As South Africans, the challenge we face in starting our farms usually involve access to land and then the capital to get started. But as shown by Bryan and Amy Thill, from the U.S, anything is possible. With a little guts and teamwork these two built their cattle operation from scratch: Bryan Thill set his sight on raising beef cattle while he was yet in high school. But growing up on 3 acres with no natural prospects of getting either cows or land, Bryan had to be creative to live his dream. Luckily, he found a spouse, Amy, who shared his hopes. Today the Thills, now only in their mid-30s, own 80 beef cows and 235 acres of grassland near Pleasantville, Iowa. The course they followed to build a herd shows a carefully charted journey marked by well-placed steps. Build on interests. As a child, Bryan learned to love animals – cattle in particular – while spending time on his grandparents’ farm. Later, he expanded that interest with a four-year degree in animal science. Amy’s interest in cattle came from growing up on a farm that produced grain, hogs, and fed cattle. Both she and Bryan looked for a marriage partner with similar interests. Capitalize on strengths. After their marriage in 1998, the Thills learned to capitalize on each of their strengths. Bryan is the visionary who sees possibilities first and difficulties last. Amy is the cost-fighting strategist. “If it weren’t for Amy, we may have gone broke a long time ago,” says Bryan. Start small. After graduating from college and getting a job, Bryan bought a few old, cheaply priced cows. He kept the cows at a friend’s farm, trading labor for board on the cattle. “We got a couple of calf crops out of those ‘gummer’ cows and kept replacement heifers from them,” he says. Buy a farmstead. The Thills found a 10-acre farmstead they could afford. The house was old and the barn run down. They moved their 13 cows to the new place and found a pasture to rent in summer and hay to buy in winter.The down payment on the property came from money they’d saved, with the balance of the purchase covered by a loan from a creative commercial lender interested in helping young people get started. Earn off-farm income. The Thills kept working within their professions. Bryan works full time as a feed consultant and Amy is a nurse. All of a sudden, we had a pretty young herd,” says Bryan. Use artificial insemination (AI). Because Bryan learned AI skills in college, the Thills can breed cows for just the cost of the semen, ranging from $15 to $30 per cow. Though they do use cleanup bulls, their overall investment in superior paternal genetics is much less than it might be if they purchased sires of comparable quality. Work together; support each other. Because Bryan’s professional position requires travel, Amy often feeds and checks the cattle in his absence. Each of their children – Madyson, 10; Riley, 6; and Ryder, 3 – has a small job to perform, like feeding the cats and two dogs. “It’s really important to be able to work together,” says Bryan. “We’re very fortunate to have the support of my dad, Amy’s family, and great friends and neighbors. They’ve helped us in many ways. Our farm is truly a team effort.” (adapted from agriculture - starting a beef beef herd from scratch)
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 19:01:32 +0000
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