Tyler Brune, of Sedgewickville, Mo., dreams of being a farmer some day, and Missouri Farm Service Agency (FSA) is helping to make his dream a reality through the Farm Loan Program and the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).
Brune, 19, started his operation in 2006 when he obtained an FSA rural youth loan to purchase four cow-calf pairs. In 2009, he received an FSA direct farm operating loan to expand his cattle operation and purchase 27 heads of Angus cattle and a corral pen. The funding for the operating loan was provided by the Recovery Act. In the same year, Brune received an FSA direct farm ownership loan to purchase 33.6 acres.
“This young man has had to step into some pretty large shoes when he was growing up-not only physically and mentally, but also at times with managerial responsibilities,” said LaDonna Petzoldt, farm loan officer in Bollinger County, Mo., who watched Brune take over the responsibility of maintaining his father’s cattle operation, after his father became blind.
Today, Brune is continuing to build his herd which now consists of 37 cows and two bulls. He practices rotational grazing on 47 acres, some of which he owns and some that he leases. In the future, he sees his operation growing.
“Hopefully, I’ll expand my cattle herd and acreage,” said Brune. “Eventually, it will increase to a 70 brood cow herd.”
And if his cattle operation didn’t keep him busy enough, Brune is also a full-time student at Southeast Missouri State University where he will be a sophomore majoring in business. He said he has a future in agriculture and sees FSA having a role in that.
“FSA will help financially and help me meet my future goals of increasing my cattle operation,” said Brune.