There’s never a dull moment at the DeSutter farm. Drew DeSutter operates a corn and soybean farm near New Windsor, Ill., with his father, two uncles and a cousin. His wife, Adrienne, stays home with their daughters, 2-year-old Everly and 7-month-old Emalyn, with plans to return to work as a guidance counselor when the girls are a little older. Drew and Adrienne are actively involved in Illinois Farm Bureau, Knox County Corn Growers Association, Knox County Young Leaders and Cultivating Master Farmers. 

What’s the biggest challenge for this on-the-go farm family? “For us, we’re working on balancing work and home life,” Drew says, adding that it helps to spend time with fellow young farmers who face similar challenges.

In the Cultivating Masters Farmer program, Master Farmers offer their advice to the next generation. “They said you have to put your family first,” Drew says. “Time passes, and you don’t get these years and experiences back. They all stress how important it is to make farming work around that.”

On the farm, Drew and his extended family share equipment and divide farm responsibilities, like planting and harvesting. The farm has been 100% no-till for almost 25 years.

“In the spring, there is so much moisture under the residue,” Drew says. “We never worry about planting beans into corn. There’s always moisture there.”

His grandfather Maurice DeSutter firmly believed in leaving the soil undisturbed and allowing earthworms to work. “Sometimes, Grandpa really does know better,” Drew says. “It does wonders for the soil profile.”

FARM FAMILY: Drew and Adrienne DeSutter have two daughters, Everly, 2, and Emalyn, 7 months.

While some practices remain the same, Drew and his family try new things, such as moving nitrogen applications from fall to spring. “Overall, there’s more emphasis on optimum timing for nitrogen,” Drew says. “In the future, there will be more emphasis on spring-applied nitrogen.”

Drew also raises a few bred heifers. “I like the idea of cover crops and livestock going hand in hand,” he says, adding that he planted cereal rye for the first time last September. He and his family are experimenting with cover crops in highly erosive fields.

“Cover crops hold the soil together where it washes down, and there are definitely some benefits, but for us, it’s about perfecting management and making sure it’s cost-effective,” Drew says.

Learning and teaching
From cover crop tips to cattle herd management, Drew leans on his peers for advice, like fellow Cultivating Master Farmers participant Jeff Grady. “You become friends in these organizations and peer groups,” Drew says. “You can expand your knowledge and use them for support.”

Drew and Adrienne also spend time advocating for agriculture with their peer groups. They participate in events like sweet corn giveaways and bagging groceries at the local grocery store, so customers may “ask a farmer” about their food purchase.

“That’s our way of trying to educate the public on things like GMOs. There are so many misperceptions out there,” he says. “I like to be active and give back. We have to have young farmers who are motivated and willing to take on issues that come up.” He’s talking about issues like nitrogen management, which could someday impact farm policy.

“Young people need to step up in leadership roles and realize how everything may affect them down the road, from public perception to taxes,” Drew says.

Adrienne adds that while she may not come from a farm background, her strong leadership skills come into play as they participate in ag groups. “We’re learning a lot together.”