Innovation on the Nicholson Family Farm

Jeremiah Nicholson grows corn, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye grains) and alfalfa on his family farm in Dodge City. Under Nicholson Ventures, the family also raises cattle.

Jeremiah's passion for farming came from a desire to help feed the world. He said it may sound like a cliché, but it's heartfelt.

"It's important to me because when individuals don't have to focus on where their food is coming from, it allows them to excel in other areas of their life," he said.

With a bachelor's degree in agriculture economics with a specialty in finance from Kansas State University, Jeremiah has been able to help his family's operation with a unique perspective.

"We're a fourth generation farm. Our farm has always been innovative on the way that we approach our strategic vision and the tasks at hand," he said. "It makes it fun to come back to in that way and allows me to operate with my family — something that's very had to come by anymore."

One of his favorite aspects of farming is solving problems that crop up.

"When you're dealing with living things there's constantly things arising that you have to figure out," he said.

Sustainability is a hot topic in agriculture, and Jeremiah's family has innovated to incorporate economically and environmentally sustainable practices in their operation.

"I think agriculture has an opportunity to meet the challenges of the future. We've been innovative to this point and have no doubt that we'll be a solution and not a problem going into the future," he said. "A unique thing about our business operation is that we've developed technology and methods to utilize or economically dispose of waste streams for municipalities and industries. With wastewater for instance we've developed treatment methods that allow the use for crop irrigation that gives the industry a cheap way to get rid of a byproduct and promotes local taxable revenue for the state and city."

To learn more about Jeremiah and Nicholson Ventures, check out their Facebook page.