客户特征:Wesley Kent (Winding River Farms)

How often do you hear of a single lecture in a college class changing the course of a student's life and career? Well, that was the case for Augusta County dairy farmer, Wesley (Wes) Kent. 在韦斯在弗吉尼亚理工大学的高级研讨会上, Patti Craun (a former Farm Credit loan officer and lending leader who retired in February 2024) came to speak to the class. Patti spoke to exactly what Wes needed to hear – how to get started in the agriculture industry on a fiscally responsible path and the importance of building a strong relationship with an ag lender. 由于那次客座讲座以及韦斯的干劲和决心, 他从零开始经营多样化的农业, 他还在继续增长, 改进和发展他的实践. 

Following graduation from Virginia Tech in 1996, Wes worked as a herdsman at two different dairies. 在此期间，他学到了宝贵的经验和最佳实践. He worked toward starting his own operation with the purchase of a few cows and a tractor. In 2000, 韦斯签下了韦尔斯洞穴的土地和设施的租约, 直到今天，他还在继续经营缠绕河农场. 当时，他在180英亩的土地上挤了大约80头奶牛的奶. 

In 2003, 韦斯和美国农田信托公司达成了协议, in which they purchased the farm and set-up a lease purchase agreement for the farm. Wes 太k over the existing turkey operation on the property, which consisted of one turkey house. 

By 2004, Wes built up enough equity to get a loan through Farm Credit to purchase the original 180 acres. With owned land and five years of experience (as an operator) under his belt, 韦斯在寻找成长的机会. In 2005, 他开始长期租赁毗邻他的350英亩农场, 这一点至今仍然有效. This expansion gave him enough room to begin building his own herd of beef cattle, 除了干草和农作物的生产. 

In 2011, Wes purchased the farm next door and added another 120 acres to the operation, 让他可以开始饲养自己的荷斯坦小母牛. In 2013, he built a second turkey house on the property which he later converted to a chicken house due to increased profits and decreased labor needs. 

最近, 韦斯毁掉了原作, 30-year-old turkey house that was on the property and he has plans to build a new chicken house in the coming months. 改造现有的太贵了, 老旧的房子和朝圣者的骄傲的种植者, 他将得到一项激励来建造一座新房子. He has also received a Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant from the USDA to help with energy efficiency costs in the new house. 

In 2015, 韦斯的奶牛场经营到了一定程度，他的老, 老旧的客厅造成了劳工问题, so he sat down with his Farm Credit loan officer to crunch the numbers and they came up with the plan to add two Lely robotic milkers, which enabled him to grow the dairy herd to 130 cows without hiring additional help. 总的来说，机器人的加入是积极的, 虽然在最初的几个月里也有成长的痛苦. 现在平均每头牛2头.7 visits per day and production has increased 10-15 pounds of milk per cow per day, 视牧草而定. 

Wes’s current beef operation is a partnership with a neighboring farmer, 哪一个由85对小牛组成. The pastureland that the beef cattle graze would not be productive as cropland, so the partnership works well and provides even more diversification for Winding River Farms. In addition to the expansion of his operations, Wes has improved the facilities in his 24 years. 他建了一个新的畜棚, 客厅, 干牛棚, 小母牛谷仓, 机棚、禽舍(另一在建). Wes also fenced off all of the streams and put in watering systems in the pastures. 

务农是一项吃力不讨好的工作, but Wes is motivated knowing that he is doing his part by raising food for people. “考虑到我的技能和我所拥有的能力, 我可以为别人生产高质量的食品, 不管是鸡肉, 牛肉或牛奶,他说.

韦斯继续, “I also try to keep things here at the farm looking nice in order to put a good image out there for agriculture. 我试图通过组织参观来尽可能地推广这个行业, hosting groups and inviting hay customers to the farm to give them a firsthand look at what happens here.” Wes is also proud to be building a legacy on the farm through owning and caring for the land, 这样才能为下一代保持良好的状态. Wes works alongside his partner, Annie, as well as a full-time employee. His older son also helps out after school and his younger son seems to be enjoying running around on the farm, 太. 

Future plans for Winding River Farms include the addition of the new poultry house this year. Wes would like to purchase all or part of the land he currently leases and renovate the dairy facilities surrounding the robotic milking system in the long-term. 展望未来, 韦斯计划继续加强他的可持续农业实践, 采用覆盖作物和免耕种植. He also has an exciting partnership with a new buyer in the works on the dairy side, who will pay a premium price for the milk as long as the farm can meet sustainability requirements.

和所有的新手农民一样, 多年来，韦斯面临着许多挑战, 包括劳工问题, low milk prices in the years following the installation of the robots and other unexpected hurdles. 有时候，他必须要有创意才能完成扩张项目. 从与美国农田信托公司的租赁购买协议中, 包括把农场划为保护地役权吗, to putting up three cost-share buildings on the farm with the help of Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 获得了美国农业部的REAP资助, Wes has taken advantage of a variety of programs to help grow his operation. 这些项目, as well as good working relationships with Virginia Cooperative Extension, 体育彩票正规app下载提供商, 邻居和其他当地农民, have been instrumental in getting his operation to where it is today. He also credits much of his success to his strong relationship with Farm Credit and the guidance of his loan officers. 

Wes would like to extend a special “Thank You” to Patti Craun for her many years of support, partnership and dedication to helping his operation get off the ground and find success during her time with 弗吉尼亚农业信贷. 

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