Ohio Young Farmers Started Farming From Scratch
In partnership with: Ohio Department of Agriculture
Agriculture has long been a multigenerational industry, with older generations of farmers passing farms down to their children and grandchildren.
For newcomers, the industry can be challenging to break into, given the cost of equipment and obstacles to acquiring land. But that didn’t stop 26-year-old Luke Garrabrant and his wife, Paige, from launching their agribusiness, L. Garrabrant Farms, in Johnstown.
“I think every new or aspiring farmer would agree that access to land is the No. 1 challenge in starting and growing a farm,” Luke Garrabrant says. “Another challenge is having a strong, liquid working capital position. Farming is an asset-rich, cash-poor business but requires a lot of cash to operate. It can be a struggle.”
L. Garrabrant Farms
Luke grew up helping on his parents’ farm before studying welding and sheet metal fabrication. He later earned his associate
degree in crop production from Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute. In 2019, Luke took a leap of faith and stepped away from his father’s farm to launch his own.
“My dad is still actively farming and is relatively young, so transitioning management or ownership to me as the next generation was not on the table and wouldn’t be for a while,” Luke says. “Going out on my own, I knew I would be faced with difficult decisions. I wanted to be able to face these situations with my dad still here to give me guidance.”
The Garrabrants’ farm has expanded to include 850 acres of leased and owned land. The couple grows commercial corn and soybeans and tends a small herd of cattle. They sell freezer beef locally, marketed mainly through social media.
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Since starting his farm, Luke has gained perspective and developed a greater appreciation for all his dad has accomplished.
“I underestimated what it would take to build an operation from scratch, navigate business decisions, and figure out how to make a living farming without working an off-farm job,” Luke says. “It’s been a tremendous amount of stress.”
While Luke works full time on the farm, Paige works as a water quality research associate for Ohio State University Extension and does environmental consulting on the side.
She also assists with farm duties, whether it’s managing equipment parts, delivering fuel, or managing the website.
Healthy Harvest Organics
In Grafton, Joe and Hannah DiVencenzo are in the beginning stages of building a farm. Joe grew up on an Ohio Christmas tree farm before leaving to work in corporate America. In 2019, the couple purchased 35 acres that had belonged to Joe’s great-grandparents and the following year launched a pasture-raised poultry operation, Healthy Harvest Organics. Along with their three sons, Wyatt (7), Caleb (5), and Oliver (3), the DiVencenzos raise chicken for meat and eggs, which they sell directly off the farm and through an online farmers market called Market Wagon.
“As first-generation farmers, we were fortunate to buy land from family, so land access was not an issue for us. But I know it is an issue for many others,” Hannah says. “We started small, so we didn’t have to go into debt to buy bigger equipment. We started from scratch and watched a lot of YouTube videos about how to do most of what we do now.”
In 2022, Joe left his job to manage the farm full time. Hannah works off the farm at Lorain County Community College as a program developer and adjunct instructor. The whole family helps with farm chores.
“One nice aspect about being first-generation farmers is we made the choice to produce what we wanted,” Hannah says. “Joe and I had the option to purchase the Christmas tree farm, but that was not our passion. We’re happy we identified our future was in a different product.”
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Despite the challenges new farmers face, the Garrabrant and DiVencenzo families agree the benefits are worth the effort. In 2021, the Ohio Legislature passed the Family Farm Regeneration Act, authorizing income tax credits for beginning farmers.
“As hard as it is, the American dream is still possible to achieve,” Hannah says. “I have to remind myself Rome wasn’t built overnight.”
