2012 North American Farmer's Direct Marketing Convention
Click here to go to the previous page
Leaving the Farm to Gain Experience and Then Coming Back
Program Code:
240
Date:
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Time:
2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
EST
SPEAKER
(S):
|
Chris Eckert is the seventh generation of Eckert's to farm in St Clair County, IL and is the current President of Eckert's Inc.
Eckert's operates a 22,000 square foot country store, 320 seat restaurant, Custard Stand and three pick your own fruit farms in the St. Louis Metro area. Eckert's hosts over 600,000 guests to their operation annually.
Chris has a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois, has graduated from the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program and he and his wife Angie were recent recipients of the Outstanding Young Farmers of America award.
Chris and Angie live on their family's farm in Belleville, IL with their two children, Ella and Theo.
|
|
Steven Johnston is a sixth generation fruit farmer from New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The Johnston family farm celebrated its 150 year anniversary in 2011. He works alongside his parents at the Apple Castle, a traditional farm market operation open year 'round. He believes that apples are the king of fruit and therefore fit to live in a castle. The market specializes in home grown fruits and sweet corn, locally grown vegetables, homemade apple cider donuts, cider, honey, and most of your other farm markety items. He attended The Pennsylvania State University, earning an honors degree in Agricultural Business Management. Steven then worked at Brown's Orchards & Farm Market in York, PA, holding the positions of Gift Basket Department Manager, Assistant Orchard Manager, and Store Manager while there. He then returned home in May 2011. He is happily engaged to Ashley Musser.
|
Description
The Eckert family policy requires all family members to work at least two years away from the family business before being considered for full time employment. I will share my personal story of my time away from the business, what experience I gained and how this impacted my ability to contribute to our company.
Is It Worth It? - Steve
I am the sixth generation of a family orchard and farm market. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness Management, I decided to work for a larger and more diverse orchard and farm market for three years before returning home. Was it worth it for me? (Spoiler alert: Yes!) Would it be worth it for your family? It certainly can be, but it all depends on how you structure your goals for the experience. In this session, I will share my personal journey and offer points to discuss if you are considering this route with a member of your own family.