It’s a busy day on KRC Farms near Red Oak in southwestern Iowa. Kathy Carlson and her children, Kelly Osheim and Tony Carlson, are finalizing input decisions, paying bills and monitoring market trends.

This is typical activity for the trio on a February day, with one difference: A desk and chair in their office sits empty. Roger Carlson, the family’s patriarch, passed away in January.

That’s not the story, though. Rather, it’s how he lived. And that’s why Kathy and Roger will be honored this month as 2024 Iowa Master Farmers.

Starting small

Roger initially worked as an applicator for a farm supply company after graduating from high school. During this time, he married his high school sweetheart, Kathy.

They didn’t initially intend to farm. Still, Roger watched as his uncle Paul Carlson hired others to farm his land. This spurred Roger to ask his uncle for the opportunity to farm.

His uncle said yes.

So, Roger and Kathy started farming 200 row crop acres and 50 acres of pasture in a 50-50 livestock and cropland rental agreement with Paul. This lifelong partnership between Kathy and Roger started by her keeping the farm’s books as he concentrated on field operations. Over time, Kathy took on tasks such as performing tillage and hauling grain to the elevator.

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1980s economic shock

The Carlsons, who started farming in 1974 during a prosperous decade, soon smacked head-on into the 1980s farm crisis. This troubling time was highlighted by 20% annual interest rates, bargain-basement commodity prices and cratering land values.

“The early 1980s were a shock to us,” Kathy recalls. For her, it meant working off-farm for three years in a factory office.

Meanwhile, Roger assembled a team — including bankers and others — to help the couple forge through the bleak times.

“Fortunately, we came out of it on the good side,” Kathy says, adding it was due to several lifelong lessons they learned.

“No. 1 was keeping good records,” Kathy says. “Roger did our cash flows and balance sheets every single year before going into the bank for a loan.”

The value of forming relationships also surfaced during this time.

“The key thing — and Roger was really, really good at it — is making relationships with people,” Kathy says.

This benefited them in several ways, such as in renting ground from landlords. Over time, they rented multiple farms, many from the second and third generation of landlords.

Forming relationships also extended to farm employees. One employee, Curtis Woods, has worked for the Carlsons for 44 years. Employee Terry Hardy has worked a mix of seasonal and full-time positions since the 1980s.

“This is just another testament to Dad’s relationship-building skills,” Kelly says.

Growing a family

It wasn’t all tough times during the 1980s; that was when Roger and Kathy started their family. Besides Kelly, their children include Tony, Jessie and Amanda.

“When they were little, there wasn’t a buddy seat in tractors and combines back then,” says Kathy of their children. “I remember having them sit on the floor, and then our grandchildren came along. I’ve raised a lot of children and grandchildren in the tractor and combine.”

As the Carlsons grew their farm, they protected the land from erosion. The couple established terraces on owned farms and also worked with landlords to build terraces on rented ground. They used no-till, minimum till and contour farming to preserve soils. The Carlsons adopted nutrient management and application technologies to precisely apply nutrients.

“My dad always said you have to take care of the ground to keep going,” Tony says.

Their focus wasn’t entirely on the farm. “Roger and Kathy have been very much involved and continue to lead many civic and business boards and committees,” wrote Ray and Elaine Gaesser, farmers from Corning, who nominated the Carlsons for the Iowa Master Farmer award.

“We started with the Farm Bureau young farmer program,” Kathy says.

She soon chaired the Buckle Up Babes program, which brought infant car seats to Montgomery County parents. She was also active in their church and served as a 4-H club leader. Roger and Kathy also served as Iowa foster parents.

Roger dug into soybean industry boards and associations. “He loved doing that,” Kathy recalls. “He learned so much and said it taught him the skills he needed to be a leader.”

These traits served Roger well in his involvement on the local school board as a director and president. He was pivotal in helping the community pass a $20 million bond referendum and creating a preschool child care program.

Roger was also a leader in numerous community development projects, including ACORN, a local philanthropic development group.

Ron Lorenz, superintendent of the Red Oak Community School District, says when Roger offered his perspective on a subject, other farmers closely listened. “This speaks to his authority, credibility and standing in the community,” he wrote in his Master Farmer letter of support for the Carlsons.

Coming home

One reason Roger and Kathy grew their business was to make room for any of their children if they wanted to farm. Two of their children, Tony and Kelly, did exactly that.

For Tony, the choice was easy, as he had been running tractors as soon as he was old enough to drive them. After taking agricultural production classes following high school, he returned as the farm’s sprayer operator.

“It was an eye-opening experience as far as working with booms and nozzles and calibrating the sprayer,” he says.

GETTING READY: The winter months keep the family busy in preparation for the growing season. Here, Kelly Osheim and Tony Carlson go over farm data as they order supplies for this year’s planting season. (Gil Gullickson)

Tony now oversees field operations and selects inputs as the farm’s field production manager. He also farms and manages finances on land that he owns.

After high school, Kelly moved away from the farm for about 10 years before returning.

“One of the reasons I came back is that I desperately missed my family,” Kelly says. “My family is everything to me. I wanted to be a part of this.”

She dug in as the farm’s office manager. “I’ve learned a lot about tax planning, cash flows, balance sheets, planning finances from year to year and sticking to budgets,” she says.

Her role has also expanded to fieldwork. “I had never driven a tractor before coming back to the farm, but I’ve learned I’m fully capable of doing that and operating a combine, running a grain cart and driving a semitruck. My family always teases me that growing up, I didn’t like dirt. But here I am, loving dirt now,” she jests.

Kathy is transitioning out of active involvement in the farm, leaving it to Tony and Kelly to carry on day-to-day operations. One factor vital to the farm’s success and one they will continue is proper communication.

“One of the strengths we have is we don’t fight,” Kathy says. “We might have differences, but we talk them out.”

Master Farmer honors

In regards to her husband becoming a Master Farmer, Kathy says, “I am not sure that was something he would have anticipated being. But he was a very good farmer, successful at what he did.

“He worked hard all the time. He always tried to do his very best. If there was something new in the ag world, he would read about it. He might not be the first person to try something new, but he certainly was not the last. I’m so proud of him and what he accomplished during his lifetime.”

Roger’s faith meant everything to him, say family members, as did his family. “This truly is a family farm, with everyone having responsibilities in their success,” wrote the Gaessers.

“Hands down, my favorite thing about farming is being able to work with my family every day,” Kelly says.

Tony flashes back to a beautiful fall day over 10 years ago when the family started harvesting after vacationing in California.

“My dad said, ‘How neat would it be if we got everyone, including Grandpa and Grandma Carlson, out there and combine as a family?’

“So, that’s what we did. That afternoon is a memory I will always remember.”

“We are family,” Kelly says, “and we stick together.”

HARVEST BREAK: Last fall, the Roger and Kathy Carlson family took a break on the last day of harvest to commemorate the farm’s 50th year. Family (from left) are Jessie Carlson, Tony Carlson, Kathy and Roger Carlson, and Kelly Osheim. (Emma Rhamy)

Community involvement

Roger laid down one condition for his children who returned to the farm: Community involvement was a must.

“He always told me it will take the younger generation to be involved to help your community thrive,” Tony says. “Dad did a lot of volunteering, but he never ever complained about it. He just liked doing it and stepped up to the plate. He always told me if you have broad shoulders, you get stuff done.”

That prompted Tony to serve on a country club board and on boards for Roger in his absence.

“In 2017, we needed a day care desperately in this town,” Kelly adds. “So, I volunteered for the board of the Montgomery County Child Development Association and have chaired it for five years. We have opened a very successful educational child care center here in Red Oak.”

Masters at a glance