Jennifer spent a few years living on the northside
of Chicago, where she was a companion animal veterinarian. They loved living in the city, the freedom and the lifestyle, but they knew that getting back to the farm and closer to family was their ultimate goal. In 2010 they decided to make the journey from bustling Chicago to quaint Anderson to raise their young family and to work full-time on the farm. “It’s a privilege to live on the farm and raise our kids close to family,” Miller said. “We wanted to come home. Family is a huge factor in our decisions. It helps direct the things we do. Our kids will be the sixth generation here.” To the Millers, farm life came naturally. Their farm, named Richard Smith Farms, grows feed grade and food grade non-GMO corn and soybeans and seed production crops for wheat, soybeans and cereal rye. They farm exclusively in Madison County using many sustainable agriculture tools. “Cover crops, waterways, filter strips and minimum tillage are just a few of the methods we use to practice sustainable agriculture,” Miller said. “We are a minimum-till operation. We were no-till for many years, but on the long term, it didn’t work out.”
WINTER 2022
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