New Farmer Creates Beef Operation, Wins State Recognition
Published: Friday, May 5, 2023
Only 27% of farmers in the U.S. are new or beginning farmers, according to a 2020 USDA report and just 9% of producers are younger than 35. Mark Trowbridge, 28, joined the small crowd in 2012 when he bought his first two cows to kick-start his Angus cow-calf operation. But starting a farm from scratch is difficult, as he can easily describe.
Trowbridge had no land for his first two cows, so a mentor allowed him to keep them on his farm until Trowbridge could acquire his own farmstead.
"That's what started the little cow farm," he said.
But still, two cows can't offer a supportive income. So, how did Trowbridge, a Centreville native who was two generations removed from farming, do it?
He didn't always have farming on the mind, but after taking agricultural classes in high school and getting involved in the local FFA, he found a passion for the industry.
From two cows, it grew very slowly.
Alongside the registered Angus cow-calf operation, Trowbridge and his wife of three years, Jamie, also 28, raise custom hay to sell to community members and use for their own cows. They sell breeding stock and freezer beef.
"I knew when we decided to get married that it was something he was passionate about, but it was good because it's something I am passionate about, too," Jamie said.
She works a full-time job off the farm with Miller Poultry. Mark also worked a full-time job in the poultry industry until just recently when he transitioned to working full-time on the farm. The two graduated in 2017 from Michigan State University with degrees in animal science.
"I'd say I'm very entrepreneurial. I mean I look at opportunities and evaluate them. We both are good with numbers and business and accounting," Mark said, recounting characteristics that have helped him in his farming venture.
Patience and perseverance are also strong contributing qualities the couple has, Jamie said.
"You can't just give up every time things go wrong because, in farming, things do go wrong. But you have to know that tomorrow's a new day and it will get better, it's not always going to be bad, so just keep looking forward."
As time progressed the 2022 MFB Young Farmer Excellence award winners were able to upgrade equipment and went from mowing 7 feet of hay in 2017 at a time to bringing in 13.5 feet at a time and doing so at four times the capacity within the same timeframe today. But that didn't happen until he grew his herd.
"Two cows don't pay any bills," he said.
Mark later bought more cows using a USDA loan when he was in college to continue to grow his operation. After the loan, he was able to increase his herd to 17 head of brood cows and 50 total cattle.
As his operation grew, his land did, too. After owning just one acre of pasture for his cattle, he moved them onto some farmland his grandfather owned in Leonidas. The land was bought back in the 1940s by his great-grandfather but was never worked because he ended up taking a factory job instead. However, he kept the land and Mark inherited the passion for agriculture after his first taste of it in high school.
"I just liked it. I liked that the work you put in you can actually see throughout the year and you have something to show for all the work and effort that you put in," Mark said.
Eventually, he bought the land from his grandfather and now he and Jamie live on it. They have 80 acres of pasture.
"One project at a time, one step at a time, you keep working," Mark said, describing how he grew and improved his farm.
Jamie's passion for agriculture stems from 4-H but grew after she learned that a large amount of people are uneducated about the industry and its practices.
"I didn't grow up on a large farm by any means," she said, but farming has always been a part of her life.
"Especially in FFA and as I got more involved in things, realizing how important agriculture is—that's what feeds the world—and how little people knew about it anymore and how far removed they are from it, I think that's a part of the reason why I decided to stay in agriculture," she said.
The Trowbridges said it was crucial for them to stay connected with other farmers so they could learn from them.
"I had an older generation farmer tell me that he should have named his farm, "It's always something," because there's always something that breaks or doesn't happen the way it should, cows get into the wrong pasture. It's just that something's always going to happen every day. You just have to keep a cool head and take care of it," Mark said.
Mark and Jamie have had a few of these experiences. Yearling heifers have snuck into the pen with bulls, tractors have broken down, a flat tire happens, cows break a fence, etc.
"Stuff like that happens and you just have to fix it and keep going," Jamie said.
Having mentors in the farming community has really helped them to find their spot in the industry. In fact, if it weren't for the mentor who allowed Mark to keep those first two cows on his land, Jamie said the operation wouldn't have started when it did.
As they continued to get involved, they became leaders in St. Joseph County. They are currently leading the Young Farmer program at their local Farm Bureau.
The two have also become passionate about educating others about agriculture.
"We both have a passion for the industry and how important it is. It provides food, it provides products for everyone and, also, teaching people. A lot of people out there now, I think, don't understand farming or think that we're out there doing something harmful, and teaching people that. No, we do this for a reason. This is why—educating about the industry is something that we really enjoy and find important," Jamie said.
"Yeah. Our goal is to build a nice farm, have a nice farm that will be here for the next generation if they want it," Mark added.
There is still work to be done to achieve this goal, according to the Trowbridges.
"I would say we're still in the process of beginning our farm years into it. And it's probably going to be like that for quite some time," Mark said. "It's a long process to actually get to that point of 'having a farm.'"
"You're always taking steps to improve or make something better or easier or more efficient," Jamie said. "Usually, you're not just standing still."
Things he wishes he knew when he began include: where profit potential was in the market, making lots of connections early and to know how to ask certain questions.
Mark's advice to those who want to enter the agricultural field is to "Work for a farm that's doing what you want to do first. If you want to be in the chicken business, you should go work for a poultry farm and really get to know the ins and outs of it. Not just somebody who owns a contract farm, but even an integrator."
"And be open to always learning and always making connections," Jamie said.
"Even the generations of farmers who are looking at retiring—they'll tell you—they're still learning. There's still stuff they don't know and stuff they haven't tried. Some young people do have good experience that the older generation hasn't thought about. It's a good balance to hear the tried-and-true method of the older generation going out and working off the farm, and also trying some new things and being open to it," Mark added.
"You can start small and keep going. Just keep working at it," Jamie concluded.
The Trowbridges have made some significant improvements on their farm in recent years. Some of these include upgrading the barns to have cement flooring, buying new equipment and installing automatic waterers. This is one of the most significant updates because the automated watering cuts down time and effort.
"Investing in the stuff that makes the job easier is probably one of the things I think is most worthwhile," Mark said.
They currently employ methods such as rotational grazing with the NRCS and working with neighbors to utilize ground by planting cover crops that can be used to feed the cattle.
In the future, the two want to acquire a Michigan Agriculture Environmental Insurance Program certification in all the different areas and continue to grow the farm.
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