February 2019 - Bosse State Line Farms

Feb 08, 2019


February 2019 - Bosse State Line Farms

If this picture would have been taken 24 hours prior, growers Jeff Mills and DuWayne Bosse might have been the only two smiling in the -40-degree weather. Although not much better, the temperature was at least above zero when we made them stand outside their office to smile for the camera. Bosse State Line Farms is an operation that DuWayne Bosse and Jeff Mills started in 2002. Along with Jeff & DuWayne is Shawn Irwin, long time employee who has thoroughly enjoyed his time working for them. “They are great guys to work for and treat you like family! I am always learning something new and have enjoyed working for them the past 11 years.”

Between growing crops in three states, running their commodity trading business, Bolt Marketing, and selling crop insurance, there is no downtime for the crew at Bosse State Line Farms and when it comes to picking an MVP, the list of candidates is quite extensive. “We have such a good support system.” DuWayne comments on the family dynamics within their partnership. Jeff’s dad, Mike Mills, come from Minnesota to help with harvest. Maynard Bosse helps on any given day, whether it be a part run or driving truck, Maynard is their ‘on-call’ support guy. Wives Christina and Kelly help cook meals and deliver to the workers, hold the forts down at home, take care of their kids’ activities, while working full time jobs as teachers at the Britton school. Between Jeanne, Kathy, and Neen, they have a clean office, happy grandkids, and full stomachs when go-time hits.
 
“What worked last year might not work this year; and vice versa.” Jeff comments on the ever-evolving industry of agriculture. With harvest being one of the busiest, yet rewarding, parts of their job, no two years are ever the same. “There’s a different challenge every day. Whether it be in farming, crop insurance, or marketing, there’s always something new and different.” DuWayne enjoys the variety the industry has to offer, as well as working with numbers. “Crop insurance is such a numbers thing and I think that’s why we both enjoy it so much. We added the insurance business in 2012 because it just made sense to turn this into a one-stop risk management business.”

Although the extremely cold weather is a concern, Jeff and DuWayne aren’t putting too much worry into the affects on their 2019 crop quite yet. “We’re a little concerned it’ll be a late spring, but the weather in March and April usually dictates that instead of January and February.” Jeff and DuWayne are thankful to be indoors crunching numbers on the terribly cold days we’ve had all too often this winter.

During our conversation, DuWayne and Jeff were reminded of their "why's" when it comes to farming, as well as the many changes they have experienced. Over the years, the setup of their operation has changed tremendously since day 1. The pictures below show the changes that occurred from 2005 to 2018. Their operation now consists of an office, shop, and grain bin setup and they no longer have cattle - which has been a no-regret decision for both Jeff and DuWayne.





A huge thank you to Jeff Mills and DuWayne Bosse for being our February Producer of the Month! We hope you stay warm and look forward to working with you for the 2019 growing season.

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