Faith, Family, and Farming: How One Farmer Built a Multi-Generational Operation

We welcome Steve Boender, a farmer from Oskaloosa who shares his remarkable journey of faith, family, and farming over 50 years. Steve reveals how he and his wife Jan started with nothing but an FHA loan at ages 18 and 19, building a diverse agricultural enterprise while raising six children who've all returned to agriculture in various capacities.

• Started farming in 1974 with 200 acres and an FHA loan at age 18
• Found resilience through faith during the 1980s farm crisis when banks refused loans
• Created independent business opportunities for each child rather than just positions in the family operation
• Diversified beyond traditional farming into seed sales, custom work, trucking, and excavation
• Measures success not by how necessary he is to the operation but by how well it runs in his absence
• Built a reputation for servant leadership that extends throughout the agricultural community
• Believes in the principle that "when you shovel out, God shovels back—and God has a bigger shovel"
• Views his responsibility as not just teaching his children but teaching them to teach their children
• Values relationships over self-sufficiency, recognizing the importance of both giving and receiving help

Join us next week for more wisdom from Steve as we continue exploring what truly makes the farmer agriculture's greatest asset.

Chapters

• 0:14 Meet Steve Boonder
• 5:23 Starting From Scratch in Farming
• 10:35 Faith Journey Through Farming Challenges
• 16:10 Building a Multi-Generational Family Operation
• 22:16 Community Impact and Servant Leadership
• 28:11 Legacy and Letting Go
• 36:50 What Success Really Means