FARM STORY

Paul Hoffman represents the fifth generation of his family to farm the same land his great-grandfather settled after emigrating from Germany in the 1800s. The original 320-acre homestead has evolved over time as it was divided among family members. But Paul still lives where his grandmother grew up, and the heart of the farming operation remains on the land where she spent her adult life.

Innovation and stewardship have always been part of the family’s approach to farming. Paul’s father, a former FFA Star Farmer, operated a successful dairy from the 1950’s through the 1990s, milking more than 100 cows and managing conventional row crops. By the late 1970s, however, he recognized the toll conventional practices were taking on both the land and himself. In the early 1980s, he added Dutch Belted cattle to the herd, transitioned to rotational grazing, and quit using conventional pesticides and fertilizers. When the local dairy market collapsed in 1998, he began growing organic row crops.

Following his father’s passing in 2005, Paul’s mother continued to manage the farm organically for nearly a decade, maintaining a small cattle herd to sustain the family’s legacy of conserving the rare Dutch Belted and dual-purpose Milking Shorthorn cattle while preserving the land’s fertility. Paul, who grew up working on the farm, initially pursued a career as a math teacher before being called back to the family operation full-time. To deepen his understanding of organic systems, he attended the Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference and learned from Dr. Joel Gruver, Professor of Soil Science and Sustainable Agriculture at Western Illinois University.

Today, Paul farms just over 300 acres of row crops. Of that, 220 acres are certified organic, while 80 acres are in transition through financing with Iroquois Valley. On the land, he produces food-grade and feed soybeans, along with feed-grade corn—supplying processors that prioritize high-density, high-quality grain. His mother continues to raise cows for small-batch cheese production and for her own cattle genetics business, Bestyet AI Sires, creating a natural on-farm loop in which Paul’s feed supports her herd. On the edge of the fields, to diversify income, his brother grows green beans, squash, and Mennonite sorghum primarily for seed production for Thresh Seed Company.

Paul has expanded his soil health practices by using diverse cover crops, including rye, oats, turnips, red clover, and buckwheat, as well as recognizing that lamb’s quarter, velvet leaf, and redroot pigweed offer benefits in the mix as long as they are prevented from setting seed. He grazes a small flock of White Dorper sheep on these mixes, integrating livestock and crop rotations for balanced fertility and weed management.

For Paul, organic farming is both an art and a science—one that requires continuous learning, adaptability, and respect for nature’s balance. With a focus on soil health, product quality, and sustainable growth, Paul continues to build on his family’s rich heritage, ensuring this Illinois farm remains productive, resilient, and sustainable for generations to come.