Sunset Farms in Irving, Illinois Receives Centennial Farm Status and Plans to Continue Aggressive Growth with 5th Generation of White Family
Hillsboro, Illinois (PRWEB) January 07, 2015 -- Sunset Farms of Irving, Illinois has achieved Centennial Farm status. For just over 100 years the White family has cultivated five generations of family farmers. Dan White and his son Nicholas (Nic) of Sunset Farms farm the rich, fertile soil of central Illinois in the heart of Montgomery County. To qualify for Centennial Farm status the agricultural property must have been owned by the same family for over 100 years.
Started by Dan White’s great-great grandfather in 1913 with 60 acres, the farm enterprise now involves 2,800 acres and approximately 60 head of feeder cattle. Dan’s son Nic is a 2010 graduate of Southern Illinois University—Carbondale, having earned a bachelor’s degree on Agricultural Systems Technology. Nic is eager to continue the growth of their farming operations. Sunset Farms has found National Bank to be a local ally in their effort to grow and prosper.
“National Bank has been a good partner,” Dan shared recently. “The staff understands the complexity of modern farming and the commodities market. I usually talk to Steve (Steve Grundy, Senior Vice President of Agriculture and Commercial Lending) as operations grow and we need to expand…I can count on Steve’s decades of farming experience, as well as his financial expertise for the guidance we need.”
Dan says he’s particularly proud that his son, Nic, is his partner and the fifth generation to enter the family farm business. Helping maintain the history and tradition of the family’s farm, Nic and his wife Katie live in the original 1913 farmhouse.
Nic’s grandfather, Dale, farmed about 1,000 acres before retiring in 1991. Dan has been farming full-time since 1979. He and his wife Michelle continue to live on the farm. As Sunset Farms expanded over the years, it outgrew the capabilities of its previous bank. Since 2009, National Bank has helped Sunset Farms finance land purchases, provide operating capital and expand facilities. Two critical operational expansions National Bank has helped Sunset Farms implement recently are the purchase of two semi-tractor trailers for grain hauling and construction of additional grain storage facilities. The Whites not only haul their own grain, but that of a growing number of local farmers. During the busy fall and winter months, Sunset’s trucks can be seen making trips between the Hillsboro, Illinois area and markets in and around St. Louis.
Hard work and a willingness to diversify and identify strategic opportunities have been keys to the growing success of Sunset Farms. The century of White family traditions and five generations of family farming will continue for the decades to come.
National Bank is headquartered in Hillsboro, Illinois with 11 branches covering much of South Central Illinois.
Harry Hutchison, National Bank, http://national-bank.com, +1 636-288-0234, [email protected]
Share this article