Farming, Leadership and Community: Meet the Kohls
When you step foot on the Kohls’ property in McPherson County, you’ll not only be greeted by the sounds of their daughters’ laughter, but also by their friendly golden retriever, Massey, and two farm cats who act like they might believe they’re farm dogs, too. Once you get past the cuteness overload, you’ll have a chance to sit down with Kevin and Kim, two young farmers who love to share their passion for agriculture and leadership.
Kevin and Kim are no strangers to agriculture, as they both come from farming families. Their love of agriculture led them to Kansas State University, where they studied agricultural engineering and agronomy, respectively.
Kevin minored in agricultural business with an emphasis in agronomy. Having a well-rounded degree was important to him. After graduation, he worked in product development for John Deere and later moved to Hesston to be closer to family, where he worked for AgCo Manufacturing and had the opportunity to travel overseas.
“Most of my overseas travel included going to Europe and Brazil,” Kevin said. “I was able to see the agricultural practices and the social, political and economic situations that impact our global commodity business firsthand.”
Kim had her own journey. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she pursued a master’s in agronomy.
“I was one of the few women agronomists getting my master’s degree,” Kim said. “Since then, there have been more young women agronomists and they are becoming more interested in agriculture and becoming more involved.”
Apart from her duties as an agronomist, Kim is a stay-at-home mom. She has made it her mission to raise her daughters with an understanding and appreciation of where their food comes from.
“Being able to stay at home with them allows me to involve them day by day with our farming operation,” Kim said. “We call our oldest our little ‘soybean girl’ because she just loves to go and check the soybeans and pull the weeds. It’s fun to see both of their interests in farming and to be their mom.”
Currently, Kim serves on the Kansas Soybean Association board as the sixth district representative, which she was inspired to join after participating in the Young Leader Program.
“I believe it’s important to be involved with the Kansas Soybean Association so that soybean farmers have an advocative voice,” she said. “Going through the Young Leader Program has really enlightened me on how big the scope is in agriculture. We’re involved across the globe, in markets, policies and all sorts of facets.”
Kevin was also shaped by his time in the Young Leader Program. The program immersed them in training exercises and leadership development activities, where they met other couples from across the U.S. and Canada. Today, they utilize the leadership skills they cultivated in the program in the Kansas Soybean Association and as farm operators.
Kevin and Kim hope the industry that has given them so many opportunities will also provide their children with endless possibilities. Work ethic, time management, strategic thinking and an ability to look at issues from a global perspective are just a few of the values that Kevin holds close to his heart.
“My hope is that the girls will pick up a lot of similar values and character traits that I picked up as a young guy,” Kevin said.
While Kevin and Kim have only farmed on their own for a few years, their future as community leaders and soybean farmers is bright.
This article was written by Maddy Meier, an intern with the Kansas Soybean Association.
