"Dreams don't work unless you do"
| When I was growing up, farming was always a part of my work life. It wasn't until after I graduated high-school and was forced to think about what career path I wanted to take, that it soon would become my entire life. I've never been pushed into farming by my family, like many kids are that grow up on the family farm. My father was pushed hard into farming by his father, and he firmly believed that his children should pick their own career path in life. He told me many times "Farming is a tough job, you can spend countless hours working hard for several years of your life and end up going broke, and end up right back to where you started." His warnings never swayed my interest in farming, it only solidified the fact that all great things come with greater risks. Becoming a successful agricultural entrepreneur soon became my dream.
| My educational path into agriculture has been a winding road, filled with sharp curves and many potholes along the way. I began my educational journey at John Wood Community College where I received my associate's degree in agricultural business management. Once I graduated, I just couldn't help but feel like there was just so much I still needed to learn, in order to be successful in operating my own business. I then set out to further my education, and chose to enroll at Western Illinois University.
| "The more you do, the more you fail. The more you fail, the more you learn. The more you learn, the better you get."
| A year prior to my enrollment in WIU, I took over farming a 40 acre farm that my grandpa passed down to me and my siblings after he passed away. During my first fall semester at WIU, I had a crop of some non-GMO corn sitting in the field, waiting to be harvested. The forecast was calling for heavy snows soon, and my dad had his own soybeans yet to combine, so I quickly took action. I scoured every corner of the internet searching for a combine I can call my own. I had previously sold my pick-up truck and bought a cheaper, more fuel efficient vehicle to travel back and forth to school with, so I had some extra money laying around. I quickly made use of those funds, when I found a 1981 International 1460 combine sitting on a lot at a salvage yard in New Berlin, Illinois. Me and my dad headed down there in the semi and flatbed trailer to check it out. After looking it over, I decided it was worth taking the risk, and I bought it. Little did I know at the time, this decision would later teach me several important life-lessons.
| "Life is playing a poor hand well. The greatest battle you wage against failure occurs on the inside, not the outside."
| I spent hours upon hours getting it running and operating how it should, so that I could take it to the field. There had been several people that had warned me that "buying an old machine will bring nothing but a headache." I'll be the first to say that it has been, at times, a real headache. After all those late nights working on in the shop, I was finally ready to take my combine to the field. I got my crop harvested that year, and have now completed 3 harvest seasons with that old combine. It required lots of patience and having to make repairs out in the field late at night and usually in the freezing cold, but I was determined to make it work. Every time something happened I didn't just fix or repair something, I learned a valuable lesson. The combine has since then paid for itself, and I've been able to use it to help friends and family members harvest their crops as well.
| "The more you know, the more you know you don't know."
| As I have continued to progress through my college career at WIU, I have found that there are a lot of things I have yet to learn. I began to realize that I needed to supplement my education, so I began purchasing books on agronomy, soil health, and sustainable agricultural practices (such as cover crops) to read in my spare time. As I finished one book after another, my passion for agriculture grew exponentially. I became hungry for knowledge and wanted to seek out answers for everything. I realize now, how little I actually knew about agriculture at the start of my journey. My educational journey is far from over, as I've really grown to embrace the concept of life-long learning and the importance it serves in the life of an entrepreneur. I've embraced the concept of failure, because without it you cannot succeed. I've found that life is about taking educated risks, and constantly seeking new opportunities to expand your horizons. Any dream worth having is worth working hard for, and if you put your faith in God he will bless you in ways you've never imagined.
| "The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding…The LORD of Heaven's Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom."
| About the Author Hi, my name is Taylor Boston, and I am from Carthage, Illinois. I am a senior at Western Illinois University majoring in Ag Business with a focus on Agronomy. I am a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity here at WIU. My plan after graduating this spring is to continue to help out on my family's farm and start my own series of agricultural enterprise's. Thanks for reading my blog!
| "Dreams don't work unless you do"
| When I was growing up, farming was always a part of my work life. It wasn't until after I graduated high-school and was forced to think about what career path I wanted to take, that it soon would become my entire life. I've never been pushed into farming by my family, like many kids are that grow up on the family farm. My father was pushed hard into farming by his father, and he firmly believed that his children should pick their own career path in life. He told me many times "Farming is a tough job, you can spend countless hours working hard for several years of your life and end up going broke, and end up right back to where you started." His warnings never swayed my interest in farming, it only solidified the fact that all great things come with greater risks. Becoming a successful agricultural entrepreneur soon became my dream.
| My educational path into agriculture has been a winding road, filled with sharp curves and many potholes along the way. I began my educational journey at John Wood Community College where I received my associate's degree in agricultural business management. Once I graduated, I just couldn't help but feel like there was just so much I still needed to learn, in order to be successful in operating my own business. I then set out to further my education, and chose to enroll at Western Illinois University.
| "The more you do, the more you fail. The more you fail, the more you learn. The more you learn, the better you get."
| A year prior to my enrollment in WIU, I took over farming a 40 acre farm that my grandpa passed down to me and my siblings after he passed away. During my first fall semester at WIU, I had a crop of some non-GMO corn sitting in the field, waiting to be harvested. The forecast was calling for heavy snows soon, and my dad had his own soybeans yet to combine, so I quickly took action. I scoured every corner of the internet searching for a combine I can call my own. I had previously sold my pick-up truck and bought a cheaper, more fuel efficient vehicle to travel back and forth to school with, so I had some extra money laying around. I quickly made use of those funds, when I found a 1981 International 1460 combine sitting on a lot at a salvage yard in New Berlin, Illinois. Me and my dad headed down there in the semi and flatbed trailer to check it out. After looking it over, I decided it was worth taking the risk, and I bought it. Little did I know at the time, this decision would later teach me several important life-lessons.
| "Life is playing a poor hand well. The greatest battle you wage against failure occurs on the inside, not the outside."
| I spent hours upon hours getting it running and operating how it should, so that I could take it to the field. There had been several people that had warned me that "buying an old machine will bring nothing but a headache." I'll be the first to say that it has been, at times, a real headache. After all those late nights working on in the shop, I was finally ready to take my combine to the field. I got my crop harvested that year, and have now completed 3 harvest seasons with that old combine. It required lots of patience and having to make repairs out in the field late at night and usually in the freezing cold, but I was determined to make it work. Every time something happened I didn't just fix or repair something, I learned a valuable lesson. The combine has since then paid for itself, and I've been able to use it to help friends and family members harvest their crops as well.
| "The more you know, the more you know you don't know."
| As I have continued to progress through my college career at WIU, I have found that there are a lot of things I have yet to learn. I began to realize that I needed to supplement my education, so I began purchasing books on agronomy, soil health, and sustainable agricultural practices (such as cover crops) to read in my spare time. As I finished one book after another, my passion for agriculture grew exponentially. I became hungry for knowledge and wanted to seek out answers for everything. I realize now, how little I actually knew about agriculture at the start of my journey. My educational journey is far from over, as I've really grown to embrace the concept of life-long learning and the importance it serves in the life of an entrepreneur. I've embraced the concept of failure, because without it you cannot succeed. I've found that life is about taking educated risks, and constantly seeking new opportunities to expand your horizons. Any dream worth having is worth working hard for, and if you put your faith in God he will bless you in ways you've never imagined.
| "The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding…The LORD of Heaven's Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom."
| About the Author Hi, my name is Taylor Boston, and I am from Carthage, Illinois. I am a senior at Western Illinois University majoring in Ag Business with a focus on Agronomy. I am a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity here at WIU. My plan after graduating this spring is to continue to help out on my family's farm and start my own series of agricultural enterprise's. Thanks for reading my blog!
| | Western Illinois University School of Agriculture | |
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