The year was 1977, and Malcolm Head had just started as a freshman at the University of Illinois. As a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, Malcolm was assigned a “big sister” to help him navigate the university.

Little did he know, his life would never be the same.

“I got this gorgeous young lady who came down the stairs with a plate of cookies,” Malcolm says. “It happened to be Susan Dipper. We were friends first and later became soulmates.”

“At the time, I didn’t realize being a ‘big sister’ was going to be a lifelong commitment,” Susan says, laughing.

The pair have been married for 41 years, working side by side to build Head Bros. Land and Cattle and earning the title of 2024 Prairie Farmer Master Farmers.

“It’s impossible to imagine one of us without the other,” Malcolm says. “I couldn’t have done it without her, and I hope she couldn’t have done it without me. It took both of us to make the village work.”

Susan agrees, adding, “We’re a team that worked together from the get-go.”

Today, they farm 4,500 crop acres, and raise 450 commercial cows and 300 head of fat cattle — supporting four generations and several employees.

But it wasn’t always that way.

When the Heads were first married, they moved to LeRoy, Ill., where they started custom farming with a no-till drill and ran 13 Angus cows on pasture rented from a neighbor.

“Malcolm and I may both be from farming backgrounds, but we’re from different kinds of operating farms,” Susan says. “You’d think working together may be a challenge — but it’s not.

“We both were raised with a strong faith, then family, then farming. Our values have always guided our marriage and our farm that if we put our faith in God first and work hard, everything will work out.”

Succeeding in succession

In 1995, Susan’s parents, Don and Charlotte Dipper, offered the Heads the opportunity to buy into their family farm in Blue Mound, Ill. Malcolm and Susan went all in and never looked back.

“Joining my family operation meant we could expand the cattle and row crop operation with my dad’s good guidance,” Susan says. “It’s paid off as the right decision, as we’ve been able to guide two more generations back to the family farm.”

Having a solid succession plan has been paramount for the Heads — as the farm passed first from Don and Charlotte to Malcolm and Susan, and today to sons Rollin and Alex.

FAMILY: Having a solid succession plan has been important for the Heads. Pictured are (from left) Lena, Alex, Don, Raegan, Susan, Charlotte, Maddox, Malcolm, Sasha and Rollin.

The Heads developed a limited liability company in 2018 to help transition the family assets and management to Rollin, Alex and their families.

“I’ve seen the good and the bad of succession plans through my seed customers,” says Malcolm, who’s an LG Seeds dealer. “We knew we wanted to hand the farm over to the boys early so they can learn, grow and take control on their own without just working for Mom and Dad.”

Every member of the Head crew works together as needed, but each part of the operation has a lead person. Rollin and his wife, Sasha, oversee the family’s cattle operation with their two kids, Raegan and Maddox. Alex and his wife, Lena, manage the crop side of the business.

Don and Charlotte still help around the farm, making parts runs and taking the occasional load of feeders to the sale barn.

The fourth generation is also active on the farm, as Raegan and Maddox can often be found helping feed calves, clean pens and work on show cattle.

“My favorite memory on the farm has been watching our boys become men,” Malcolm says. “We’re caretakers for the next generation, and it’s been so fun to watch Rollin and Alex take over.”

GROWTH: Malcolm and Susan Head have been married for 41 years, working side by side to grow Head Bros. Land and Cattle to 4,500 crop acres, 450 commercial cows and 300 head of fat cattle.

The Heads have diversified their operation, pursuing embryo transfer, custom calving, club calf marketing, freezer beef sales, custom farming, seed sales, seed corn and seed soybean production, non-GMO corn and soybean production, custom spraying, and custom fencing.

Off the farm, Malcolm has represented LG Seeds for 34 years. Susan and her mother have operated a corporate gift business from an office on the farm for 34 years.

“Diversification has been important so that all of our eggs aren’t in one basket, and it’s given everyone the opportunity to return to the farm,” Susan says.

Every decision made at Head Bros. Land and Cattle is done with sustainability in mind. They have been early adopters of using conservation measures such as filter strips, wildlife habitats, waterway improvements and minimum tillage.

In 2022, the Heads were recognized as Environmental Stewards of the Year by the Illinois Beef Association for their efforts in rotational grazing, cover crops and manure management.

“I would like my legacy to be that we were good stewards of the land and livestock that we were entrusted to by God,” Malcolm says. “Whether it was the community, the livestock, the land or in our family, we want to be known as good and faithful servants.”

The Heads say their parents instilled in them a desire to give back, and the pair have held roles spanning local, state and national leadership.

Susan served on the Illinois Beef Association board for a decade, becoming president of the checkoff board. Both Susan and Malcolm say the relationships they’ve made and lessons they’ve learned have been priceless.

“Through our involvement in IBA, we’ve made friends with producers from all over the state,” Susan says. “I learned that it doesn’t matter if you have 10 or 10,000 cattle, your story is the same — everybody wants the best for their cattle and for the cattle business.”

PARTNERS: “Malcolm and I may both be from farming backgrounds, but we’re from different kinds of operating farms,” Susan Head says. “You’d think working together may be a challenge – but it’s not. We both were raised with a strong faith, then family, then farming. Our values have always guided our marriage and our farm that if we put our faith in God first and work hard, everything will work out.”

4 generations around the dinner table

For the Head family, the best memories are made at mealtimes.

“Some of my favorite times on the farm are when we’re at the dinner table with four generations,” Susan says. “It just doesn’t get any better than that.”

The Heads and Dippers all live in the Blue Mound area and frequently gather at Susan and Malcolm’s house for a home-cooked meal.

“Part of my role on the farm is as the cook — and I really enjoy it,” Susan says, smiling. “On any given day, the lunch table can have four to 10 people around it. The guys always know they can come inside and eat, or I can take it out to the barn or field as needed.”

Susan takes pride in that responsibility, often using recipes passed from previous generations. Each meal is made with love, prepared with a recipe from one of Susan’s many cookbooks.

Beef, she adds, is always a favorite.

“Of course, we have plenty of beef at the table,” Susan says. “Ribeye sandwiches are always a hit that I take to the field.”

During harvest and planting, Susan packs and labels meals for every member of the crew, with help from her grandchildren, Raegan and Maddox.

“Having meals together is a way we show that everyone who works here is family,” Malcolm adds.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE: “We want to give back,” Malcolm Head says. “It’s important to help the next generation by serving as examples, mentors and someone to talk to. We don’t need the big awards; we just want people to know that we care about them, and that God loves them.”

Master at a glance

Malcolm and Susan Head
Children: Rollin Head, Alex Head
County: Macon and Christian
Operation: 4,500 acres of corn, seed corn, seed beans, specialty beans, wheat, hay and alfalfa; 450 commercial cows and 300 head of fat cattle
Leadership:
Susan: Christian County Extension board; 4-H club leader; IBA board, checkoff president and executive committee; Christian County Farm Bureau; National Cattlemen’s Beef Association committee delegate; Meridian PTO president; Blue Mound Fall Festival parade chair; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church event chair; Junior Welfare Association; P.E.O. member; election judge
Malcolm: Illinois Ag Leadership Program graduate, Blue Mound Lion of the Year, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Illinois Soybean Association, IBA, NCBA committee delegate, Christian County Farm Bureau, Blue Mound Lions Club president, Alpha Gamma Rho adviser and alumni board, Soy Capital Bank board, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church elder chairman, Meridian School Board president
Nominator: Illinois Beef Association