Jim & Kraig Kroll
May 06, 2019
May 2019
Who: Jim & Kraig Kroll
What: Corn, soybeans, hay, alfalfa, oats, as well as cow/calf pairs
Where: Andover, SD
How They Got Started
Both Jim and Kraig grew up on the farm. They are an uncle/nephew farming operation with additional help as well. Bill Kroll, Kraig’s dad/Jim’s brother, works and lives on the farm where they operate. Jim had gone to SDSU to obtain a bachelor’s degree in General Agriculture. Upon graduating in 1977, he then came back to the farm. Kraig joined the operation in 1993 and has been there since.
Where Are They Now
Jim, Kraig, and Bill are still working as hard today as they have been since they started…just with a little more help now. Kraig’s 15-year old daughter, Kansas, has been a huge help to their operation. “She helps us a lot with the cattle. She runs the skid steer, opens gates, and does whatever we need her to!” On top of being active in the Groton FFA Chapter, Kansas is a very busy 15-year old who loves to help out on the farm as much as she can!
How do you foresee spring planting going?
When we get spring, it should go well! The ground is still cold yet so we’re being patient. It doesn’t take long to get it done and if you wait a little longer, it makes it easier when the time comes to plant. We’ll be able to go out and in two or three days, we’ll be done. We are very hopeful!
The most useful advance in farming since you’ve started?
Chemicals. Especially with corn. The chemicals keep it a lot cleaner and keep the corn healthy. They’re so much better at killing weeds and bugs than they did when we started.
Thank you so much, Jim and Kraig, for being our May Producer of the Month! We truly appreciate you taking the time out of your busy spring to sit down and visit with us. We wish you a safe and prosperous spring and look forward to continue working with you!