(Dowells Featured in Spring-Summer 2003 1st Farm Credit Services Publication - COUNTRY SPIRIT courtesy of magazine)
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
(Dowells Featured in Spring-Summer 2003 1st Farm Credit Services Publication - COUNTRY SPIRIT courtesy of magazine)
The cows and their calves have ambled to the ridge on Larry and Barry Dowell's farm near Stronghurst. Standing or reclining contentedly under the canopy of oak, maple, Kentucky coffee trees and other hardwoods lining the ridge, they seek the shade from the early afternoon sun, as well as the hilltop breeze that discourages pesky insects.
The pasture is dressed in the lush emerald of early summer and blankets the bluff carved ages ago by the relentless Mississippi River, which has now retreated several miles to the west in Henderson County.
With no visible reminders of modern life rudely encroaching on the serenity, the quiet and comforting scene seems timeless.
Instead of 2003, it could just as easily be 1840 when the Dowell's ancestors first settled the farm. For 160 years, the Dowell family has been here, and cattle have been a primary focus of their operation.
The Dowells' cattle operation was featured in the most recent issue of Country Spirit magazine, which is published by 1st Farm Credit Services for its 8,500 clients.
In a story entitled, "Family Tradition," the Dowells were highlighted on the cover and in the magazine's section that features clients of the cooperatively owned agricultural financial services organization.
"We like to profile clients who are doing something special in their operation or community involvement," Country Spirit Editor John Leatherbury says. "Through our publication, we try to feature and celebrate the diversity of agriculture and the unique characteristics and strengths traditionally found in the farm and rural community, and the Dowells certainly typify those," he adds.
Pioneer Beginnings
According to Larry, family tradition says his great-great-grandfather Ross was a wholesale grocer in Philadelphia when he purchased two 160-acre tracts in sparsely settled western Illinois. "We're not sure how he got to Chicago, but he came down the Illinois River to Peoria and they came the rest of the way on horseback to inspect the land," Larry reports.
The family settled on the land and began farming. His great-great-grandfather left 160-acres to each of his two sons, Larry continues. At one point, one brother sold his land to the other and moved West, becoming one of the founders of Garden City, Kansas, he tells. The remaining brother was Larry's great-great-grandfather, who passed along the farm to his son, Larry's grandfather.
Larry's mother was his grandparents' only child. She married and had three children- two sons and one daughter. Then one day before Larry's fifth birthday, his mother died, and he and his siblings were raised by their grandparents there on the farm.
Larry and his brother, Sid, worked with their grandfather on the family farm and eventually took over the operation.
Prior to returning to the family operation full-time, Larry went West and worked on a family member's cattle operation.
One day, he relates, he received a phone call from a high school friend who had received a football scholarship to Western Illinois University. He wanted Larry to come and attend WIU and room with him. "Classes started the day after next," Larry chuckles.
Well, Larry got on a train and made it back in time to enroll. He attended WIU for two years, returned to the family farm in 1956 and soon after married wife Becky.
Continuing the line
Larry and Becky's son, Barry, followed a somewhat similar course, working on the farm as he grew up. He also attended WIU and received his agricultural business degree in 1987, returning to the farm.
After their grandfather's death, Larry and Sid farmed in partnership from 1968 until 1985.
With Barry partially through college, they felt it would be easier from a management and transition standpoint to split the farm's assets and no longer operate under the partnership structure.
A decade ago, Barry and Terri were married, and now the family includes one son Caleb, 6, and daughter Abby, 2.
During the past several years, Barry has assumed more management responsibilities. Both Larry and Sid retired about a year ago, and Barry is managing the day-to-day operations.
He is farming Sid's ground and leasing his equipment. He also purchased some land from Sid.
Today, the Dowells are operating slightly more than 900 acres of crop land and 340 acres of pasture. Larry and Sid cleared part of the pastureland from timber, and the rolling hills are perfectly suited to raising cattle.
Of the crop land, they raise about 650 acres of corn, 200 acres of soybeans, and about 60 acres of hay, which is baled, ground and tub-fed to the feed lot cattle.
Their current cow-calf herd runs about 310 head, and historically they have produced about 225 calves annually. They feed out their calves and buy other feeders, marketing between 700 and 800 fed cattle a year.
Barry and Larry both believe it takes top ingredients to produce a superior product. It is a philosophy that permeates their operation-from pasture management to breeding genetics.
Larry says they spend as much or more attention on their pastures as they do on their crop land, including spring and fall fertilizing and on annual sowing of clover seed.
Buying the right type of bulls Barry contends, has been one of the operations major successes.
"Our weaning weight is up and so is the number of cattle grading choice at slaughter," he says. The Dowells consistently strive to earn quality premiums from packers.
While they used to prefer Angus, Horned Hereford and Limousin bulls, today they primarily use Angus-Gelbvieh crossbred bulls.
"In today's cattle market, you need a little continental blood," Larry explains, referring to the Gelbvieh (pronounces gelp-fee), which originates in Bavaria.
Gelbvieh calves are widely recognized for excellence in growth, feedlot efficiency, muscling and marketability, while Gelbvieh females are known for milking ability, fertility and quiet temperament, according to breed information.
Barry says they utilized AI several years ago and are contemplating trying it again next year. He also is experimenting with synchronizing the heifers to narrow the calving window, particularly because he is moving to calving twice a year. This will be the first year for fall calving, which should start about September 1st.
Making the transition
Barry says that one of the challenges the family has faced with the operation is the recent transition from his father and uncle to him. He says he knows in some families that one of the most difficult things to do is just make the decision-and then stick to the plan. That plan, he says, is critical and needs to be done well in advance. Even in their situation, it has taken several years to accomplish the inter-generation transition.
Price volatility in the cattle market also has been a challenge, Barry relates. That's one of the reasons they focus on capturing the quality premiums. Another strategy they are employing is the purchase of shares in the Iowa City Beef Processing plant set to open in Tama, Iowa. With plants closing all across the country, Barry says he believes having such shares in a processing plant is vital to ensuring continued access to the market
While Barry is looking at eventual expansion, he is careful about not doing it at the expense of quality. "I'm optimistic about the beef business. If you produce good quality, you will do all right," he reiterates.
Efficiency also will continue to play an important role. "Our goal is to produce a cow on 9/10ths of an acre, with the other 1/10th producing the crops needed to support the cow," Larry interjects. He believes keeping good records is essential to be able to identify the sources of that efficiency-and profitability.
Long history with FCS
Larry Dowell started doing business with Farm Credit Services in the mid-1960's when he ran into a common problem at his local bank. The operation's credit needs exceeded the bank's lending limits. He's been an FCS client ever since.
Barry says he actually became an FCS client 31 years ago at the ripe old age of 9, obtaining a loan as part of a 4-H livestock project. The Dowells have used FCS operating and equipment loans and they recently added crop insurance.
Shane Yard, from 1st FCS' Monmouth office, is the Dowells' financial professional and Deb Etheridge is their crop insurance specialist.
Larry and Barry says they like not only 1st FCS' competitive interest rates, but also the convenience of doing business with the organization. "We also appreciate the very polite, friendly, professional service," Barry adds.
Asked what advice he might have for other producers with similar operations, Barry says, "Get good, quality cows and bulls, but don't overextend yourself to do it."
"You have to know your farm," Larry adds. "What works on our farm might not work on yours."
1st Farm Credit Services, headquartered in Normal, serves agricultural producers and agribusinesses in 42 northern, central and western Illinois counties through 23 offices.
The 1st Farm Credit Services office serving Warren, Henderson and western Knox counties is located at 240 S. Main Street, Monmouth, and can be reached toll-free at 1-800-432-6267. In addition to Yard, Ed Anderson serves as the office's financial professional; Jamie Johnson and Andrea Furniss are the office's client service representatives; and Brandi Simmons is the crop insurance client service representative.
Other area 1st FCS offices are located in Aledo, Carthage, Edwards, and Macomb.
1st Farm Credit Services offices also can be reached by phoning toll-free 1-800-444-FARM, or through the organization's Internet web site at www.usfarmcredit.com.
1st Farm Credit Services is the leading provider of farm real estate financing; operating loans with enhanced cash management options; equipment and building leasing and loans; farm appraisals; and Revenue Assurance (RA), multi-peril, crop hail and credit life insurances.
Farm Credit Services, rural America's client-owned partner for more than 85 years, helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and advice, and a feeling of partnership with its clients.