Tyler and Stephanie Huber named Waseca's Farm Family of the year

Tyler Huber says he and his wife Stephanie feel honored by their recognition as the Waseca County Farm Family of the Year, particularly because they know they were selected from among “a community of strong farm families” who he believes are nearly all working hard and focusing effort on protecting and preserving the land.

 

Tyler and Stephanie married in 2018 and live together in the house once occupied by Tyler’s great-grandfather, who brought the Huber family name to Minnesota from Indiana in 1928. Like most classic farmhouses, Tyler says it’s had a few additions built on over time, and now provides space for the farm’s fifth generation: Brynn, 7; twins Barrett and Briar, 4; and Beau, 9 months. In addition to caring for their family, Stephanie works as a registered nurse.

 

Tyler and Stephanie both describe being glad their children are growing up in a farm setting, where they have the pleasures and responsibilities of being present as generations work together on shared projects, ranging from picking up sticks in the yard to repairing and maintaining machinery, to the large-scale endeavor of harvest.  Even at age 4, Stephanie observes, Barrett’s favorite place to be is “out in the machine shed with his dad.”

 

Tyler remembers many parallel experiences from his own childhood. “Picking rock is ingrained in my mind forever,” he says, when asked to list some of the chores he helped with alongside his father, grandfather, and siblings. He was one of four who grew up on the farm; he remembers helping with harvest already at age 8 or 10, when he would drive the farm’s John Deere 620 tractor to pull wagons to the elevator.  

 

Learning to recognize chores and responsibilities as an opportunity, Tyler admits, was a gradual process, but he now treasures the memories both of working for his own family’s operation, and then being called upon to earn a little extra money and to build community connections when he and his siblings were teenagers and were sought out to help with projects on nearby farms.

 

He also recalls certain advantages when he was looking for traditional teen jobs at stores or factories, since business owners seemed to like hiring “farm kids” because they understand the importance of being responsible and reliable.

 

Tyler and Stephanie’s children are also able to share in a three-generation experience, since Tyler’s parents Larry and LuAnne, who now live in Waseca, are frequently at the farm to help with projects or visit.

 

In 2019, Tyler expanded the traditional farming operation that included growing corn and soybeans as well as raising about 60 head of steer, to also working with Beck’s Hybrids, which has agencies in 23 states. Beck’s offers seeds and crop inputs, along with services that continue into the growing season, including providing customers with seeds for replantings at no additional cost. The company has been the right choice for him and his way of doing business, Tyler says, because it is family owned, farm centered and faith based.

 

Starting the business, he says, provided additional income that made it possible for him to be on the farm full time, rather than seeking supplemental income at a more traditional job.

This means, he describes, that his springtime planting season is probably even more hectic than for a typical farmer, since he is not only preparing to get his own crops in the ground, he is ensuring his customers’ needs have been met. As the summer proceeds, he uses his round baling equipment to make about 200 bales for use on his farm, and about 1,500 more for those who choose to hire him. The baling equipment, he says, is expensive and “temperamental,” so many find it advantageous to hire the work done.

 

When “Mother Nature throws us a curveball,” he also helps troubleshoot emerging situations with crops purchased through Beck’s. “The company promises farmers they’ll have a crop,” he observes, “even when that means using a different hybrid or changing from corn to soybeans.”

 

Toward the end of the summer, Tyler and representatives from Beck’s often visit with some of his 40 or so customers to view their fields and perhaps begin conversations regarding the following year.

 

A September customer appreciation event leads into harvest time. The completion of one growing season leads almost directly into planning the next one, so conversations about next year’s crops begin around November.

 

Stephanie speculates that being recognized as the Farm Family of the Year is an indication people have appreciated Tyler’s ways of doing business and recognize “how much of himself he pours into his work.”

 

Looking toward the future, Tyler says his priorities are making sure the farm remains financially viable and the land is preserved and protected for future generations.

 

“In 2028, my family will have been farming in Waseca County for 100 years,” he mentions. “That’s a gigantic milestone that makes me want to raise my kids on the farm and leave things so that they can take over someday, just like the previous generations did for me.”