Farming as a Family Legacy
Dylan and Emma Burns grew up surrounded by agriculture, but neither planned to return to the farm. That changed when they started a family and felt called to raise their children as they had been raised — on the family farm. Soon after, Arrow B Farms, a poultry operation in southwest Missouri, was born.
What began with just 40 acres and a handful of chickens quickly expanded with the help of their families and FCS Financial. That support allowed them to grow their operation and persist through challenging times. Today, they manage over 120,000 chickens across 160 acres and continue to look for ways to improve efficiency.
Navigating Challenging Times
As longstanding partners with FCS Financial, the Burns have relied on consistent support through a strong relationship with their loan officer, Beth.
“FCS Financial has been there every step of the way,” Dylan said. “Beth started out as a loan officer, but I feel like she’s become more of a friend.”
In 2019, tragedy struck when a tornado came through Arrow B Farms and destroyed two chicken houses. With the help of Farm Credit, Dylan and Emma were able to recoup their losses and acquire additional land neighboring their property – positioning the farm now just to rebuild, but to continue growing.
“Beth had a plan ready to go, attacked it,” Dylan said. “Here we are. We’re standing on these 120 acres today.”
Tools for Growth
As young and beginning farmers, Dylan and Emma have leveraged many valuable young, beginning and small (YBS) resources that Farm Credit offers. The couple continues to attend YBS farmer events and use helpful tools, such as FCS Financial’s Connect program, to collaborate with other young producers and bring back new ideas and practices to their operation.
As they look toward the future, Dylan and Emma are focused on passing their family legacy to the next generation.
“Not only do I get to care for animals and get to provide food that goes on Americans’ tables, but I also get to raise my kids in an environment that teaches them to be better human beings and teaches them to be leaders,” Dylan said. “The dream is to pass it down and help the next generation start and leave a legacy that they can then carry on.”
