Unloading the last truckload of corn after 47 years of farming will be a time of mixed emotions for Sue and Rich Snider of New Paris. The Sniders have been slowly downsizing their corn and soybean farm over the last five years and recently sold the last of their tillable acreage in August. The timing seemed right for the couple because farmland prices were coming down and they wanted to retire while they were healthy enough to enjoy retirement.
Sue and Rich have not completely given up working. They kept their house and outbuildings for making maple syrup and the 35-acre woodlot that produces the sap for syrup.
Rich grew up on a small dairy farm on C.R. 50 near New Paris. In 1954, Rich's first year in 4-H was the last year the Elkhart County 4-H Fair was held at Rice Field in Elkhart. He showed his Jerseys in Elkhart and then back in Goshen where the 4-H fair is presently located. Rich remembers fondly when he was able to stay overnight at the cattle barn with the other boys.
Rich graduated from Purdue with a degree in agricultural economics with a farm management option. About the same time, elder brother, Dr. G.W Snider, purchased 210 acres as an investment. This land gave Rich enough ground to start farming on his own and he never looked back.
However, his life was soon to change dramatically. One September Sunday, Sue came to Rich's church with a friend. Rich spotted Sue across the pews. He took a chance and invited her to a Notre Dame/Purdue game in West Lafayette with another couple. This was on Sept. 27, 1969, and by Jan. 16, 1970, they were married. His proposal was more of a statement, than a question.
"I think we need to get married," Rich recalled saying.
Sue asked him why.
Rich responded. "Because spring is coming and I need to start plowing soon."
With that romantic beginning, the marriage and farming partnership began and has lasted more than 45 years. Sue grew up in the city of Goshen and was an office worker before Rich came along. She had a lot to learn about farming. Sue said she didn't even know the difference between corn and soybeans when she married Rich.
Raising four children on the farm was a challenge for both partners. Sue had to balance housekeeping and child care with farm work. As the children grew up, they were able to drive tractor or load out hogs for market until they left home. However, Sue has always been Rich's primary helper.
As time passed, Rich and Sue acquired more acreage until they were farming 900 acres. They also were fattening 1,000 hogs on contract. Selling the hog barn four years ago simplified life a little for the pair. Feeding out hogs always required a careful eye on the animals—making sure the pigs had food and water as well as checking for sick pigs. Sue no longer had to work the gate, as Rich sorted and loaded hogs for the market.
Teamwork is the hallmark of the Sniders. Rich combines soybeans and Sue hauls and unloads the beans. They traded jobs when the time came to harvest corn. Sue picks corn and Rich drives the truck, unloads corn and runs the dryer when needed.
Sue has had her share of excitement while picking corn. On one occasion, a large bearing failed on the combine picker head and spewed out hot ball bearings over the field. Sue was unaware of the problem and continued harvesting the field. Suddenly, in the rear view mirror, she saw the corn field on fire. She was able to maneuver the harvester to safety until the New Paris Fire Department arrived. Although the corn stalks were burnt, Rich finished picking the field. The corn kernels were not damaged at all and neither was the corn picker.
After irrigation was installed in one of the fields, Sue was again picking corn. Unfortunately, the irrigation workers had not fixed a damaged field tile, which left a soft spot in the field. Sue skirted the area with no problem, getting through until the harvester hit the broken tile location. Sue raised the head as high as it would go, but the combine still sank and the corn picker head was resting on the ground. Rich had to stop his work to pull the harvester out with the tractor.
Working together on the farm all their married life, retirement will not be much different.
"We are together 24/7 now and we love to be with each other. I don't think this will change when we have less to do. Besides, we still have maple syrup to make." Sue said.
The Sniders have been making maple syrup for years. They tap 3,500 trees on their own land. Every year, they must check all of the tubing that connects the trees. Rich said that squirrels often chew holes in the tube or a limb might fall on the line. Vacuum pressure pulls the sap to storage tanks.
Rich now uses the process of reverse osmosis to remove as much as three-fourths of the water from the sap. The more concentrated sap takes less time to evaporate and less fuel to heat the evaporator. Rich said he has saved between $8,000 to $10,000 in fuel costs. The Sniders produce between 1,500 and 1,700 gallons of sap a year, if there is a good freeze/thaw cycle in late winter. They sell about one-third of their syrup retail and the rest is sold wholesale.
Rich reflected on the ups and downs of 47 years of farming. The droughts of 1988 and 2012 were difficult times in farming, Rich said. 1988 was the worst because his fields were not yet irrigated. Farming on mostly sandy soils, irrigation has made a huge difference in yields
"At least now, we are always guaranteed a crop if the year is like 1988," said Rich.
In Rich's mind, the biggest change he has seen in farming has been the technological advances in the equipment. He is impressed by all of the technology available to farmers, such as GPS and computerized planting and harvesting. However, with retirement looming, he decided it was not worth the investment to upgrade his equipment for a few years of work.
This year, with ample rainfall and early planting with early maturing seed, the fields have yielded an ample harvest. He is averaging a little over 200 bushels of corn to the acre, which includes a dry land field. Rich admitted he will miss the satisfaction of seeing the results of their labor filling up the storage bins in the fall.
"Fun is when you have a good crop that sells when prices are high," he said.
In addition to farming, Rich has been on the board of directors for the Farm Bureau Credit Union (now Interra) for 27 years. Traveling to Arizona for board business has the Sniders leaning toward the state as a possible winter home.
After harvest, they will be preparing the farm equipment for sale at the end of December. Other plans include more travel, reading together, and enjoying the view of the woods from their four-seasons room.
As they completed their last harvest on Oct. 9, Sue said that it is bittersweet, but they are excited and ready to start this new phase of their lives together.
Sue and Rich Snider stand on their combine as they harvest their last crop after 47 years of farming near New Paris. Partners in both marriage and on the farm, they look forward to traveling and continuing the maple syrup business they started 25 years ago.