Thomas Perkins is a fifth-generation farmer.
His farm roots began when his great-great-grandfather, a section foreman for the railroad, bought land west of Effingham in 1908.
“He actually used to sit out underneath the shade tree eating his lunch west of Effingham, and he always said he wanted to buy that farm. Well, he saved up some money, and he got to buy that farm, and we’ve been there ever since,” said Perkins.
Perkins and his wife farm over 500 acres with his father, Kevin, and brother Jonathan in Funkhouser, just past the U.S. Route 40 s-curve. They grow corn, soybeans, wheat and hay.
While each generation has faced its own set of challenges, things have gotten harder for smaller farm operations like theirs. Unlike Perkins’ grandfather, who was a full-time farmer, he said small farmers today have to work off the farm to supplement income.
“You’ve got people doing excavation businesses on the side. There’s a lot of farmers who do construction, work on equipment. So that’s just the way of life anymore, unfortunately,” he said.
Perkins’ father was an ag teacher and Perkins oversees the hardware division at The Equity, a farmer-owned co-op in Effingham and Altamont.
Despite the challenges, farming is a way of life Perkins knew he always wanted.
“Since I was a young child, I always enjoyed playing with tractors and riding with dad and grandpa on the farm. You get used to the ‘seasonalities’ of everything. In the summer, around the 4th of July, you’re always baling straw. You get to the fall around Columbus Day, you’re harvesting corn. So you kind of look forward to each different season,” he said.
Working at The Equity Farm and Home Store, Perkins has noticed fewer young people choosing that way of life.
“I always look for that farm kid that comes in because I know they’ve already had a good upbringing; they have a strong work ethic. It’s getting harder and harder to find those farm kids at work because there’s fewer of them out there, unfortunately,” he said.
Perkins, his wife and his brother plan to take over the farm. His father is semi-retired and has already started relinquishing some control to them.
“Dad wanted us to have an opportunity at a younger age to strike out on our own. That’s kind of odd for most people. A lot of farmers think they’ve got to farm until they’re in the grave,” he said.
Perkins often sees older farmers who are still making the decisions when he attends producer meetings.
“I’ll go to some of these meetings, and I’m one of the youngest individuals out there,” said the 39-year-old. “When you look around the room, it’s not a young crowd. So that’s what’s alarming for the future.”
“You’ve got a lot of 70-year-old dads that are telling the 50-year-old son what to do, and the 50-year-old doesn’t have anything to do in the operation,” he added.
Perkins said some of those farmers don’t have a succession plan in place.
“There’s going to be a lot of ground, there’s going to be a lot of assets that are going to be looking for places to go in the next 10 to 15 years,” he said.
That creates opportunities for large commercial operations to come in that don’t contribute to the local economy.
“We don’t want these, in my opinion. I don’t think we want these mega farmers that come out of the county. They don’t do any business with the hometown co-op, and they order everything direct,” he said.
Perkins noted local farmers spend a lot of money and bring some of it back into the community. That includes purchases at local implement dealers, co-ops and other local businesses.
“We want the next generation coming on,” he said.
For those without farmland to inherit, high farmland prices make starting a farming operation very difficult.
“$12,000 an acre farm ground is hard to buy for the next generation,” said Perkins.
Perkins and his wife became invested in the family operation 10 years ago as his grandfather transitioned out of it. Perkins said they couldn’t have done that without a first-time farmer loan from Farm Credit.
“We can make our own decisions, and they give you the ability to strike out and do stuff on your own too as well. So to make that upgrade on that piece of equipment, or buy that farm, or buy that piece of property,” he said. “Without their help, I don’t think I would have been able to get started. I don’t think our operation would be where it is today.”
Perkins notes that the economic climate for farmers today is especially tough. Input costs are the highest ever seen, particularly for fertilizer, outweighing some of the cheapest commodity prices farmers have ever sold for – all of which are beyond their control.
Perkins hopes his farm will thrive for a sixth generation with his kids and nephews.
“It’d be nice to see it go on to the next generation,” he said.
Perkins notes the classic idea of a farm continues to evolve, with new models like hobby farms, commercial operations and those in between sharing the agricultural landscape.
“But I think there’s a place for everybody out there,” he said.