Customer Feature: Wesley Kent (Winding River Farms)

你有多少次听说大学课堂上某一天改变了一个学生的生活和事业? Well, that was the case for Augusta County farmer, Wesley (Wes) Kent. During Wes's senior seminar at Virginia Tech, 帕蒂·克劳恩(前农业信贷贷款官员和贷款负责人，于2024年2月退休)来到班上讲课. Patti说的正是Wes需要听到的——如何在财政上负责任的道路上开始农业行业，以及与十博体育APP官方网站机构建立牢固关系的重要性. 由于那次客座讲座以及韦斯自己的动力和决心, he built a diversified farming operation from the ground up, over the last 24 years, in which he continues grow, improve and evolve his practices. 

1996年从弗吉尼亚理工大学毕业后，韦斯在两个不同的奶牛场当牧人. During that time, he learned valuable lessons and best practice. 他买了几头牛和一台拖拉机，打算开始自己的生意. In 2000, Wes signed a lease on the land and facility in Weyers Cave, VA that he continues to operate today as Winding River Farms. At that time, he was milking about 80 cows on 180 acres. 

In 2003, Wes worked out an arrangement with American Farmland Trust, 他们购买了农场并为农场签订了租赁购买协议. 韦斯接管了该物业现有的火鸡业务，其中包括一个火鸡房. 

By 2004, 韦斯积累了足够的股权，通过农业信贷获得贷款，买下了最初的180英亩土地. 他有自己的土地，又有五年(当操作员)的经验, Wes was looking for opportunities to grow. In 2005, he began a long-term lease of the 350-acre farm that adjoins his, which is still in effect today. 这次扩张给了他足够的空间开始建造自己的肉牛群, in addition to hay and crop production. 

In 2011, 韦斯买下了隔壁的农场，又增加了120英亩的土地, allowing him to begin raising his own Holstein replacement heifers. In 2013, 他在这块土地上建造了第二座火鸡屋，后来由于利润增加和劳动力需求减少，他把它改成了鸡舍. 

Recently, Wes demolished the original, 他还计划在未来几个月内建造一座新的鸡舍. It was too costly to revamp the existing, outdated house and as a grower for Pilgrim’s Pride, he would receive an incentive to build a new house. 他还从美国农业部获得了美国农村能源计划(REAP)的资助，以帮助降低新房子的能源效率成本. 

In 2015, Wes reached a point with the dairy operation where his old, dated parlor was causing labor issues, 于是，他和农场信贷公司的贷款官员坐下来仔细计算了一下数字，他们想出了增加两台莱利机器人挤奶机的计划, 这使他能够在不雇佣额外帮手的情况下将奶牛群增加到130头. The addition of the robots has been positive overall, though not without growing pains in the early months. The cows now average 2.每天7次访问，每头奶牛每天的产奶量增加了10-15磅, depending on forages. 

韦斯目前的牛肉生意是和附近的一个农场主合作经营的, which consists of 85 cow-calf pairs. 肉牛放牧的牧场不会像农田那样多产, 因此，这种合作关系运作良好，为蜿蜒河农场提供了更多的多样化. 除了扩大他的业务，韦斯在他的24年里改善了设施. He built a new pack barn, parlor, dry cow barn, heifer barn, machine shed and poultry house (with another one in the works). 韦斯还把所有的溪流围起来，并在牧场上安装了灌溉系统. 

Farming can be a thankless job, 但韦斯很有动力，因为他知道自己在尽自己的一份力量为人们提供食物. “Given my skillset and the abilities I’ve been blessed with, I’m able to raise quality food products for others, whether it’s chicken, beef or milk," he said.

Wes continued, “我也试图让农场的东西看起来很好，以便为农业树立一个良好的形象. I try to promote the industry as much as possible by giving tours, 举办小组活动，邀请干草客户来农场，让他们亲眼看看这里发生了什么.“韦斯也很自豪能通过拥有和照顾这片土地在农场留下一笔遗产, so that it will be in good shape for the next generation. 韦斯和他的搭档安妮一起工作，同时也是一名全职员工. 他的大儿子放学后也帮忙，他的小儿子似乎很喜欢在农场里跑来跑去, too. 

蜿蜒河农场未来的计划包括今年增加新的家禽饲养场. 韦斯想购买他目前租赁的全部或部分土地，并长期翻新围绕机器人挤奶系统的乳制品设施. Looking to the future, Wes plans to continue to enhance his sustainable farming practices, with cover crops and no-till planting. 他还与乳品方面的一位新买家建立了令人兴奋的合作关系, 只要农场能满足可持续性要求，谁会为牛奶支付高价呢.

As with all beginning farmers, Wes faced a number of challenges over the years, including labor issues, 在安装机器人和其他意想不到的障碍之后的几年里，牛奶价格很低. At times, he had to be creative to make expansion projects happen. From the lease purchase agreement with American Farmland Trust, which involved putting the farm into a conservation easement, 在马里兰州的帮助下，在农场建造了三座分摊费用的建筑 & 弗吉尼亚牛奶生产者合作协会和切萨皮克湾基金会, to the REAP grant from USDA, 韦斯利用了各种各样的项目来帮助他的业务发展. These programs, 以及与弗吉尼亚合作推广公司的良好工作关系, service providers, neighbors and other local farmers, 帮助他的公司取得今天的成就吗. 他还将自己的成功很大程度上归功于他与农场信贷公司的牢固关系以及信贷员的指导. 

韦斯特别感谢帕蒂·克劳恩多年来的支持, 在她与弗吉尼亚农场信贷公司合作期间，她致力于帮助他的业务起步并取得成功. 

This feature story was published in the June 2024 Leader Magazine. Access the full magazine (digital version) HERE.