- Rice, MN
Jocelyn Schlichting
Family farmer and conservationist
After working as an accountant in Minneapolis for nearly 10 years, I moved back to Rice, MN – becoming the 4th generation on my family’s crop farm. We farm about 6,600 acres, manage 600 acres of native forest and prairie land, and farrow to finish approximately 30,000 hogs each year. I operate a very small grass fed beef operation and raise bees as a hobby.
Do you farm with family?
Yes! My husband and I own the farm with my parents and we are working towards taking over operations as they retire. My husband’s work focuses on crop production and mine focuses on accounting and data analytics.
What are your hobbies?
Cooking, Travel, Reading, Hiking, Raising Beef, Raising Bees
Why is sharing information about agriculture and farming important to you?
There are several misconceptions about how food is grown in the U.S. I would like to provide firsthand information to consumers so they can make buying decisions that are reasonable for mass consumers as well as the agriculture industry, and provide better access to information so others can make truly informed decisions. I’m passionate that most farmers are doing good- good by their land or animals, good by consumers and communities and good by the general environment. I want to spread the word!
Tell us a quick story from the farm.
My Grandpa got involved with his in-laws farm in the 1960’s. Together with his brother-in-law and later my Dad, they added irrigation to convert the unproductive sandy soils my Great-Grandpa bought from the government into the highly productive land we farm today. They also added and expanded a farrow to finish hog operation. Our irrigated ground allows for our specialty crop rotation which includes Corn, Kidney Beans, Potatoes, Sweet Peas and Rye. I joined my family’s farm as the fourth generation after working 10 years as a CPA/tax accountant in Minneapolis. We’ve achieved many sustainability accolades including the Clean Water Certification, Benton County Farm Family of the Year, the state wide Conservationist of the Year, and the National Good Steward Recognition. We work very closely with our local government and business partners to ensure we are always using the most up-to-date farming techniques, pioneering innovative ideas, and minimizing our impact on nature. FUN FACT – our farm produces enough food for 35,531,000 meals EVERY YEAR!
WE ARE COMMONGROUND –
