b'Markets Dont Affect RotationsWhen Matt and Janna Splitter returned to Matts family farm in the spring of 2011, the pair brought with them the work ethic and determination they would need to grow their operation. When Janna and I came back to the farm, I was still working for National Sorghum Association full-time, and we were farming full-time, says the fifth gen-eration Lyons, Kan., farmer, I did that for a year and a half. Working their own ground during the day and their neighbors ground most of the night, the young couple was able to begin building a cash position. We were willing to put in the man-power and hours to grow, and we knew that was our only opportunity progress and improve, Splitter says. Over the course of the following years, the Splitters grew their operation consid-erably in terms of acres owned, leased and custom-farmed corn, milo, wheat and soy-beans with the help of a mentor the coupleMatt and Janna Splitter say while COVID-19 has thrown them some curveballs this year, continues to farm with and for, today.theyve been prepared with a few different plans to keep them going.There was one gentleman in the com-munity who I felt like was doing things the way I wanted to do things, Splitter says of his and Jannas first conversations withWe dont let markets effect our rotations. We plan our rotations for Lee Scheufler. I was struggling mentally;agronomic and conservation purposes; there are too many negatives to I needed someone to bounce ideas off of, and so, I started asking him questions thatbeing reactionary to markets. led to many, many conversations.Matt SplitterSplitter shares that over the course of the next few years, Lee and his wife, Margaret, asked he and Janna to begin taking over their operation.I never went to him with the anticipa- that barring the Black Swan events ofof your current marketplace, Splitter tion of farming his ground; we were 302020 and China trade negotiations, lowersays. For a lot of years, we did everything miles apart, he says, In fact, I went tomarkets have been on his radar for somewithin a 10-mile radius of our farm. Now him because I thought with the distancetime. We saw supply and demand issues.we know that if we can store our corn and between us, he wasnt competition.We were in an inverse market and futuresdeliver to an ethanol plant thats a little That relationship: the sounding boardwere way lower than the cash price. Sofurther out we might see a 40 or 60 cent for new ideas and the friendship, helpedwe knew that we had to figure out howincrease. You have to create the margin.the Splitters begin to build an operationto cash flow through, he says. Dont that was not only efficient, to weather theget me wrong, we struggled and we stillMaking Concessions for ebb and flow of the agricultural economy,struggle. But we always have a plan. Open Market Producebut also an operation that fostered strongSplitter says that there is truth to theAfter earning a CPA, Kate Elmore conservation. adage of being a price maker ratherMcCutcheon knew her place was in the We dont let markets effect our rota- than a price taker and shares he andfamily farming operation. tions. We plan our rotations for agro- Janna have had the foresight to seek outI came back to the family farm in nomic and conservation purposes; thereand leverage opportunities outside of2016. I knew how much joy it would bring are too many negatives to being reac- what a local elevator may offer. my grandpa, someone I admired and tionary to markets, Splitter says, addingYou have to be willing to look outsidetreasured. So I came home and was able 16/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2020'