Farm and Family Go Hand-in-Hand on the Miller Farm

Farm life isn’t easy, but when family works together, anything is possible. No one knows that better than Keith Miller, who works alongside his daughters and their families on his 10,000-plus acre farm in Great Bend, where they grow wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum and alfalfa. Keith has taught his daughters to always take care of family and taking care of the family starts with taking care of the farm, which requires patience and hard work.

During wheat harvest, it’s all hands on deck. Keith’s daughters and their families take vacation from their day jobs to lend a hand running the four combines and four semitrailers needed to get the job done. His brother-in-law and nephew also pitch in. Keith intends to keep the farm in the family and is working on transitioning the operation to his nephew, his daughter and her husband as the next generation to manage the farm.

Farming is a year-round business and there is always work to be done. In winter, Keith rebuilds equipment in the shop and transports hay to the grinder. Before spring, Keith and his family get together to decide what crops to plant and determine what inputs they will need. (“Inputs” is farm speak for field applications needed to maintain the crops such as fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides.) In the spring, the family moves the cattle to graze on pasture grass throughout the summer. Spring planting season starts with corn and alfalfa, followed by soybeans and sorghum. Before planting is complete, the family starts baling alfalfa hay, a process which continues all summer long. In late June, wheat harvest starts and takes about two weeks. They plant the following year’s crop of wheat late September, then switch gears to harvest the other crops throughout the fall. As crop farming season starts to wind down for the year, Keith and his family take their cows off grass and transport them back home to work and feed all winter long. Then the cycle beings again.

Each cycle comes with its own challenges. Keith must ensure they have the necessary parts to make equipment repairs in winter and navigate market swings on crop prices summer and fall year after year. Plus, there’s the constant worry of weather. Despite these stressors, Keith said there are many rewards to farming, such as seeing baby calves being born and watching his grandkids play on the farm. Keith is truly thankful to have his family involved in all aspects of the operation.

Off the farm, Keith does his part to advance agriculture as a whole by serving on the Kansas Soybean Commission and the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

On the Kansas Soybean Commission, Keith helps to improve profit potential for soybean farmers across the country through the organization’s research, marketing and education efforts. Keith said if it weren’t for the research on improving the quality of soybeans and disease resistance conducted by the Kansas Soybean Commission, his family farm would not be where it is today.

While serving on the U.S. Meat Export Federation, Keith had the opportunity to travel extensively. He was able to promote American agriculture products globally, while learning about agriculture in other environments. These experiences encouraged him to make the best choices for food production and quality of life on his family’s farm.

For Keith and his family, the goal is to ensure the food they raise is the best it can possibly be, which means they raise safe, quality food that can be shipped across the country and beyond.