Five years ago, Andrea Meyer and husband, Ryan, watched their hay baling business go up in flames (literally). After years of work building up their crews, customer base and machinery, the business was gone in minutes when a power surge ripped through their side-by-side barns. But it didn’t break their spirit or desire to forge ahead.
“We had worked for so long to get to that point,” says Andrea. “We couldn’t afford to go back to the beginning or jump back into where we were, operationally. So, we dove head first into working with Stine. We weren’t growing the product [at the time], but we liked how Stine was run and how they were moving toward the future. It was our best decision.”
A shared vision
Andrea had always wanted a life in the country. She met Ryan in college and they married in August 2002. It was decided early on in their relationship they would run his family farm together as business and life partners. So, as they started building their baling business, they also raised a family — 14-year-old Gus, 12-year-old Evie and 9-year-old CeCe.
“Ryan and I are totally a partnership,” says Andrea. “We get along well and share the same vision for our farm, family and future. We recently changed our business name to Meyer Family Farms because we wanted a sense of family. We hope to have the kids involved one day and foster that sense of everybody working together for a common goal.”
Field work
The day-to-day work for Ryan, an Independent Sales Representative (ISR) with Stine, and Andrea is what you might expect. From loading orders, all accounting and consulting with other farmers, Andrea says her day is full of making decisions for the betterment of their family farm and that of others.
“Ryan talks to the farmers and sells the seed and I work to ensure everything else is taken care of, customers have what they need and it’s all accurate,” says Andrea. “It frees up Ryan to do other things. He and his dad farm nearly 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat.”
Andrea said this kind of partnership and balance give her the flexibility to be involved in her kids’ schools and community activities.
“I like to volunteer or substitute a few days a month,” says Andrea. “It’s fun to be at school with the kids or watch them in their various sports and activities. I love the position we’re in right now."
And at the end of the day, the Meyers have a small lake house about an hour from their home. Andrea says this easy getaway helps keep them connected as a family, enjoying a different aspect of Mother Nature’s beauty.
Learning from women in ag
With two daughters watchful of their mom’s key role on the farm, Andrea says she and Ryan do everything they can to point out the involvement of women wherever they go.
“Women in ag have such a future,” says Andrea. “When we go to the fertilizer plant, the women are not ‘just’ answering the phone. They are the ones who know what’s going on. And we tell our girls they can do that, too — it doesn’t have to be a traditional ‘girl job.’ There’s a big emphasis to learn everything they can, be knowledgeable and go for it!”
On the horizon
Andrea is keenly aware of how her farm partnership looks different from women before her. She’s growing her ag career while ensuring their grower customers have what they need to produce a bountiful harvest.
“We want to be successful and grow, but we want to stay grounded and show our kids they can do this, too,” says Andrea. “They can live in a small community and be successful without having to make millions of dollars. For us, that means working a quarter mile from our home, doing the best work we can for ourselves and others.”