The farm got its beginnings under the leadership of Lloyd Dambacher in the 1930s.
About Us
Lloyd Dambacher met and married his wife Beth and got their start in agriculture. Lloyd moved his young family to Kansas to try farming with his wife's family. Unfortunately, after back to back crop failures during the dust bowl they decided to move back to Central Illinois where Lloyd's brother Claude was already farming. The humble beginnings in Kansas gave way to the more prosperous 1940's, and Lloyd and Beth were able to lay the foundation of some of the farms that are still operated on today by the current generation.
Lloyd continued to raise row crops and feed livestock until his retirement, at which time his son Jerold took over the leadership of the farm. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's Jerold continued to build the land base of the operation. It was in the 1960's that the land the farm sits on today was purchased and Jerold made the small move with his young family to the Virden area. It was also in the 1960s that Jerold became one of the first farmers in Illinois to cash rent when he rented a farm on the north side of Virden. Jerold continued to be actively engaged in all facets of the farm until his retirement.
Jerold's son, Lyndy, had worked under his father since the late 1970's and while row crops were their principle enterprise, Lynden had started raising hogs when he was in high school. He continued to build his sow herd and a series of confinement building expansions led to what still exists today on the site of the home farm. The slow and steady growth of the farrow to finish hog operation reached its peak in 2007. At that time, a tough decision by Lynden to exit the hog industry and focus all attention on crop production was made. During the time Lyndy was raising hogs, and after the facility closed he continued to expand the crop production side and grew the farm into more counties of operation.
Today, the operation continues to focus all its attention on crop production. It currently operates in eight Central Illinois counties. Lynden's two sons, Ryan and Rhett, are actively engaged on the farm and are proud to be the fourth generation of land owners and land stewards. The land base is secured through a mix of owned and rented farms. The extensive experience in cash renting is carried on with much of the rented farms being on a cash contract basis. The mix of landowners is diverse, they range from retired farmers, professional farm managers, to widowers, universities, absentee landowners, trusts, and even municipalities. The operational team focuses on staying competitive through the implementation of advanced agronomy tested on farm by conducting many research trials on an annual basis, imploying advanced precision technology, and infrastructure advancements that help maximize revenue. The operation continues to stay focused on the principles that have been upheld through previous generations and work towards providing a stable and opportunistic environment for any future generation that may lead the farm in the coming decades.
Meet The Owners
Lyndy and Theresa Dambacher- It was known at an early age that Lyndy would be a farmer and he got started in high school. Theresa did not come from a farm background but clinged to the culture from the start, and spread the word of farm life so positively her parents purchased their own five acre farmstead and moved to within a half-mile of the Dambacher Farm in their own farmhouse. Upon graduation Lyndy worked hard to continue to build his hog operation and expand his base of cash rented and owned land. After declining economics of the business, Lyndy decided to exit the hog industry after 31 years in 2007. Theresa worked off the farm for awhile until it was decided that she was needed on the farm. Today they proudly live next to the farm Lyndy was born on to keep a close eye on all the farm happenings. Lyndy is the farm's CEO and involved in every major decision, he is responsible for marketing of all the crops, and oversees all aspects of the operation. Theresa is visible part of the farm and helps in a number of areas. When she's not busy with the farms bookkeeping and working with accountants, customers, and vendors, you might see her driving a combine, bringing seed to a planter, or delivering lunch to the guys. Lyndy enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his sons. Theresa is an avid gardener and beautifully maintains hundreds of flowers and plants in her backyard. Lyndy
and Theresa have happily been married for 31 years and enjoy traveling
together when they're not busy with farm activities.
Rhett Dambacher- Rhett is one of the special individuals that you could say was born to farm. We believe it was decided that he would farm shortly after birth. From the time he could walk, he spent as much time as possible at his dad's side on the farm. He has been running farm equipment since the time he could reach the brakes. Rhett began cash renting at age ten with his brother Ryan, and was so eager to spend every day on the farm he graduated high school early. Rhett currently lives about three miles from the farm now on the north side of Virden. Rhett is involved in the day to day business of the farm and is always very hands on. He is the operations manager and is a field manager when we are in planting or harvesting season. It was also at his initiative that the operation branch into the drainage tile business and was project manager of that sector from its inception in 2011. Rhett enjoys playing golf and waterfowl hunting when not busy at the farm. He also enjoys spending time with his dad and brother at the family's whitetail farm and enjoying the outdoors.
Ryan Dambacher- Ryan is happy to have the opportunity to work and farm with his family in Central Illinois. He and his wife, Paige, live in Auburn about four miles north of the home farm. Paige is employed by Springfield Coal Company and works in their corporate office in Springfield.
Ryan attended college at Illinois State University and achieved his BS in Agribusiness. He and his brother have been in involved in cash renting since they rented their first farm at age 12. Some of Ryan's responsibilities on the farm include; Agronomy, Data and Research manager, and communications with customers and vendors. He also assists in risk management and marketing when needed.
When not growing corn or trying to figure out how to grow better corn, Ryan enjoys golfing and hunting mature Illinois whitetails with a bow. He spends much of his free time planting food plots, improving timber stands, and enhancing habitat for whitetails at the whitetail farm.