Logan Korff (B.S. Agricultural Systems Management ’20) and his wife Abby (Bertz) Korff (B.S. Agribusiness Management ’20) graduated from Mizzou and returned to the farm. Logan farms with his dad and grandpa on their fifth-generation row-crop corn and soybean farm in Norborne, Missouri, where they also operate a retail corn and soybean seed dealership. Abby serves as a territory manager for Pioneer Seeds covering west-central Missouri.
Q: Why did you choose Mizzou?
A: From a young age I always knew I wanted to be a Missouri Tiger. After hearing the first “MIZ-ZOU” ring out at Faurot Field it became an establishment I wanted to be a part of. As I got older and heard stories from others in the community who had attended Mizzou, or rather regretted not, it quickly sank in that the roaring “MIZ-ZOU” came from a place of pride and respect that spanned much further than Memorial Stadium. When it came time to make my final decision on where I wanted to attend college, I was confident I would be returning to the farm upon graduation. With that in mind I figured it made the most sense to attend the university in my state that offered the strongest agriculture programs and paralleled me with others from similar backgrounds pursuing similar goals.
Q: Why did you choose your degree program?
A: I originally began my studies within CAFNR in a degree program other than Agricultural Systems Management (now Agricultural Systems Technology), but after talking with peers in the ASM program and hearing about their classes and the discussions they were having I felt as if it better suited my future goal of returning home to the farm. As a farmer we have to manage all aspects of our operation from agronomics to equipment to marketing our crop. The Agricultural Systems Management degree program offered a variety of classes allowing me to cover the broad spectrum of responsibilities of a row-crop farmer.
Q: How did you decide to go back to the farm after graduation?
A: Returning home to the farm was fortunately an easy decision for me. When I graduated high school I knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture. During college I participated in a couple summer internships with off-farm agribusinesses. I am thankful for those experiences as they taught me a lot about myself and the industry as a whole—but most importantly I learned I wanted to be on the farm. With the knowledge that I undoubtedly wanted to pursue production agriculture on my family’s farm, when the opportunity was made available upon moving home amid COVID-19 I took on the role of a fifth-generation farmer.
Q: How did your CAFNR experience help you in making that decision and how does it help you now as you farm full time?
A: As I reflect on my CAFNR experience the largest takeaways that stand out to me are confidence and perspective. CAFNR provided me with the tools to be confident in my decision to return home to the farm, both quantitative and qualitative. It gave me the confidence and the resources to make business decisions while also placing me in an environment amongst peers who were making similar decisions. It was this environment that did, and still does, facilitate the growth of my perspective. Until I went to college the majority of my production agriculture education came directly from being on the farm. Being involved in not just CAFNR, but Mizzou as a whole allowed me to learn from others thus giving me external viewpoints that I can implement into the operation.
Q: What advice would you give a potential CAFNR student that wants to return to the farm after college?
A: Go to college. Go to Mizzou. Be involved. Meet people that look like you. Meet people that don’t. Meet people from other states. Meet people from other countries. Take the opportunity while it exists and make the most of it. Have open conversation with your business partners about returning to the farm and the expectations and opportunities that lie ahead. I have fraternity brothers that farmed while they were in college, some had established farms to go home to and some that started from scratch. It is possible and it is worth it. You will have the rest of your life to farm so you might as well be a True Son while you do it.