Fatherhood and Farming at Legleiter Farms

Matthew Legleiter can trace his passion for farming directly back to his father, Clarence.

“Ever since I was able to walk, I was by his side learning different tasks on the farm, from taking care of the cows to growing crops and driving tractors,” he said. “Farming was always something that brought me joy, and I wanted to always give it everything I had. Every second I had, I was out spending time with him and learning. Once I was introduced to farming, I knew that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life and couldn't imagine doing anything else.”

The youngest of three boys, Matthew was born 10 years after his middle brother. His mother, Carolynn, told Clarence he would be responsible for their youngest son. So growing up, Matthew knew a different side of his father than his brothers. His father took him to the farm regularly, starting in elementary school.

“When I got to middle school, I started helping him more,” Matthew recalled. “I think he started realizing I was interested in farming. I didn’t care about sports. All I wanted was to be out at the farm.”

Matthew said he and his father worked closely for so long, they could read each other’s thoughts. Once, he helped his father move locations at his day job, and his father’s co-workers said it was amazing to watch them work together. Matthew didn’t need to be told what to do. He just instinctively knew what his dad needed.

In 2012, Clarence started dealing with depression. He stopped working the farm, so Matthew stepped up and oversaw the operation.

“I would bust my butt, go home and tell him all about it,” he said. “I think my interest kept him going, and it helped my drive seeing that.”

Matthew said he would try to push Clarence to get him out of his depression, but now understands that you never know what someone dealing with depression is going through.

“It is real, and you’ve got to take time for yourself,” he said.

Matthew said his father grew up in an age when “you worked and you worked and you worked — you didn’t take any time for yourself.”

Clarence has since passed away, and Matthew is a dad himself now. He tries to know his limits take the insights he gained to heart.

“I have an awesome support system with my wife,” he said, adding he makes the most of family and farm time so he can be fully present for each.

Matthew and Karlee met through friends in 2016.

“I told her from the get-go that I farm,” he said — his way of explaining that if things got serious between them, she would have to come to him. “You can’t pick up a farm and move it.”

As much as he might have liked to have more of the rain in Silver Lake where Karlee lived, his first love — the farm — was in Liebenthal in drier central Kansas. So Matthew’s second love picked up and moved to be close to him. The couple married in 2020 and welcomed their first child, daughter Andie, in 2022.

Like Matthew as a child, Andie is her father’s shadow and loves being on the farm.

“From tractor rides to feeding cows, she loves the farm,” he said. “She’s at my side every chance she gets.”

Matthew happily obliges her with ride-alongs.

“It’s throw the car seat in the truck or the tractor and let’s go,” he said.

Matthew and Karlee’s second child, son McCoy, was born in 2024 and, although still too young to know what farm life is all about, he may soon be following in his sister’s footsteps.

“He’s starting to get a personality and smiling,” Matthew said.

For Matthew, the future of his children and his farm are closely linked.

“I'm passionate about farming because it was something my dad and I did together. All the way up until his passing, we were working side by side completing everyday tasks to make the farm successful,” he said. “I hope to be able to pass it down to my children in the future.”

Matthew raises cows and calves and grows wheat and sorghum at Legleiter Farms. He started building his cattle herd in 2013, then added some acres for crop farming in 2019. It’s a lot to juggle, but he loves both aspects of his operation. He hopes to grow his herd and adopt more technological advancements.

“I like to try new things,” he said. “I’ve gone to guidance AutoTrac™. You don’t realize how much you overlap. I’m not stopping as often, and I’m getting more done.”

AutoTrac™ is a technology that uses GPS to enable farmers to plot their fields with precision. When it comes time to plant, harvest or apply fertilizer and other inputs, the system will automatically and precisely cover a farm’s acres, reducing gaps or overlaps in the rows, saving farmers time and money.

Matthew recently got a drone pilot license through work and is exploring using drones to spray his crops. He also hopes to introduce no-till and cover crops in the future.

“Back in the day we used to have to burn our wheat stubble,” he said. “We’ve come a long way. Now we’re between conventional and minimal till, leaving more crop residue out there. I’d like to use cover crops for putting cattle out to graze.”

Making such changes takes time and requires planning and capital — just a few of the many considerations that go into farming that the end consumer doesn’t necessarily see at the grocery store.

“We wear quite a few other hats to make sure we’re getting the most of our product,” Matthew said. “The farmer’s got to be a banker, a weatherman, a market guy.”

Even with the best-laid plans, farming is risky.

“My dad used to say he didn’t need to go to Vegas because he gambled on the farm every day,” Matthew said. “The year you get an abundant harvest, the price is terrible. The year you get no harvest, the price is at levels you haven’t seen in years.”

Still, Matthew wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“My favorite part about farming isn't just one thing, it's everything,” he said. “From working in the field, to planting the seed, to a successful harvest. Seeing the hard work one puts in leading up to harvest time is quite rewarding. Also, another favorite part of raising cattle is getting to pick out the cream of the crop from your calves, holding them back as heifers and raising them knowing that you will eventually help feed the world.”

Matthew currently runs his farm in addition to working a full-time job. He hopes to be able to focus solely on the farm one day.

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