Hamiltons named Farm Family of the Year

INDIANAPOLIS — The Hamilton family of Vigo County was named the 26th Indiana Farm Family of the Year.

The award is presented annually by AgriNews and Beck’s at the Indiana Farm Bureau State Convention.

Kurt and Jenny Hamilton farm 4,000 acres of corn and soybeans with their two sons, Tyler, 20, and Kody, 17, in Terre Haute.

The family has been involved with the Wabash Valley Fair Association for over 20 years. Kurt has served as fair board president for three years.

Jenny served on the Vigo County Soil and Water Board for 10 years and was the first-ever female chairwoman. The family also loves FFA and 4-H.

Jenny shared her family’s story with AgriNews.

Q: Tell me about your family farm.

A: My husband and I farm corn and soybeans with our two boys, Tyler and Kody. My family has always been involved in agricultural business and farming.

My husband and I met at the county fair. He started working for my cousin’s farm. He picked up 80 acres, and we borrowed and rented equipment from my cousin.

From there, we kept growing. He got to the point where he was able to farm full-time — which was his lifelong dream.

Q: What would you like the future of your family farm to look like?

A: For us, raising our kids and keeping them on the farm is of great importance. I don’t know what family wouldn’t want that. We’re very close to our boys and they were born and raised around it.

We’d love to diversify — maybe have one of the boys do a seed dealership. I think diversification is important for a lot of family farms. We want to set up a legacy that they can one day be a part of.

So far, they want to stay on the farm. Tyler works for Climate Corp. part-time and still works on the farm. Kody wants to stay on the farm after high school.

Q: Tell me about your involvement with the Wabash Valley Fair Association.

A: I met my husband at the county fair in 2000. He was a 4-Her in Vigo County, and I was, too. Both of our kids are involved in 4-H.

Kurt and I have a passion to make sure there’s still a property, still a place for the community to come together with the 4-H program.

4-H is such a great, wonderful thing for kids to be a part of. When you devote your time, money and efforts into something it should be worthwhile. And we both feel it’s a worthy cause.

Q: What does “Kurt perfect” mean?

A: He is meticulous. He takes great pride in our fields and equipment. A semi doesn’t go down the road that’s not clean, and it’s the same in the fields. He has a “do it right or don’t do it” mindset.

He doesn’t like weeds in the fields and he wants perfect rows. You won’t find someone who takes better care of his fields. He’s worked hard for it. Because he earned it, he’s conscientious about taking great care of it.

Q: Tell me about your bridal boutique, Bliss Dress Co.?

A: I’ve been in retail for about 15 years. We opened a bridal boutique in January of 2020, which was not great timing. It’s a great, fun business. I love prom. The girls are so excited to pick out a dress.

I enjoy having a small business, but still having the flexibility to be at the fairgrounds and help Kurt when he needs it. I’m still able to take them dinner in the fields every night.

I think when you grow up on a farm, it teaches you a lot. It teaches you to save in the bad and good times, to be frugal, to know when to buy and sell. I think being a farm family has helped me be a better businesswoman.

Q: How was the 2022 crop?

A: We had a relatively good spring and good harvest. Safety is our first priority. Nobody was hurt. We didn’t have any major equipment breakdowns. That can cost a lot of time and money.

We had great crops and some record numbers. It’s all about learning. Tyler, working with Climate Corp., implemented a program that shows what you planted, what you put on your fields and your harvest data so you can do comparisons.

We encourage the boys to go out and do something different. You don’t know what you could bring back to the farm. Other experiences and jobs are important.

Q: What do you love most about farming?

A: You know you’re truly making a difference. At the end of the day, the world couldn’t survive without a farmer. You go into spring hopeful to plant and harvest a crop. You watch it grow.

You planted that seed and believed in that seed, believed in yourself and your business. You’re believing in the future.

My grandpa always said that farmers are the greatest gamblers. You never realize that until you’re doing it.

We’ve been through floods and droughts, some tough seasons, but we still make it and do it again the next year. Somehow it works out. Farming gives you hope.

Q: Anything else you’d to mention?

A: We’re thankful for the community’s support, for the people who encourage farming, for Farm Bureau and Beck’s.

When you surround yourself with good people who are smart and knowledgeable, you’re going to be successful. We’ve been able to do that. We learn from each other and we don’t take that for granted.