15 minutes with Illinois farmer Mark Baker

Mark Baker and his wife, Kim, started farming with little to their names but never let that stop them from building an operation that today supports three families, including their two sons.

"And the grandkids [stretching in age from 1 to 7] are already making plans to farm," Baker says. "One of my granddaughters has already told us that she and her cousin are going to take over the farm."

Every day is the future is Baker's mantra, and it shows in his family's willingness to look for and take on new ventures. "We look for every opportunity agriculture has to offer," he adds.

SF: You mentioned that your wife of 38 years, Kim, is your total partner.

MB: We are a team in every sense of the word. She is at the heart of our successes and certainly my greatest blessing.

SF: You seem to have a penchant for diversifying your operation.

MB: We didn't have a lot to begin with, so we always looked to expand by diversifying. We kept and then expanded the dairy, which is now at 450 head, thanks in no small part to having a great herdsman, Dennis Corp. We have taken on custom work chopping forage for area dairies.

SF: And you recently started growing hemp.

MB: Yes, for oil. Now, that has been an eye-opening experience! We've pared back to 5 acres but were over 160 acres at one time. It's a very time- and capital - intensive crop. The profit potential in the crop has softened lately, which caused us to cut back on its production. But growing the crop has taught us a great deal about agronomy.

SF: Besides selling Precision Planting equipment, you also hold planter clinics.

MB: Running a dealership (Baker Precision Planting Works) provides another income source. But it's more than that to us because we also hold clinics to train farmers to troubleshoot and adjust their planters and monitors to create optimal yields. That planter is the key piece of equipment when it comes to establishing a crop's yield potential. It's amazing how advances have made the planter the essential tool to establishing yields. We know that education is key to planter performance. And we learn so much from my farmers – both those who buy equipment and those that come to our clinics.

SF: You also find time to train first responders on grain bin rescues!

MB: Kim lost her first husband to a farm accident, so this has been a passion for us. I've been training emergency personnel as well as employees at grain elevators – well, anyone who will have me – on grain bin rescue technique now for over 25 years. We usually hold about two classes a month. Over 70% of our rural first responders in the U.S. are volunteers who need training. So this is one of my missions … that is, to work so that we don't lose another life that would have been saved with correct rescue training.

SF: You mentioned that agriculture constantly presents opportunities.

MB: There isn't an industry around that moves as fast as agriculture. It is constantly changing, and that creates opportunities. If you are willing to stay on that ride, it can be a great experience … one that can include having your family with you in business. And that (having our family on the farm) is a huge blessing for us.

Background: Mark and Kim Baker farm with sons Zachary and Chad near Orangeville, Illinois. Their highly diverse operation includes corn, soybeans, and forage crops as well a four-year venture into growing hemp for oil. Livestock includes a 450-head dairy. The operation does custom forage harvesting (chopping) for area dairies.

They also operate Baker Precision Planting Works, which sells Precision Planting equipment and holds planter performance classes.

Baker has dedicated himself to training emergency personnel through his company, Stateline Farm Rescue.