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Creative, custom path key to young farmer success 

A young farmer says out-of-the-box thinking is a requirement for any beginning farmer because of the high costs of entry. 

“The price of commodities is up, the price of the equipment is extremely high, the price of land is extremely high.”  

Robyn Fogarasi tells Brownfield it’s taken her and her husband a decade to grow their business which today includes 1,200 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, and more than 350 beef cattle. 

“We do a lot of custom work for hay, we do a lot of custom fieldwork, and get out there when it’s harvest time and do a lot of custom harvesting as well,” she shares. 

The couple has relied on selling custom meat and maintaining positive relationships with neighbors to help with their growth. 

Fogarasi says working closely with the conservation district and securing grants along with young farmer program funding has also been extremely beneficial. 

Fogarasi has been named this year’s Michigan Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Award winner.