As a young farmer running a row crop operation, along with a custom spraying business, Zac Soltvedt knows the secret to success in agriculture is having a strong work ethic, grit and curiosity.
He learned those values growing up around his grandfather’s farm in Seymour, Wisconsin.
Originally going to school to be a machinist, Zac knew his real two passions were crops and the outdoors.
In 2015, after the passing of his grandfather, Zac followed his heart, and with the support of his wife Amber, took over the family farm and didn't look back.
“I didn’t like to be cooped up in a building on nice days,” Zac explained. “Honestly, I don’t even like being cooped up on rainy days. I have always liked being outside, running machinery and making business decisions.”
Zac operates a row crop farm and custom spraying business.
When making those decisions, Zac has a simple philosophy.
“In everything I do, I always try to do better than the year before no matter what the challenges are. Some years, that’s easier said than done, but that’s always the goal.”
The other part of that philosophy: leaning on others with experience in the business.
After working with another bank to help finance his farm, Zac wanted a lender that had more experience in the agricultural sector. He made his way to GreenStone, and now works with Financial Services Officer Corey Fanslau, who brings a wealth of knowledge in agriculture and lending.
“GreenStone understands agriculture,” said Zac. “It’s really nice to have a banking institution that understands that a farmer’s financial records are going to look a lot different than a traditional business. I bounce ideas off Corey all the time and it’s nice to have him as a sounding board and as another tool in my toolbox.”
Zac works day-in and day-out to ensure the success of his operation.
Corey shares the excitement of this partnership.
“It’s been a good relationship,” said Corey. “Zac, for being a young farmer, has shown a lot of vision for where he wants his operation to go. He’s supporting himself with a good nucleus of teammates to achieve his goals and become more profitable.”
Zac takes advantage of GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth program that provides flexible loan terms and resources for young, beginning and small farmers. One perk of CultivateGrowth is the mentorship program. It matches fellow young, beginning and small farmers with veteran farmers to share advice and strategies.
Zac’s experience in the mentorship program is a testament to why it exists – to forge important connections and share experiences.
“I was paired with a large grain operation,” said Zac. “They were very nice guys. It was nice to be able to ask questions. They were forward-thinking like I am. It was nice to get opinions on what does and doesn’t work for them.”
As if farming 500 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat is not enough, Zac also spends his time running a custom spraying business. It was a passion he picked up early on in his farming career.
“I started going out and working with customers my grandfather had worked with in the past,” explained Zac. “Then, by word of mouth, the business grew larger. I try to always be straightforward with what growers actually need and what chemicals they can go without.”
Right now, Zac’s custom spraying business is covering 10,000 acres, and he says it will most likely stay around that number.
“I value quality over quantity,” said Zac. “Before I take on more work, I need to make sure I can handle it and won’t be doing insufficient work.”
Aside from growing crops, Zac’s future plans involve growing his operation. He’s currently looking at ways to acquire more land and weighing expansion options.
“We’re always looking at trying to expand if we can manage it, as long as we can still do a good job,” said Zac. “I always want to do more to hone in on the bottom dollar and take a look at what I can cut and what I can expand to get better margins. I want to fine tune our portfolio and figure out where it is we need to excel in.”
Corey is always happy to assist in weighing those options.
“Zac has been good at looking to the future and he has not been afraid to embrace new things,” said Corey. “He wants to control what he has now and as he moves forward, he will be able to acquire more land and control more land. His ultimate goal is to grow his operation.”
Zac understands leaning on his mentors is key to his success.
With the resources of GreenStone and his mentors at his side, the future looks plentiful for his operation.
“He’s asking questions and looking for other folks to help him,” said Corey. “He educates himself and seeks good counsel when he moves forward so I think he will be successful as long as he keeps doing that.”
And as someone who now has some years under his belt, he offers this advice to anybody considering a career in agriculture:
“Don’t be afraid to work hard and get out there and do it. That’s the mindset of our business operation. You have to work hard. A lot of people just want to dream, and don’t want to do, but you have to do a little of both.”
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