On Mineral Valley Farms, three generations of Niman Ranch farmers are raising livestock for a more sustainable future.
Brenden Kleiboeker’s family has farmed in Lawrence County, Missouri since they moved from Germany to the United States in the late 1800s. In 1965 his grandfather established Mineral Valley Farms, where Kleiboeker lives today.
A 6thgeneration farmer, Kleiboeker was inspired by his father and grandfather, certain that a career in farming was right for him. He now helps run Mineral Valley Farms with his grandparents, Don and Carole, his parents, Philip and Margaret and two siblings, Kaitlin and Keenan.
“知道我们所爱的这种职业和生活方式已经通过我的每一代家庭都传播，并且知道我想要自己和我未来的孩子的这种生活方式……让我今天和未来几年都在土地上，”坦克。
大约15年前，Mineral Valley Farms加入了Niman Ranch网络。在此之前，他们将猪卖给了商品市场。但是当猪市场在1990年代崩溃and Mineral Valley Farms was looking for a more stable market, they turned to Niman Ranch.
“为Niman Ranch筹集猪，我们为猪肉获得了更多的钱，开销费用较少。”
Niman Ranch的commitment to sustainabilityalso aligns with Kleiboeker and his family’s values.
No till farming allows the farm to conserve both soil and water while waterways help to improve water quality on the farm.
“知道，通过您的决定，您可以改善世界是一种非常令人满意的生活方式，” Kleiboeker告诉Food Tank。w88优德老虎机平台
尽管克莱博克（Kleiboeker）承认自己从事农业的职业，但随着行业的发展，年轻的农民面临许多挑战。小时候，克莱博克（Kleiboeker）回想起他家附近的一个奶牛场。但是今天，他们正在消失。他还知道，几十年前，猪农民也见证了类似的趋势。
But Kleiboeker remains confident in farmers’ ability to persist. “Times change, as do industries,” Kleiboeker tells Food Tank, “but I believe in the future of agriculture and know that agriculture will always remain.”
With help from organizations like the尼曼牧场Next Generation Foundation, young farmers like Kleiboeker are receiving the support they need to pursue careers in agriculture. Launched in 2006, the scholarship aims to help develop the next generation of farmers by offsetting the costs of higher education.
在他注意到年轻人从事耕种职业的年轻人时，他说奖学金是一个很大的帮助。“我现在可以专注于真正重要的事情，而不必担心我将如何为学校付费。”
Kleiboeker解释了National FFA Organization还为年轻农民提供了绝佳的机会。“您不仅与行业专业人员建立了无数的联系，而且您获得的领导才能是无价的。”
Kleiboeker believes that these skills will prove useful as he continues to advocate for his community and fellow farmers. He also hopes that he can inspire more people to engage with the food system.
“随着世界上所有的事情，没有食物就无关紧要。”
照片由Brendan Kleiboeker提供
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