Ask a Beck’s employee or dealer to describe a farmer and they’ll list off a variety of adjectives…hard-working, tough, versatile, and independent. Or they’ll say that farmers are strong-minded risk takers who are resilient, dedicated, and committed. Ask a Beck’s employee to describe their coworkers and dealers and you’ll hear dedicated, hard-working, considerate, and fun. They’ll share words like innovative, caring, committed, passionate, and honest. But what else do farmers and Beck’s employees have in common? They’re all Farmers at Heart™.
But how do you describe Farmers at Heart? I was determined to find the answers during my last few weeks of my internship, so I set out to interview a handful of employees to learn what Farmers at Heart means to them.
Beck’s Sales Consultant, Megan Kilfoil thinks of family and passion when she hears Farmers at Heart. “It’s literally all about heart. It’s about caring and being passionate about what you do, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be farming. It spans across a lot of different things.”
Craig Rogers, precision farming lead, is reminded of growing up on a farm and the values associated with farm life. Tracy Stevenson, sales consultant, feels that “whether we are farmers ourselves or not, our hearts are with the farmers and we’re trying to do what we can to help them succeed.”
But it’s not just a handful of employees and dealers with exemplify this attitude, it’s the company as a whole. Beck’s embodies Farmers at Heart in a variety of ways and on a multitude of levels – but it all starts with company’s roots and the Beck family.
Brittany James, a seed representative in Missouri, says, “the Beck family are farmers at their core. They remain true to who they are and make it a point to work hard every single day to never forget their roots. They still get mud on their boots and go out and scout fields. They’re literally trying to help farmers succeed in everything they do.”
In my short time at Beck’s this summer as an intern, I have learned one thing. The employees and dealers at Beck’s exemplify what it means to be a Farmer at Heart through their actions. They wake up each day ready to serve farmers, and not just because it’s their job, but because it’s what they genuinely love to do. Kilfoil shared, “Farmers are all around good people. Coming from my personal background of farming, being able to help these farmers today makes it feel like I’m giving back and helping them succeed in what they’re doing.” Stevenson echoes this sentiment, saying farmers are “good American, salt of the earth people that are just plain fun to be around.”
Farmers at Heart is special to many people – because it’s more than just a saying. It’s an authentic feeling that describes a way of life. No matter if you grew up on a farm, farm today, or have never farmed a day in your life, it connects individuals with the desire to serve farmers and an industry that helps to feed the world. James says, “even if we’re not from the farm, it’s in our blood. It’s what we want to do. It’s what we want to be a part of everyday when we wake up.”
Being Farmers at Heart is what unites us all.
~ Michaela Kramer – Marketing Intern