Ryan grew up on the family farm and has been around agriculture for most of his adult life. From the time he was 5 years old, he knew that he wanted to be a farmer. When Ryan had the opportunity to start helping with planting and harvest in 2015, he jumped at the opportunity. He had been hauling grain, pulling flatbed and reefer trailers. The opportunity to come back to the farm was something that he always wanted to do.
In 2016, Ryan and Christine moved back to the Home Farm located just east of Hills, Iowa. With this opportunity to move into Ryan’s childhood home, Ryan and Christine would start to build a solid base of responsibility on the farm. For the first couple years, Ryan worked alongside Richard Oberman (Ryan’s Grandpa) and Lane Yoder (long-time family employee) to start to learn everything there is to know about row crop farming.
In 2017, Ryan came back to the farm full time. His initial tasks involved planting, spraying and harvesting. He also worked as office manager for C&R Pork Farms, Inc. another family owned business. In 2019, Ryan and Christine, along with Lane Yoder, took over full operations of the nearly 1,300 acre row crop operation.
Since 2019, Ryan and Lane have been operating around 1,300 acres of row crop ground. They implemented strip till in 2018 and transitioned to no-till on all acres in 2023. They have also implemented cover crops and have been focusing on improving soil health.
As MTM Carriers progresses into the future, Ryan and Lane are excited about the regenerative practices that they have implemented. Starting in 2024, they will be using compost extract from a Johnson-Su bioreactor. This will help unlock some of the nutrients that already exist in the soil. The ultimate goal is to reduce our carbon footprint, reduce our environmental impact and increase soil health. All these goals will help us produce healthy products and leave the land in better shape for future generations.
If any of these practices interest you, please reach out today to see how we can implement these practices on your farm!
MTM Carriers LLC 