Matthew Heldreth of Heldreth Dairy Farm

Matthew, tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Rural Retreat, Va., where I still

live today with my wife and family. After high

school I attended college and graduated from

Virginia Tech in 2010 with my B.S. in Dairy

Science. During sophomore year in college, I

started investing in my own cow-calf operation.

For many generations my family has been

involved in farming. So, I have been doing

this all of my life.

What kind of operations are you

involved in?

I was born and raised on a dairy farm which

was originally started by my granddad who

is now in his 80s. We are currently milking

160 dairy cows. The dairy has always been

such a big part of my life, but I decided to

branch out into the beef industry as well. I

also grow a lot of grain crops. I think that

diversification is an important aspect when

you are looking to grow.

How did you get started in the

cow-calf business?

My sophomore year at Virginia Tech I bought

eight bred Angus heifers. Since then I have

been buying and keeping replacement heifers

in order to grow my herd. This operation has

grown quite a bit since I first started only a

few years ago. This spring I am looking to

calve 100 commercial and registered Angus.

What kind of crops do you plant?

We farm more than 1,000 acres. It could be

fenced in and we could increase the number

of head we have, but instead we plant a variety

of grains. We typically plant 140 acres of grain

wheat, 80 acres of grain corn, and 30 acres of

barley. In addition to that, we plant 10 varieties

of non-GMO corn.

Who do you sell your crops to?

We sell a lot of wheat to farmers to use as a

cover crop. That isn’t something we advertise,

we simply rely on word of mouth. We also

sell our wheat to local mills. Manell Milling in Roanoke, Va., takes our wheat and turns

it into flour. The corn we grow is also sold to

local mills and distilleries.

How do you market the crops to the

mills and distilleries?

We get a head start on this process before we

even begin to plant. I will go to the mills and

distilleries and find out how many acres of

each grain they want and plant accordingly.

That eliminates me from planting too much of

certain crops and then having to store them.

The barley, rye and corn we are growing will

be advertised for human consumption and

for the production of corn liquor within the

next year or so.

What kind of support team do you

have on the farm?

My granddad and my brother help out a lot.

They both love farming and its great having

them here to help support me and to support

the growth of the family farm from generation

to generation.

How has Farm Credit helped you?

Farm Credit didn’t hesitate to help me get

started with my initial operating loan. I didn’t

have a W-2 or capital to show, but they still

helped with getting me my first loan. If it

wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have been able to

purchase the fertilizer I needed for my first

grain crop. As the farm continues to grow so

do my operating costs, but they continue to

help finance me. They even helped with the

purchase of my first house. And now I am

looking to purchase an adjacent piece of land

and I have been seeking assistance with that

from my loan officer.

What have been your biggest obstacles?

There are always obstacles when it comes to

farming. Having high calf mortality rates is a

big obstacle when there is inclement weather.

Selling grain is tough because when you plant

them they could be high, but when you go to

harvest the prices could have dropped. Dealing

with distilleries and mills keeps that from

happening since we make the deals prior to

planting. The price is negotiated with the cost

of planting in mind whether or not the price

increases or drops.

What have been your greatest

accomplishments?

Increasing my yields per acre on the crop side

of my operation is a pretty big accomplishment.

That is what I shoot for. It lets me know that I

am doing it right and that I can keep moving

forward. Having increased weaning weights

every year is also a big accomplishment. It

means more money in my pocket and more

money that I can put back into the farm.

What would you say have been your

keys to success?

My granddad is a walking history book. I have

learned and I continue to learn so much from

him. I think looking to your elders for answers

to questions is sometimes the best place to get

information especially when they’ve had the

experience of being in the same situation you

are in now. Talking to experienced people in

your field is very beneficial and has helped

me a great deal. For instance, I never hesitate

going to my local Southern States when I have

questions that need answered. Hard work

and consistency are a must. The people you

are selling your product to want something

consistent especially when you are talking

about human consumption. This is a great way

to build your reputation, but if it’s not taken

seriously it can also ruin your reputation.

 

By: Jenna Mullins