In farming and life, most people avoid striking out as much as possible. The opposite is true for fourth-generation farmer Brent Beichley. Strikes are his passion.
When the season for growing corn and soybeans is over, Brent can be found knocking down pins as part of a weekly bowling league and team that goes to state and national tournaments. Just like a love for farming has been passed down through the generations, his grandmother inspired him to take to the lanes.
“When I was 5 years old, my grandma bought a 5-pound bowling ball for me,” Brent explains. “She said, ‘We’re going to teach you to bowl.’ Growing up, she was my biggest fan.”
Ever since, Brent’s been seeking coveted strikes and settling for game-saving spares on the hardwood lanes.
Today, bowling remains a family affair for the 42-year-old farmer who lives a few miles northeast of Marshalltown, Iowa. Brent regularly bowls with his uncle Lynn, and his dad Duane, who lives in the Ozarks, joins the team for the state and national tournaments. His son Jayden is a high school freshman and bowls on the varsity team, and his daughter Jenna bowls when she can spare the time between basketball and volleyball. While Brent’s wife Susan isn’t a bowler, she’s always in the crowd rooting for the family’s teams.
The sport parallels Brent’s philosophy with farming. “I’m always working hard and having fun trying to improve things," he says. "I like it when the previous generation of farmers tells me that I'm doing a good job and to keep it up."
Just like his grandparents cheered him on to do his best in bowling and other sports, having those cheerleaders in agriculture is gratifying.
Brent loves the opportunity to frame up conversations around agriculture whenever he has the chance.
“Stine is our team sponsor, and they supply us with our bowling shirts,” says Brent, who began growing with Stine in 2020. “My dad and I also have bowling balls with the Stine Seed Company logo on it and Kirk Kintz — our Stine Seed rep — is getting a ball made for another member of our league. Having the Stine brand on our shirts and balls is a great conversation starter. People will ask me what the logo stands for, and it’s always a win-win when I get to share things about agriculture, farming and a brand I proudly represent.”
He adds, “Stine is such a great company and family, and I love to be raising soybeans for them. I thank Kirk and the whole Stine family for going far beyond just selling us seed and being a partner for us in the fields and at the lanes.”
Note: Our Ask the Agronomist content focuses on the agricultural innovation that drives our business, but we also want to highlight the stories of our customers, their passion for life and the industry that we all love. If you have a Stine grower story to share, contact marcom@stineseed.com.