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Gregory works toward his dream By MARCIA GORRELL STAFF WRITER
This fall, after finishing his day job in Marshall, Kurtis Gregory headed to his family’s farm near Blackburn to plant wheat before winter weather hits. Using an FSA first-time farmer loan, Gregory is starting to make his dream of farming a reality. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m finally getting back and being able to do it,” said Gregory. “I guess the motivator was to get started while I was young,” he said. “If I was going to go in debt to start farming I might as well do it when I’m 26 as opposed to 30 or 32 or 34.” The loan has helped him buy equipment to farm land owned by his grandfather, Hubert Kiehl, in the Malta Bend and Blackburn area. “I’m share-cropping with grandpa,” Gregory said. “It’s basically all his ground.” He’ll be farming approximately 1,000 acres, planting wheat, corn, soy-
Marcia Gorrell/Democrat-News
Kurtis Gregory and his fiance, Kella Topel of Marshall, stand in front of the tractor and planter Gregory has purchased with a first-time farmer loan. He also purchased a verticle tillage tool and seed tender. Gregory will be farming land owned by his grandfather, while still keeping a full-time job in seed production at Mid State Seeds of Marshall.
beans and hay. He also has a small cow herd. Gregory will keep working in seed production at Mid-State Seed, where he has been for the past two years. Working hard and juggling multiple activities isn’t new for Gregory, who was a star football player at Santa Fe High School and the University of Missouri. At Mizzou he was the start-
ing offensive lineman for 41 straight games, earning numerous honors for onfield and academic performance, including the Mizzou ROARS Varsity "M" Male Athlete of the Year in 2009, and was granted the Big 12 Chick-Fil-A Community Champion award. He earned two degrees while there, a bachelor’s and master’s in Agriculture.
He still does the postgame and half-time reports for Mizzou football and last year was a finalist for the color commentator job to replace John Kadlec. After several surgeries, including five on his knees, helped wrap up his football career, Gregory wanted a chance to farm. See Young, page 14