For Nebraska Catholic couple, farming more than just a livelihood

FRIEND, Neb. (CNS) — More and more farm and ranch families are faced with the decision to get a job in town to supplement their income or quit farming or ranching.

It is a decision many rural families hope they never have to make.

But as they face new challenges to remain competitive in an ever-changing market, these families are also finding creative ways to keep what for them is not simply a job, but a way of life they cherish.

For Catholic couple Sheldon and Judy Kohout, the solution for generating more income was opening a custom meat-processing plant on their farm near Friend. They named their new business Straight From the Farm.

The couple is the third generation to live in the same farmhouse and farm the same ground. They have nearly 1,000 acres. The Kohouts also raise cattle and hogs.

"With the drought things were getting tight. It was either I go to town (to get a job) or we have to make this work," said Sheldon Kohout.

A severe drought that was into its fourth year and the high cost of seed, fuel, chemicals and irrigation — coupled with marginal returns — forced the Kohouts to look at their options. The husband and wife also had part-time jobs off the farm to supplement their income.

Sheldon Kohout’s great-grandfather bought the farm in 1924, and his grandparents farmed the land. Then his parents farmed it, and Sheldon grew up there. He and his wife married in 1985 and moved to the farm in 1991.

"We talked about many things and we asked ourselves, what do we have on the farm that we can benefit from?" said Judy Kohout.

Both are familiar with meat processing. They had butchered cattle, hogs and poultry for themselves and for neighbors. Years ago, Judy Kohout noted, many families butchered what they needed on their own farms.

"We thought it (meat processing) was something that people do not have access to anymore," she said in an interview with the Southern Nebraska Register, newspaper of the Lincoln Diocese.

Their pastor, Father David Bourek, encouraged them to pursue it. "The only way you can mess up a good idea is not to act on it," said the priest, who is pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Friend and its mission, St. Wenceslaus in Milligan.

Father Bourek still helps out on his own family’s farm near Howells.

"Being familiar with the farm, he seemed to show up at our place when we needed him most," Judy Kohout said.

The couple got processing equipment from auctions and suppliers. This spring they put up a new building, close to their house, for their new business.

Each week, they process up to two cows and two hogs, which local farmers bring to them. The Kohouts also sell retail beef and pork selections they process from their own herds. And they have their own pasture-raised chickens and turkeys that they process for sale.

The Kohouts’ business is also environmentally friendly. All of the cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys they process are pasture- or corn-fed. The animals are never confined, and their meat contains no antibiotics or additives.

"We believe in raising livestock the way nature intended — giving animals ample space, fresh air and exercise," Judy Kohout said.

They also sell eggs from hens raised on the farm and fresh fruit which they get from fruit farmers in the San Joaquin Valley in California. In addition, they sell their goods at four local farmers’ markets. All their products are inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and distributed locally.

The Kohouts also offer farm tours, hayrides and cookouts for individual families or groups.

They realize it will take time for their business to take off. "Our banker told us it will take maybe three to five years," Judy Kohout said.

But they have a complete marketing strategy, and to take advantage of the Internet they plan to create a Web site.

The Kohouts said their new venture also has benefits far beyond the financial aspect.

"We feel this is what God wants us to do," Sheldon Kohout said. "We were not ready to give up," his wife added.

The Kohouts also want their sons — Kyle, 18; Casey, 15; and Wessley, 13 — to know that farming is more than making a living. Kyle and Wessley have expressed an interest in farming someday.

They want their boys to see that farming is about getting to know God’s creation and learning how to use it properly. The farm, the Kohouts said, teaches things their sons can’t learn elsewhere, such as the dignity of work, reliability and responsibility.

"Farming is my life," Sheldon Kohout said. "It is part of me. I can’t think of not doing it."