The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
"It was always a dream of mine growing up" states Ryan Wilhite. "When I was little, I would ride along in the combine with my dad who was helping a friend with harvest." Deep down that was a dream, all his life, to be a farmer. But knowing it wasn't easy or something you can just jump into, Ryan didn't always believe that dream could someday come true.
Nor did he always believe in himself. Ryan struggled with priorities in high school and dropped out of college after one year with not much hope of ever finding a job.
In 2012, Ryan started working for Pioneer in Mount Pleasant, Iowa until they closed the facility two years later. He then worked for a farmer for a year before going back to Pioneer near the Quad Cities.
Ryan says that year on the farm got him hooked and he realized he wanted to fulfill his dream. He decided to start buying equipment over the next few years as he worked full time.
He then rented a small piece of ground from his Grandpa to get started. He says Pioneer was a great experience being able to work with farmers and learning more about corn and soybeans.
In 2019, Ryan left Pioneer and rented his Grandpa's farm and two others. His Grandpa just turned 97 and is still out on the farm every day looking at the crops. Ryan says his Grandpa has been looking forward to this year's harvest more than anything.
Farming didn't come easy for his Grandpa either and he was an inspiration to Ryan in more than one way. "My grandpa always told me that if God could do it for him, it would be no different than anyone else". And today, Ryan says "none of this would be possible without God".
Ryan's grandpa, Bob Cratsenberg, started working for a grocery store during high school. After he graduated, he had an opportunity to buy the store and eventually was able to buy some farm land. He raised cattle and hogs and had row crop. His Grandpa retired from farming in 1983 and sold everything except the land that he lived on.
"Hearing how my Grandpa started really inspired me", Ryan says. "The biggest thing my grandpa has instilled in me is to keep God first. He has continued to grow my faith every step of the way."
"2019 has been a tough year for farmers all over. Definitely a challenging year to really get started in farming but everything has still worked out".
Ryan's dad, Rich Wilhite, helps out on the farm with maintenance and Ryan says during harvest he and his dad will take turns running the combine and hauling grain.
Ryan says "my favorite part is watching God work all season long. It's been an incredible experience."
Ryan's dream of becoming a farmer is slowly coming together and he would like to share this advice with others:"never give up no matter how bad the situation gets".