A Farm to Call Their Own

An impressive new beef barn at Gatlynn Hesse’s crop and livestock farm in western Illinois is now full with 205 Hereford cattle. The 12,600-square-foot structure, painted deep ocean blue and easily seen above the gravel road that passes by, is dedicated half to cow-calf pairs and half to finished cattle.

Building the structure pointed to the family’s positive outlook for Illinois’ beef industry, which has struggled with numerous challenges. It also stakes a claim for Gatlynn’s future in rural Illinois, home to some of the best farmland in the country.

Exactly how she’ll fit in is undecided, though. But there’s lots of time to sort it out. After all, Gatlynn is only 8 years old. And you’d think that would make her stand out among the other members of Curt and Amanda Hesse’s family. But in fact, Gatlynn and her three siblings – Jersey, 21, Rees, 6, and Oliver, 4 – are all getting a jump start on farm ownership, thanks to the dedication and vision of their dad, Curt. Each of the young Hesses already has, or will soon have, their own farmstead, not far from the family farmstead near Mendon, about 25 miles from the Mississippi River.

Farmland for each child

For nearly 20 years, Curt has kept his ear to the ground for nearby farmland becoming available. He’d make an offer with the family legacy in mind if the price was right.

“I always had this dream that each of my children would have a piece of land they could call their own,” Curt says. “I wanted their land to stand alone rather than be carved off the home farm so that it would be unique to them. I believed land ownership was key if they wanted to farm for themselves.”

The Hesse farming legacy runs deep in Adams County. Curt’s great-great-grandfather, August Hesse, started farming in the area in 1901. The family raised pigs, sheep, horses and cattle. As a boy, Curt showed Hereford cattle, a breed he still loves.

They grew and harvested their own hay. “We produced thousands of bales on that land,” Curt says. “I had a lot of energy.” He would go on to develop his own 40-head Hereford herd on his own 80-acre farm near Lima, about seven miles from the Hesse homestead.

For as long as Curt can remember, the family has used New Holland haying equipment and worked with the same dealer. “Besides farming, my dad was busy building houses,” Curt says. “We didn’t have time for machinery to break down on the farm. New Holland equipment was dependable.”

Owning farmland a priority

The importance of owning land became immediately evident to Curt when he graduated from Spoon River College in Canton, Illinois, specializing in diesel mechanics. There wasn’t enough livestock or land on the home farm for him to become a partner, so he signed on with various firms as a diesel mechanic.

That turned out to be a good move. It was steady, good-paying work, and in 2004, he laid down his savings for the Lima farm. With help from his contractor dad, Jim, Curt built a house for himself and his family. That farm is where Jersey, an agricultural communications student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was raised.

“I learned so much on that farm,” Jersey says. “How to hunt with a bow and a gun, build forts, cut brush, show cattle and develop a sense of independence.”

Purchasing the land

Curt purchased the children’s farms with a combination of off-farm income from his work as a diesel mechanic and sales of cattle and grain. It began in 2006 with Jersey’s farm when she was just 3 years old.

Over time, that farm has grown to comprise 120 acres of crop and pastureland, a house and land for hunting. Gatlynn’s farm, which would turn out to be the best location for their new beef barn, was purchased for her in 2018. At the time, it had an existing, smaller beef barn and lots of room to expand, making it a natural place to develop the new larger barn.

Four years later, Curt bought Reese’s 80-acre farm on which the family grows corn and soybeans and grazes cattle throughout the year. In a stroke of luck, Reese’s farm is adjacent to the 1901 homestead.

“I’m proud that I was able to get land so close to where it all started for our family,” Curt says. Indeed, producers know that connecting parcels of farmland meaningfully can be a real challenge.

Finally, Curt plans to have farmland purchased for Oliver, too. All farm mortgages will be paid off in 15 years if everything works out. That’s about when the youngest child will be ready to strike out on their own, like their big sister Jersey, a talented public speaker who is embarking on a communications career.

“My goal is to use my upbringing in the ag sector and my university education to help others understand agriculture and food and defend it when needed,” Jersey says.

Creating a legacy

All told, Curt and his children raise 200 cattle and farm 200 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat, 50 acres of alfalfa with four cuttings and 112 acres of pasture, mostly on clay silt-soil. The gently rolling land has a productivity index of 120-124 and drains well, making it ideal for growing the alfalfa they feed their cattle. Curt still works as a diesel mechanic for the state of Illinois, and Amanda stays busy as a swine research manager for ADM. 

Their efforts are all designed to create a legacy for the Hesse children.

“When you’re raised in the country, you want to stay in the country,” Curt says. “That’s the opportunity I want to give my kids.”