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"I raise kids, rice and soybeans," Stephen Hoskyn, the head of this year's Arkansas County Farm Family said. With a nine-year-old and twin five-year-olds the raising kids part is just as demanding as the approximately 1,800 acres of farm land that he raises every year. Hoskyn has been farming - on his own - since 2002.
 
"Farming is what my family has done for generations," Hoskyn said. "I grew up enjoying working on the farm. But it was not until college that I really decided that the constant challenges of farming were for me," Hoskyn graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ag Business.
"After graduating from college in 2000, I returned home to work for my father until 2003 when I rented my first 159 acres. Two weeks later I rented another 475 acres. I rented equipment from my father until I was able to purchase what I needed. In 2005 I rented another 750 acres, and with a FSA first-time farmer loan I was able to purchase a majority of my equipment," he explained.
As with most farmers an inside office job was out of the question for Hoskyn and likes the ongoing challenges of farm life.
"You can see what you've accomplished every day - during the growing season," he explained. "I came back to the farm the day I graduated."
He learned from his father on how to handle the operations of farming and also from his father's employees - David Skinner J.P. Shiflett and Danny Colburn - who have been with his father's operation since before he returned from college
 
Taking care of Business
For Hoskyn’s farm Producer’s Rice Mill markets his rice and Riceland Foods markets his soybean crop. After calculating the breakeven prices with their five-year average yield he will forward contract up to 75 percent of a conservative yield at or above their breakeven prices using a step up plan.
“This means we sell five to 10 percent increments each time the market goes up 25 cents above the previous sell. Typically, we will place up to half of our rive crop in Producer’s seasonal pool. We will receive advances on that rice throughout the marketing year.”
But until 2005 additional cash flow — from something other than crops — was welcome. Beginning in 2002 Hoskyn started a custom application business.
“We sprayed between 5,000 and 15,000 acres each year in addition to our own. The proceeds from this business were reinvested in the partnership to increase cash flow. The business was discontinued in 2005 when we increased farm acreage and time was better spent on farm management,” he explained.
Everybody Struggles
The only major problem when starting on his own was his net worth, which was practically none.
“We had trouble attaining financing for our crop inputs,” he explained.
But those were overcome through profitable years and reinvesting those funds into the farm.
“We no longer have trouble getting an operating line of credit,” he said and now looks to expand his operation.
He says his financial advice is to, “give some, save some and spend some,” he tells jokingly.
 
Looking in the future
Stephen said he would like to purchase his father’s operation when his dad is ready for retirement, and keep the relationship with the owners of his father’s rented ground.
“Also, we would like to buy our own land sometime,” he said. “We have been trying to prepare for this purchase by building a larger cash position for a down payment.”
And equipment wise, he would like to purchase a twin-row planter to use in his soybean production.
“With that purchase we could decrease seed costs and hopefully increase soybean yields,” he said.
Trying to be Green
Precision land grading, both zero-grade and straight levees, is a practice that Hoskyn has seen decrease water usage by 15 to 50 percent.
“We also use multiple inlet irrigation which has shown a minimum of 15 percent reduction in pumping time,” he explained. “We soil sample our rice fields so that we neither over nor under fertilizer. We use chicken litter as fertilizer in some situations.”
They have invested in larger field and planting equipment and autosteer technology to lower fuel costs and increase efficiency. “When we grow wheat, we no-till plant our soybeans into the wheat stubble. In some situations we use minimum tillage planting practices,” he said. They have even invested in a waste oil shop heater, which saves on natural gas usage and eliminates the output of waste oil.
For the love of the Farm
“Everything I have has been a blessing from the Lord,” Hoskyn said. “My faith and family are my important things. Our children are the reason that we do what we do. Farming allows us to be together as a family in most everything we do. John Austin (nine-year-old) is taking on responsibilities at the farm and learning that hard work has its rewards. Mathew and Caroline (five-year-old twins) are enjoying playing in and irrigating the dirt for now.”
Ag Pro would like to congratulate and thank the Stephen Hoskyn Family for being selected the 2010 Arkansas County Farm Family of the year and for using Ag Pro Companies as their John Deere Dealer.
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