Justin Green

Operation

Heritage Family Farms

Location

Arthur, IL

Primary Crops/Livestock

Corn and Soybeans

Are you a Master or a Maverick?

I would say that like anyone, some days I am a Master and some days I am more of a Maverick. I was certainly trained by some people that I consider Masters; my father and grandfather and indirectly my great-grandfather before them. They passed on to me the love for and fueled my passion for farming. They taught me tried and true business principals and instilled the foundation of integrity and honesty as the root of the farmer. Agriculture is who I am and I am who I am, because of the Masters that went before me.

I believe that my youthfulness and passion for agriculture may make me a Maverick in some ways as well. These qualities coupled with the pure enjoyment I have for what I am doing, fuels innovation and willingness to adapt and try new techniques to make our operation thrive.

What is your main concern about the ag industry – currently and in the future? What keeps you up at night?

The growing needs of our planet for food, fuel and fiber coupled with decreasing acreage for crop production is a real concern for me. Each year we strive to produce a better quality crop as well as produce higher yields in order to provide for the growing needs of our world. It is a real challenge to achieve these goals in a manner that is profitable for the producer.

Another concern that I have is getting the true story of agriculture to the public. We as farmers, have not typically been good about getting our story told, and with modern technology, social networking at our fingertips and the push in agriculture to speak out and tell our story, my hope is that agriculture will be seen by the public for the hard-working, planet-protecting, trust-worthy industry that it is.