15 minutes with Jake Degler, Pennsylvania custom crop farmer

Jake Degler didn’t grow up on a family farm in Bethel, Pennsylvania, but the neighboring farms in his residential area inspired him to become a farmer since he was “carpet farming” on his parents’ living room carpet.

In 2019, with the purchase of a John Deere 9770 combine, Degler started to make his farming dreams in Berks County become a reality.

“I always wanted to farm and still would like to own farmland, but owning farming ground in this area of Pennsylvania is hard to get into, so custom work opens the door for me to farm every day,” he says.

Four years later, Degler has grown his business, Degler Ag Services, from a combing/harvesting service to spraying, with customers in Berks, Lebanon, and Schuylkill counties. Today, he sprays herbicides and pesticides on about 5,000 acres and harvests nearly 3,000 acres. 

Successful Farming:  What is the newest piece of equipment that you are using with your business?

Jake Degler: I always try to stay on the front line with technology for the data and efficiency for my customers. My newest purchase has been switching from a HydraFlex to a John Deere 635 FD HydroFlex Draper combine head. After the crop is cut by the sickle bar, a canvas-style rolling platform belt catches the crop and is conveyed into the feeder versus to my auger-style header, which at times would slow harvesting a field down because of clogging the feeder. There is also a chance of the crop having a higher moisture content, which can be problematic at times with storing the corn and soybeans in bins. Depending on weather, harvest can be a time crunch so, if I can harvest a drier crop, that at the end of the day benefits the customer. Overall, the draper helps with the efficiency goal, but it allows me to cut the crop sooner or at a later time in the day.

I also rent a John Deere 4830 sprayer with the intent to own it as a way to expand my services to include spraying herbicides and pesticides.

SF: What kind of technology do you use and how important is data collection to what you do?

JD: I use John Deere’s Green Star, which documents yield mapping and provides combine performance results like speed and idle time. I give the crop data reports to my customers so they can see their yields and use those numbers for applying fertilizer rates or consulting with advisors on planting next year’s crops. The combine performance reports really help me determine the equipment performance. It gives me insight into how much fuel I am using and other expenses.

With spraying herbicides and pesticides, I use maps and track the chemistry out on the field, including new products used, the time and date spraying, and weather conditions. I also download a lot of my customers' harvest and spraying reports on my phone to email them out. That’s been a nice feature and a time saver.  

SF: As harvest time is getting closer, do you expect harvest to start later than last year? And what kind of hours do you put in?

JD: In my region we will start harvesting corn and soybeans from the end of September to the beginning of October. My start on harvesting always depends on crop moisture level and the customer's needs. Some of my customers have on-site grain storage available for drying down, while others don't have those same capacities, so I wait until the grain is dry enough to haul directly to feed mills. 

When the harvest is full-bore, I am putting in 12- to 18-hour days. If equipment breaks down, which can happen, I am pulling all-nighters — working on the equipment and getting back in the field harvesting. It’s giving everything to keep the machine rolling. When conditions are good, I estimate that I can harvest about 11 acres in an hour.

SF: Is custom farming a competitive job market?

JD: In Pennsylvania, it is a lively environment, as there are a lot of family farms around who have invested in new equipment and to make that pay for itself, they rent their time and equipment out. Breakdowns can heighten the competition as timing and weather is everything during harvest so, if I have a breakdown that requires a lot more work — customers are going to look for someone else. To make myself more efficient and stand out from other custom services, I bring a service truck with combine parts, fuel, and tools to be prepared for unexpected equipment repairs.

SF: What is one lesson you’ve learned since starting your business?

JD: The biggest lesson that I have learned the hard way is to not be too eager to jump on new clients. As I started, I said yes a lot, which helped me grab a lot of business but soon I was stretching myself thin in terms of energy and time management. I also learned to ask a series of questions of the farmer, which helps me get a better understanding of what type of fields I could be getting myself and my combine into.

SF: What advice would you give to younger generations looking to get into farming through custom work?

JD: It’s hard, but you can do it if you are willing to put in the time and effort needed to build a client base. In addition, keep track of your expenses, look at them closely and try to find ways to make yourself efficient, but also make sure you are getting compensated for your time. Don’t sell yourself short.