For 72 years Cary’s Pioneer Farm has been handed down from family member to family member. The farm was started in 1944 as a dairy farm but switched into a feedlot in 1992. Currently, the farm is run by brothers, Jake and Matt Cary, with their father Scott Cary. As a feedlot, the farm buys and sells steers (non-dairy cattle) for beef. The farm has over 300 steers.
The farm is not just run by the men themselves but from finances from their sister, Stacey Jenkins, and help from multiple outside people, plus the youngest generations of Cary children. This farm is “managed by all of us” states Jake Cary. There is so much work that goes into farm life. “Communication is key to a successful business of any kind,” Jake explains.
The Cary family primarily spend their time together on the farm. Jake implied that this is because they all work together five days a week, the weekend is basically a time for them to go to their separate families. Scott Cary and his wife, Wendy, live on the farm in the house that has been continuously passed down and Matt Cary also lives on the farm. Jake, lives a mile up the road, but it doesn’t infringe on his farm career.
The Cary’s have some traditions within their family. First is “noon dinner”, or lunch, Wendy Cary cooks a huge meal with more than enough dishes for her, Scott, Matt and Jake every day during the week. This is one of the primary times that the brothers and their parents spend together when they are a hundred percent working. Another tradition the Cary’s have is that every Sunday or so the whole family, all generations, get together with Scott’s mother for pizza and all hang out together. This is an amazing way to stay connected as a family outside of farm life. According to Jake “farming is in the blood it is hard to get rid of it.”
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