Farm Progress

This farmwife was active in farming before her husband became president of Indiana’s largest farm organization.

November 14, 2018

2 Min Read
KEEP IT RUNNING: Joyce Kron was a key cog in the Kron Farms operation even before her husband, Randy (right), became Indiana Farm Bureau president. Today Joyce and son Ben (left) handle many of the day-to-day chores on the farm.

By Molly Zentz   

Joyce Kron is a jack of all trades at Kron Farms in Vanderburgh County, Ind., which raises white corn, yellow corn, soybeans and whitetail deer.

“At any given time, I can be seen driving a tractor or combine, operating the grain cart, running for parts, taking care of the bookkeeping and our livestock, and any other jobs that need to be done,” Kron says.

Kron notes that her role on the farm has evolved. “When my husband and I were first married, I worked off the farm full time to provide a steady paycheck and health insurance while working part time on the farm,” she explains. “As our farm grew and we needed to hire full-time help, I stepped into that role while raising two children. When our son graduated from college and came back to farm, I became the part-time helper again.”

Full-time farmer
But Kron’s “part-time” position didn’t last very long. When her husband, Randy, was elected president of Indiana Farm Bureau in 2016, her role reverted to full time. Over the years, Kron has been asked about the hardest part of her job. She says there have been times that she’s had to overcome stereotypes.

“The hardest part has been overcoming the stereotype of a farmwife’s role,” she says. “In the beginning, some suppliers weren’t receptive to dealing directly with me. But time and proving my knowledge of our operations has changed that completely.”

Related:Combine conversation with Indiana Farm Bureau president

Kron says she’s proud to have helped build such a successful farm operation.  

Randy’s dad worked in soil conservation and didn’t farm. Kron’s dad farmed, but she and Randy had to start farming on their own. “Over the years, we continued to search for more land to farm, and we have now built this farm from scratch into a much larger operation,” she says.

“I’m extremely proud of what we have built and proud to know this operation is here for our son and our grandchildren, too, if they wish to farm,” she says.

Zentz is a public relations specialist with Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. This is the final story in a series about women in Indiana agriculture. Don’t miss the first and second stories in the series.

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