Farming with Diversity

Scott and Cindy Renze
Manning, Iowa

A return to farming

For Scott Renze, diversification in his farming practices is key. Both his grandfather and father modeled the diversification Scott now practices. Scott’s grandfather started a seed company, Renze Hybrid Seed Company, in the 1930s, and bought the Renze farm in 1953; Scott’s father always raised both crops and livestock, “We’ve branched out in a few areas but that was always their thought…Stay diversified.”

After Scott graduated from Iowa State University in 1978, he worked for Iowa State Extension and then worked at Hertz Farm Management, which he found “invaluable.” However, he said that he always knew that at some point he would return to farming, and after working at Hertz from 1979-1983, Scott knew “[he] was ready and decided to come back into it.”

In 1983, Scott returned to the family farm with a degree from Iowa State University and an accreditation in farm management gained from working at Hertz. In 1984, Scott, Cindy, and Scott’s parents formed a farm corporation.

While at Hertz, Scott also met his wife, Cindy; they married in 1982 and are raising four children who range from college age to six years old: Jennifer is 20 and a junior at Iowa State University; Steven is 18, graduated from high school and working at the Ethanol plant near Coon Rapids, Iowa; Bradley is 15 and a sophomore at Manning High School; and Ryan is six years old and in kindergarten. Scott’s wife is employed at the bank in Manning. Scott has taken control of the farm, as his father is now mostly retired but stays busy on the farm, as he likes working with the cattle. Scott raises cattle and hogs, finishing a portion of the hogs produced from his sow unit located near Audubon, Iowa. The cattle are fed in the feedlot on the home operation site and also in custom feed lots that are located outside of the state.

Be progressive

Scott has practiced no-till farming since the late 1970s and uses the manure from his livestock to fertilize the crops, which he says they have always done; he also uses his crops to feed the hogs and cattle, which equates to raising “maybe 30 percent of [their] needs [on the farm].”

The other 70 percent of the feed is purchased at the local coop, the Aspinwall Cooperative in Aspinwall, Iowa, where Scott serves as a board member. Soybeans from the Renze farm are sold at the coop, and seed beans are raised for the Renze Hybrid Seed Company, as well as for another company that is near Harlan, Iowa.

In addition to his farm activities, Scott helped area business people and farmers organize a fundraising effort for the construction of what is now Tall Corn Ethanol in Coon Rapids, Iowa. Although he does not sell his corn there because it is fed to livestock, he views his ownership as an investment. Scott enjoys his involvement with the ethanol plant because the board of directors and the Broin Companies that are managing the plant are all progressive and forward thinking.

“I always try to be forward looking”

Scott stays busy between his involvement in all of the children’s activities, his integrated farm operations, commitments to the local cooperative and ethanol plant, and general community involvement. He stays current by using Iowa State University Extension, farm magazines, the newspaper, radio, TV, and the Internet to access information and stay on the cutting edge in his farming practices. Scott is also someone who keeps the community in mind, as he continues to diversify his farming operation, “I always try to be forward-looking enough to say, is this going to injure or hurt somebody or affect them one way or another? But yet, if it’s something that’s going to be beneficial to you and should not affect your neighbor, then I really don’t worry about it.”

At this time, he does not see any of his children going into farming, “although Steve is showing some interest.”

Scott, despite “challenges in marketing because of all the unknown influences…weather, world export, disease, consolidation,” enjoys his life and career as a farmer, “Privacy and being close to nature are two main reasons to live on the farm… There’s also a lot to be said about raising a family on a farm and around a small town atmosphere.”

North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
Iowa State University
107 Curtiss Hall
Ames, IA 50011-1050
(515) 294-8321, (515) 294-3180 fax

For questions, comments or concerns about the NCRCRD website, contact khetland@iastate.edu.

Last updated September 28, 2005