55 Years And Counting From The Tractor Seat By Bill Whitman I first watched Matt and Kelly Griggs on a History Channel program several years ago featuring five separate farms and ranches. I remember being impressed with the humility of Matt, and with this quiet humility and an optimistic outlook facing the challenges their operation absorbed. Some years later, I noticed that they had begun to post videos on YouTube. I paid attention because a YouTube video came out where a man went through the windshield of his combine when the corn head came off as he was heading home after completing corn harvest that season. What interested me most was his decision to repair the seriously damaged machine rather than scrapping it out. I’ve mentioned before that I have five FarmTube channels that I watch regularly. Griggs Farms LLC is one of these. Three-four years ago, they entered my list of five because I knew nothing about cotton, but it was interesting… to me at least. Another thing that was interesting to me was Matt’s wife Kelly takes an active interest in the day-to-day operations. Kelly is often operating equipment, even when facing health challenges of her own. I also believe she is employed in town. I contacted Matt a couple of months ago and asked if he would be amenable to a telephone interview, which he graciously agreed to. Matt and Kelly have been doing no-till farming for two decades or more. In their videos, Matt frequently talks about the ups and downs of learning to farm differently than he was raised. Over the last year I watched him introduce deep tillage to specific fields that were not meeting his expectations. In our phone visit, he noted that even no-till is subject to compaction as some of the equipment is heavy. Matt said his cotton picker is like 80,000 pounds along with his combine etc. Matt’s videos are chocked full of sub-stories. One of the observations I’ve made watching their videos is how positive his attitude is, day in and day out. And they’ve faced some weird ones. A year or two ago they had wheat rejected because deer feces were found in their wheat. In 60 years of participating in agriculture, I had never heard of this and though I understood there was lodged, down wheat, due to weather, I still tried to figure out in my own head how it could move through the combine without being disposed of let alone get into the combine period. I personally attributed it to grain buyers finding a reason to discount or reject wheat in a down and glutted market. It wasn’t only their wheat being rejected but seemed like the entire area. I hope I was wrong. One sub story is about his decision-making processes between yield versus profit. In a video last fall, Matt suggested that we are too eager to chase yields without considering the profit potential relevant to cost. Much like most of us, our mindset has always been more yield means more profit. Matt discovered that as he began looking at their farm as a business, it means breaking down the numbers and looking at cost-risk-reward. He’s gone so far as suggesting that the farmer needs to apply tests for products he believes may be worth using, by testing on his own ground before going all in. As a businessman he says that we must be looking for “a more profitable way” that puts more time and effort into what we all hate… the office. I listened to a recent video when his accountant showed him that he had spent half of the money he budgeted for equipment repairs by doing his due diligence on locating options for OEM parts. In the video it appeared to me that this surprised him. When I asked Matt about his thoughts of agriculture’s future and specifically their future in agriculture, he admitted that it’s challenging. With urban encroachment, static grain prices, higher inputs, equipment costs, he has developed the mantra, “Every problem has a solution.” He describes a situation several years ago when a key man in their farming operation left because his family needed the benefits that the farm simply couldn’t afford. He was forced to look at options. Griggs Farms was fortunate that they found a young man that has filled the gap. Delighted with the addition of Andy, Matt told me that he learned that he needed to formulate plan B, plan C and more, always adjusting to the inevitable changes and challenges. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Matt and Kelly believe that every day as well as the future is guided by their absolute belief in the Hand of God guiding them. I encourage each of you to look up GriggsFarmsLLC on YouTube. I think you’ll be intrigued as I have been. I found out that the thread that binds American Agriculture truly does extend into southwestern Tennessee. We are survivors, always looking forward, and always believing. Horse Sense: You must be careful when you live on the edge… the wind is powerful and unseen. IndianaAg@bluemarble.net |
