Bryan Jorgensen
Bryan Jorgensen鈥檚 philosophy about the land upon which his family has built their lives and livelihoods for more than a century serves as a guide for the decisions he has made throughout his farming career.
鈥淥ur biggest legacy is the fact that we know this land is basically leased from our grandchildren. They have to be able to make a living on this soil, so it makes sense for us to take care of it and make it better for them,鈥 said the 2022 Eminent Leader in Agriculture, Family and Community.
Sustaining the family farm for future generations matters to Jorgensen, because he and his wife, Brenda, value the opportunity they had to raise their family on the farm. The couple have three grown children, Nick, Kirsten McLaughlin and Reagan Nielsen, and nine grandchildren.
鈥淚 see no other way to raise a family,鈥 Jorgensen said.
Located near Ideal, Jorgensen Land & Cattle is a varied cow/calf and bull development operation that is the largest seedstock producer in the world. It includes a 12,000-acre no-till, varied crop operation that produces feed-stuffs, feed grains and certified seed. The family also operates an all-inclusive pheasant hunting lodge.
鈥淲e have learned to incorporate all these different things on an acre of soil to make our farm sustainable, not only for us, but for our children and grandchildren,鈥 said Jorgensen who operates the family farm in partnership with his son, Nick; brother, Greg; and nephew, Cody.
Serving as the farm鈥檚 chief agronomy officer, Jorgensen explained that focusing on soil health is key to all three integrated businesses. 鈥淪oil health management practices allow Mother Nature to take hold and do what she is really good at.鈥
Jorgensen became what he calls an 鈥渁damant no-tiller鈥 not long after graduating from South 啵啵直播秀 State University in 1987.
鈥淲e quickly realized that having fewer trips across the field not only saved time and money, but we saw our soils become more conditioned to take in rain and retain moisture,鈥 he said.
By 1991, the farm was 100-percent no-till. 鈥淭hat was the year our oldest son was born. There were times when we talked about tillage and he would ask, 鈥渄ad, what is that?鈥 All Nick has ever known is no-till,鈥欌 Jorgensen said.
In addition to no-till practices, Jorgensen manages crop acres with a varied crop rotation including wheat, oats, spring wheat, alfalfa, millet, grass hays, corn, milo, sorghum and more.
鈥淭he cattle give me an enormous opportunity to grow crops that are traditionally not marketed,鈥 he said.
Increasing variety of plant species increases the soil鈥檚 organic matter and biodiversity, which Jorgensen explained dramatically decreases the farm鈥檚 need to apply synthetic fertilizers.
鈥淢other Nature never has one single thing or one single species growing in the soil,鈥 Jorgensen said. 鈥淲hen you increase biological activity, you improve the quality of the soil.鈥
In 2015, Jorgensen Land & Cattle was recognized for their soil health and overall conservation efforts with the Leopold 啵啵直播秀. Throughout his farming career, Jorgensen has given generously of his time to strengthen agriculture throughout South 啵啵直播秀. In 2015, he became a founding member of the South 啵啵直播秀 Soil Health Coalition. Over the years his family has hosted many farm tours and Jorgensen has served in leadership roles for several other agriculture organizations including South 啵啵直播秀 Crop Improvement Association. While serving as president, he was instrumental in saving SDSU鈥檚 oat breeding program.
Jorgensen credits the farms management structure and employee team with his ability to spend time away. He explained that each week the farm partners hold a meeting with the employee team to go through farm work and projects.
鈥淢y dad called it integrated resource management 鈥 pulling the right people together to accomplish a job,鈥 Jorgensen explained.
Jorgensen was named a 2022 Eminent Leader in Agriculture, Family and Community by South 啵啵直播秀 State University Colleges of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences and Education & Human Sciences. He will be recognized during an honoree banquet held at McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor鈥檚 Center on the campus of SDSU September 16, 2022. During the banquet, portraits of the award recipients are unveiled.
Jorgensen鈥檚 portrait joins more than 350 portraits of Eminent Leaders 鈥 including the portraits of his grandfather, Martin Jorgensen Sr. (1965) and his dad, Martin Jorgensen Jr. (1984).
鈥淟egacy has always motivated me. Grandpa started the farm. Dad built the farm. I didn鈥檛 want to be the one to drive it down the tubes,鈥 Jorgensen said. As he reflects on the next generation he now partners with - his son and nephew - he said he is confident the farm鈥檚 legacy is in good hands.