“Every man is called to give love to the work of his hands. Every man is called to be an artist. The small family farm is one of the last places — and they are getting rarer every day — where men and women (and girls and boys, too) can answer that call to be an artist, to learn to give love to the work of their hands.” — Wendell Berry
Through our Beyond the Fields series, we’re honored to share the stories of local farmers like Jeff Storck —stories that reflect the heart of rural Missouri, where generations of communities have trusted CFM since 1869.
To farm is to live at the mercy of weather, markets, and time — but also to witness miracles in the everyday. It’s equal parts grit and grace. For CFM policyholder Jeff Storck, farming became the life he chose at just 8 years old, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father. Decades later, he’s still tending the land, raising cattle, and working side by side with his family to keep the tradition alive.
Now, after 35 years of praying for rain, working through dry spells, and giving thanks for good harvests — Jeff owns and cares for several farms rich with family history: fourth generation on one, third on two others, and second on the land where he and his family make their home. Across Lafayette, Saline, and Johnson counties, they raise corn, beans, wheat, hay, and cattle. Each farm carries its own legacy, but together they tell a larger story: a family’s deep, enduring love for the land and the life it provides.
A Family Affair
Jeff’s workday begins with the sunrise, when the sky is still painted in soft blues and pinks, and the world feels quiet except for the hum of the farm waking up. Beside him are the people who make the long hours worth it — his wife, one of his sons, and daughter, each carrying on the family rhythm of work and care.
“First thing, we check and feed the cattle. Then we head to the field, look over the equipment, fuel up, and get to work. The days are long and tiring.”
The hours stretch endlessly during planting and harvest, but for Jeff and his family, this life isn’t something they bear — it’s something they embrace.
The pulse of farm life, with all its demands and joys, was set in Jeff’s heart long ago.
“I was around 8 years old when I knew I wanted to be a farmer. My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all farmed, so I wanted to follow in their shoes from the beginning.”
From that moment on, Jeff’s life took root in farming — a calling to work the land, raise his family in agriculture, and preserve the heritage his great-grandfather began.
The Power of Community
Farming is often painted as a solitary life, but Jeff knows better. It’s about neighbors looking out for one another, showing up when it matters most. He remembers it vividly when his father passed away unexpectedly one November, leaving crops still standing in the field during harvest season.
“We had family, friends, neighbors, and other farmers that came over and helped us get all of his crops harvested. We can always depend on neighbors and fellow farmers to help when someone is in need.”
Moments like that show that farming is never a one-person job; it’s a community effort. In rural Missouri, neighbors step in when it matters most, turning hardship into a reminder that no one carries the weight of the fields alone.
Lessons in Resilience
Losing his father was the deepest hardship Jeff has faced in his decades of farming. A father is more than a teacher in this life — he’s a steady hand to call on, a neighbor in the truest sense, and often the first one to show up when something breaks.
“I could always call and ask him a question, or he was always willing to come over to help me fix something that I wasn’t sure how to fix.”
When that presence was suddenly gone, Jeff was left with silence where guidance used to be. He had a choice: step back, or step up. He chose to step up — holding tight to the lessons his father had instilled in him, replaying advice he’d once taken for granted, and learning to trust his own hands to get the job done.
“I had to remember things that he had taught me and learn to figure out how to fix things on my own.”
The loss never got easier, but it became a part of Jeff’s story — a reminder that resilience is not just learned, but inherited. It’s carried forward like the land itself, shaping each generation that rises to meet the challenges of farming life.
Weathering the Uncertainty
Agriculture, Jeff says, is a way of life filled with purpose — yet it’s a life lived at the mercy of uncertainty.
“Agriculture is very rewarding, but it comes with many challenges and disappointments. We depend on Mother Nature to provide rain so our crops can thrive. And sometimes we just don’t get rain when it’s so desperately needed. It’s a big disappointment when you combine and the crops aren’t great.”
The Good in the Grind
For Jeff, the greatest blessing goes beyond yields or livestock — it’s the life farming allows him to live. The chance to rise with the sun, work side by side with his family, and witness the everyday miracles of birth, growth, and harvest is something he doesn’t take for granted. It’s a rhythm that keeps his family connected to each other, to the land, and to God — and one he hopes will carry on long after him.
“The biggest reward is having my family work by my side and watching my three kids follow in the life of agriculture. It is also rewarding to see when that seed you planted turns into a plant or when you witness a cow giving birth to a calf. It makes you stop and thank God for the job He has given you.”
Looking to the Future
Even as he reflects on the past, Jeff keeps his eyes on the future. He upgrades equipment when necessary, rotates crops, and passes on what he’s learned to his children. He knows that in today’s ag industry, standing still isn’t an option — studies show that nearly 60% of farms that fail to adopt new technologies struggle to survive beyond the next generation.
For Jeff, adapting isn’t about abandoning tradition; it’s about protecting it, ensuring the farm will remain alive and thriving for those who come after him. That protection doesn’t stop at the fields, either. With the right insurance in place, farmers can make certain that the barns, equipment, and livelihood their families depend on will endure, no matter what uncertainties lie ahead.
“My hope is that my children continue farming the ground that my family has farmed for generations. Knowing that all three are active in agriculture, I feel they will continue to keep all of this going long after I am gone.”
Farming has always been about something deeper than production. It lives in the people beside you — in family sharing the work, in neighbors stepping up during hard seasons, and in the generations who laid the foundation before. At its heart, it’s a life built on faith, strengthened by resilience, and grounded in gratitude for each day lived on the land — a life that reaches far beyond the fields.
