An Inside Look At How One Veteran Turned First-Generation Farmer Finds The Proven Grit To Succeed

For first-generation farmer James (Jim) Yenter, life on the farm wasn't the path he originally decided to take. 

“I'm doing some things that I love to do,” says Yenter who now farms in Marengo, Iowa. 

Now a farmer, his passion that started as a young boy from the city. He didn't grow up in rural Iowa, but spending summers on a farm with his grandfather and uncle instilled a love for the land and profession. 

“I like the freedom of it,” he says. “I guess back then it was no cell phones and if something screwed up, you had to figure it out on your own.”

Not large enough to support another family, farming isn't something that happened right away. When Jim graduated and went to college, he actually left the dream of being a farmer behind. Instead, he joined the National Guard.

For a decade, Yenter served his country. With a dedication to service, he even conducted a tour in Afghanistan.

While the life of service was something he dedicated 10 years of his life to doing, after the10-year mark, he and his wife had a major decision to make. 

“Well, we're either going to stay in another 10 years and get that retirement, or it's time to get out now, and my wife was like, ‘well, what do you want to do if you get out?’ I said 'I want to farm.'"

And that's just what he and his wife did. His desire to farm full-time turned into a profession. While he was already renting his grandfather's old farm, the commitment reached a new level.

“It was that moment we made the cognizant effort and we were all in,” says Yenter. “It was extra motivation. I had to succeed. You know, technically I still haven't succeeded."

With a desire to succeed, Yenter knew in order to achieve the success he wanted, he needed to grow. 

“I farm my grandpa's 80 acres, and it was probably six or seven years before we got more farm ground after that,” he adds. “I let my farming practices speak for themselves and the landlords hopefully come to me.”

In order to make it work, today he's growing non-GMO soybeans and waxy corn.

“We just try to do little things that keep adding up in order to make smaller acres pay for themselves.”

He's also selling his cattle up the value chain, diving into the freezer beef and direct-to-consumer market.  And it was that part of the first-generation business that got a boost during the pandemic in 2020. 

“Our biggest increase that year was customers increasing their orders,” he says. “We had a lot of people that bought quarters that went up to a half. And we actually sold four whole beef this year where that's the most whole animals we've ever sold.”

Yenter will be the first to tell you life as a first-generation isn't easy, but for Yenter, it’s a life that’s satisfying.

“I'm doing things that God gave me a talent to do,” he says.

And now the U.S. veteran turned first-generation farmer is determined to share those gifts with the next generation.

"The goal is to have something to hand down."

View the entire "Farming the First Generation" series: 

First-Generation Farmer Gavin Spoor Proves Passion Pays Off

Growth in Moderation Helps First-Generation Farmer Jesse Daniels Focus on the Future