Dave and Patty Mann aren’t planning on retiring any time soon, but they want the next generation to be prepared to take on management of their farm when the time comes.

The couple started involving their daughter, Shelby Fite, and son, Chris Mann, with the farm as they grew up. Now, as adults, Shelby and Chris have both joined the family farm as full-time employees. Shelby’s husband, Ethan Fite, works for the farm as well.

It wasn’t hard to find places where the younger family members could contribute, because each one brings an important set of skills to the farm, Patty points out. “They each had their own natural fit.”

Making transitions

Mann Farms, based near Jackson Center, Ohio, focuses on corn and soybean production, with cropland in Shelby County and several other surrounding counties. Dave and Patty both grew up on dairy farms and got their start farming with Dave’s parents, before starting their own dairy farm in Shelby County in 1987. They shifted away from the dairy business in 2008 to expand their grain operation.

Dave and Patty have always worked as a team to run their farm, sharing both the work and the decision-making. In their earlier days, Patty would run the combine while Dave hauled the grain with a semi. After their children were born, they brought them along during harvest since a hired hand wasn’t in the plans at that point.

As the Manns’ grain acreage has expanded, so has their need for additional help on the farm, Patty says. The timing has worked out so they’ve had the ability to bring on the next generation, while she and Dave are still working full time on the farm themselves. “There was an opportunity here, and we needed the help,” she explains. Instead of managing everything themselves, they are now learning to delegate responsibilities.

The younger family members are paid as employees and also provided with employee benefits including uniforms, health insurance and individual retirement accounts. In addition, Shelby and Chris are each managing some of their own acres, financing production with their own operating loans. They can buy inputs through Mann Farms, benefiting from the farm’s volume discounts.

Natural abilities

Chris has gradually taken on responsibility for machinery repair and maintenance for Mann Farms. He started out helping his dad with repairs when he was young, and has always had a natural talent for understanding equipment, Patty explains. He will be finishing up a degree in ag and diesel mechanics at the University of Northwestern Ohio this winter.

Taking care of routine maintenance on the farm helps the family reduce the time and expense of sending equipment out for service. Chris’ expertise also helps Mann Farms get machinery back in operation quickly after breakdowns.

Shelby started working full-time on the farm a year and a half ago. After high school, she spent eight years off the farm, first getting a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Wilmington College and then a master’s degree in plant science from the University of Illinois. She worked in the ag industry for a couple of years as well. That education and experience helped her step into the role of agronomist for the family farm, which includes more than 100 crop fields.

She takes care of seed selection and chemical programs, and then she monitors crop conditions throughout the growing season. Shelby is also the point person working with crop consultants to conduct soil tests and manage fertility. Keeping track of yields, fertility and weed pressure for each field helps the family fine-tune production practices, she explains. “To be a good farmer, you’ve got to watch everything.”

Ethan began working for Mann Farms about six years ago after attending Wilmington College, and then working in the ag industry for several years. He takes care of setting up the GPS, autosteer and data collection technology for all the equipment. They record data on everything from planting dates and hybrids to herbicide rates, nitrogen sources and yields, he explains.

The data are all immediately available on the family’s phone apps, iPads and computers. The data help them make management decisions; they also make it easier for everyone to keep track of where everyone else is, and what needs to be done. “I can sit right here and tell you how much fuel is in that combine right now,” he notes.

Employee Craig Kohler manages the farm’s bin site and hauls grain to the elevator with a semi. As the field operations are, the grain drying system is set up with a remote data monitoring and control system, Kohler explains. “I can watch the dryer on my phone while I’m away from the farm.” He is also able to change the speed or shut off  grain handling equipment remotely.

Having a person dedicated to managing storage and drying is critical to keeping harvest moving, Dave adds. “If things aren’t moving here at home, the combines aren’t moving in the field.”

All hands on deck

In addition to taking care of their individual responsibilities, everyone pitches in with fieldwork during the busy planting and harvest seasons. In spring, Dave, Chris and Ethan run the planters, while Shelby does minimum tillage where it’s needed and also helps Patty deliver seed, fuel and food. Dave has turned sprayer operation over to Chris and Ethan, while Kohler manages mixing and loading.

At harvest, the Manns usually run three combines and one grain cart for soybeans. For corn, they run two combines and two grain carts to keep pace. Dave, Chris and Ethan typically run the combines, while Shelby and Patty operate the grain carts.

No matter what the season, everyone steps in to help when there’s work to be done, Shelby says. “Around here we all pitch in. We’ve just been molded to take part.”

Keck writes from Raymond, Ohio.