How generosity and teamwork nourish a small farming community.

For fifth-generation Holdrege farmer Logan Reed, agriculture isn’t just about growing crops, it’s about growing community connections. Connections that were first forged nearly a century and a half ago. “My great-great-grandfather came over from Sweden in the 1880s and homesteaded here,” Reed says. “I get to do something my ancestors have done for 140 years and continue that legacy.”

From the moment he could just barely reach the clutch, Reed was part of that tradition. “When you’re the oldest kid in the family, you’re thrown into work before you’re ready,” he laughs. “But to me, it didn’t feel like work. It felt like I was contributing to what needed to be done on the farm.”

From Country School to Community Legacy

Reed’s love for community began as a young kid growing up in a country school where kindergartners learned beside eighth-graders. It was there that he experienced a rare kind of closeness that taught him the value of connection, cooperation and caring for others. “I was the last eighth-grade graduating class before they closed,” he says. “I always thought it would be great to bring something like that back for our community. I felt other students could benefit from the same experience that I had.”

Years later, when another small school near Holdrege went up for sale, that dream became reality as a group of people, including Reed, joined forces with one goal: open a rural school. “We had a meeting on Labor Day weekend, and 51 weeks later, we were starting our first year at Legacy Christian School,” he says with pride.

Soon, Reed and other collaborators came up with the idea to incorporate agriculture into the school’s mission. Additionally, Reed and his brother leased the land around the school, planting a test plot next to where the school sits. It was the perfect way to create interaction between the school and agriculture. All the grain farmed there goes back to the school, and the plot provides support for 40 businesses. “Being able to connect agriculture and education is unique,” Reed says. “The kids come out to help plant and harvest. They get to see how their community supports them.”

Stewardship for Generations

Life on the farm came with plenty of lessons, both practical and personal. While the idea that you reap what you sow is a common phrase, Logan quickly learned how widely it applies. “Anything you do on the farm—crops, fixing equipment—if you do it the right way and are sowing, you’re going to reap the benefits of that.”

Those lessons became even more meaningful because he learned them alongside his father—memories he says will stay with him forever. Now farming with his father and brother on the same acres, he sees himself as a caretaker of both soil and community. “Our top priority is taking care of the land,” he says. “If we don’t, it won’t be there for generations to come.”

That mindset guides how the farm operates today. He and his family use cover crops to build soil health, reduce fertilizer use while maintaining strong yields and manage irrigation more efficiently. “A lot of times, you can cut back your water use and apply it when you need it—instead of just running and running,” he explains.

The Power of Shared Purpose

What started as Reed’s desire to give today’s kids the same positive experience he had as a child in school became a hands-on lesson in agriculture that has grown into something much larger—a shared purpose that unites the entire community. “Generosity can be contagious,” Reed says. “And that’s what we’ve seen here. From volunteers, businesses and parents. It takes this community to rise up and support what we’re doing at the school.”

For Reed, agriculture has always been about more than yield or profit. It’s the foundation of community life. “We’ve been blessed in order to bless others,” he says. “Using our farm to benefit not just our family but also our community—that’s what it’s all about.”

Reed summarizes his feelings with a confidence that comes from finding a way to do what you love and help others at the same time. “There may be better ways to make a living. But you’ll never convince me there’s a better way to live.”

Messaging for the Future

The campaign’s themes of resilience, service and legacy are opening doors to other conversations in the agricultural community.

Hanousek connects emotionally with the brand storylines about, “I don’t start my day by logging in, or end my shift by punching out,” and the print ad saying, “The best yields aren’t measured in bushels,” as he balances a full-time job outside of the operation, farming and having a family.

Groskopf also appreciates how the work breaks stereotypes regarding who farms—and it’s a good thing. “It’s good to showcase all of us,” he says. “One thing that we’ve highlighted is different ages, men and women and the diversity of who is farming. We each have a different story, and highlighting them is showing how farming is not one size fits all.”

Preparing the Next Generation

The board also sees the advantage of sharing these stories to the next generation, including children and grandchildren of farmers and new farmers who feel the same passion for the soil. “There is a future in agriculture and farming,” Hunnicutt says. “We want to show the next generation that there’s not just a legacy, but an opportunity.”

The board envisions this campaign as a long-term effort that is only just starting. The success of the campaign is due to featuring emotional stories that resonate. “It’s about trust in farmers,” Hanousek says. “We’re the farmer, but we’re also the Little League coach, the school board member and the volunteer firefighter. We’re tied to the land, and also to each other.”

As long as the campaign runs, the board agrees that “I’m a Nebraska Corn Farmer” is not a label to claim, but a legacy to continue and an invitation for the next generation to make it their own.