Currently in his first term as a state representative, Kendell Culp, Rensselaer, Ind., is working to balance his new position with his farming background. As the only member of the Indiana General Assembly who is a full-time grain and livestock farmer, Culp brings a unique perspective to the table.

Culp farms with his father, Kenneth; his wife, Tammy; and his son, Brandon. They raise corn, soybeans, wheat, beef cattle and hogs. Culp oversees the swine-finishing operation.

“When I’m home, I start my day in a confinement hog barn,” he says.

He began purchasing feeder pigs in 2000 after converting from a farrow-to-finish operation. His experience with hogs spans several decades. When he was a senior in high school, he lived with his grandparents for a year so he could care for his hogs that were at their place.

“It was a good learning experience for me and a way to learn responsibility,” Culp says. “That was always kind of my thing. In 1978, I got into the hogs that I owned, and I’ve had them ever since.”

Culp constructed a confined feeding operation for his feeder hogs, which he says puts him in a position to educate his peers and use his unique perspective.

“Several years ago, there was a lot of concern about confined feeding operations,” Culp says. “There was a concerted effort to get legislators out into those confinement barns. I took three or four, not just to my farm but to a nearby dairy farm, and it was an educational moment.”

MULTIPLE GENERATIONS: Kendell Culp’s family farm spans three generations today. He farms with his father, Kenneth, and his son, Brandon. (Courtesy of Kendell Culp)

Culp’s experiences also help shape legislation. For example, he has House Bill 1093, a teenage workforce bill that provides more flexibility for minors who work. He explains that he channeled his childhood memories on the farm when he shaped this bill.

“When I hear other legislators talk about concerns with kids working a side job, it’s like I didn’t know any different,” Culp adds. “When I grew up, that was just what you did.”

His understanding of farm life and rural communities help him to shape other legislation and consider issues that revolve around agritourism, rural broadband and land use. With a district made up of small communities, Culp finds it easy to focus on what will matter most in those rural areas.

“I’ve got three cities and 17 towns, and those communities are all unique in themselves, but they all have a lot of the same needs and concerns,” Culp says. “From an agriculture perspective, for farmers to be successful, they have to have those supply chains and those businesses that can deliver those goods and services they need. It’s important that we keep those communities growing.”

FAMILY FIRST: Kendell Culp enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren when he’s home. He and wife Tammy (seated) are pictured with their children and grandchildren: (back, from left) Brandon and Kayla Neibert, Paisley Culp, Brandon and Abby Culp, and Maverick Culp. In front are Olivia and Owen Neibert. (Courtesy of Kendell Culp)

Kendell Culp at a glance

Current roles: District 16 representative; vice president of Indiana Farm Bureau; farmer
Hometown: Rensselaer, Ind.
Growing up: Grew up on his family’s farm
Past experience: Farming; 18 years as Jasper County commissioner
Family: Wife, Tammy; daughter, Kayla (husband Brandon Neibert); son, Brandon (wife Abby); grandchildren Owen, Olivia, Paisley and Maverick; parents, Kenneth and Sandra Culp
No. 1 goal: Use his agriculture background to understand what his district’s communities need
Notable: Serving in his first term as a state representative