Traveling across the U.S. as a professional archer led Jeff Hopkins and his wife Tara to know they wanted to call Iowa home. When they visited Iowa, they fell in love with the land, an opportunity to farm and a central location for travel across the country. The couple knew they had found the bull’s-eye for a match made in heaven.
“I am from a farming family on the eastern shore of Maryland,” Jeff explains. "My grandfather was a dairy farmer, and my parents still have a grain farm. I grew up with farming and the outdoors, where archery came into play — my dad and grandfather loved to hunt.”
A decade ago, the Hopkins bought a farm in Lacona, Iowa, where they grow corn and soybeans and operate a land consulting business focused on improving land for hunting. It gives Jeff and their son Scott, who is 24 years old, an opportunity to live out their shared passions — farming, hunting and competing in national archery tournaments.
While bow hunting started as a hobby decades ago for Jeff, this year marks his 30th year of being a professional archer. His accolades are impressive, including earning the designation of 11-time world champion and 10-time shooter of the year, and he has won 65 national titles. He is a familiar face on national television, from ESPN once covering the sport to the Sportsman Channel and YouTube TV dominating coverage today.
“I won my first world championship in 1997 and was invited to go elk hunting with Dale Earnhardt shortly before he died," Jeff says. "In archery, you meet one person, and it opens up another door. It's about relationships, much like farming and the people of Iowa. I’m very blessed and thankful for the lifestyle it has given my family and me."
While being a professional archer involves a lot of travel, it fits well with farming. Archery tournaments end in August, just in time to gear up for the fall harvest and, of course, Iowa's incredible deer hunting season.
With a personal and professional legacy built on family values and relationships, that same philosophy attracted Jeff to Stine® Seed Company.
“Through the farming community, I heard some wonderful things about Stine and started talking with my sales representative,” says Jeff, who started growing Stine products last year.
Both the soybeans and corn performed very well, despite experiencing recent dry growing conditions in Iowa.
“Beyond the quality of products, I like that it’s a family business,” Jeff adds. “That’s important to me. I can never talk about myself without talking about my family. Without their help, guidance and support, I wouldn’t be blessed with the ability to have two careers that I love.”