Michelle R. Stroud
Farm Manager
Cedar Rapids, IA · (319) 555 0126 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/michellerstroud
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Fourteen years managing corn and soybean farms with livestock and grain storage
INDUSTRIES
Family farm operations, contract hog finishing, grain marketing
SPECIALTIES
Whole farm budgeting, landlord relations, grain storage and marketing, equipment management
SYSTEMS
John Deere Operations Center, Climate FieldView, Granular, QuickBooks
CREDENTIALS
Iowa commercial pesticide applicator license, manure applicator certification
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in agricultural studies, Iowa State University
Results at a Glance
21%
Four years
61
Bushels an acre
$96k
Year by adding
38
Cents a bushel
Executive Summary
Farm manager running a single 3,200 acre corn and soybean operation with a grain system, a hog finishing site and five employees. Fourteen years responsible for everything on this farm from the crop plan and the payroll to the landlord conversations that keep 1,900 rented acres in the operation.
Signature Achievements
- Improved farm return on operating cost by 21 percent across four years while acreage stayed the same.
- Raised soybean yield from 61 to 72 bushels an acre with drainage work and earlier planting.
- Renewed all eleven cash rent leases through a period when neighboring ground turned over twice.
- Cut drying and shrink cost by 96,000 dollars a year by adding 180,000 bushels of storage and running natural air drying.
- Captured an average of 38 cents a bushel over harvest price on the corn crop through a written marketing plan.
- Kept the hog finishing site above 96 percent close out performance across nine consecutive turns.
Professional Experience
Farm Manager
Wapsie Creek Farms, Cedar Rapids, IA 2018 to present
Single operation of 3,200 acres of corn and soybeans, 260,000 bushels of storage, a 2,400 head hog finishing site and five full time employees
- Runs the whole farm budget of 4.1 million dollars including inputs, rent, labor and machinery.
- Sets the crop plan with the retail agronomist and executes planting, spraying and harvest.
- Markets corn and soybeans against a written plan with the local elevator and an ethanol plant.
- Manages the manure management plan for the hog site and applies nutrient credits to the crop plan.
- Handles landlord reporting, lease renewals and farm program filings with the Farm Service Agency.
Assistant Farm Manager
Prairie Chapel Grain Farm, Vinton, IA 2014 to 2018
2,600 acres of corn and soybeans with three employees
- Supervised field operations and ran the planter and combine through both seasons.
- Maintained the equipment fleet and cut outside repair spend by a third.
- Kept application and fuel records and handled Occupational Safety and Health Administration required training.
Farm Operator
Cedar Bluff Land and Livestock, Mount Vernon, IA 2011 to 2014
1,400 acres and a cow calf herd of 120
- Operated tillage, planting and harvest equipment across the crop year.
- Handled calving, vaccination and pasture rotation for the herd.
Licensure and Certification
Iowa commercial pesticide applicator license
Confinement site manure applicator certification, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Member, Iowa Soybean Association
Education
Bachelor of Science in agricultural studies, Iowa State University, 2011
Farm financial management course, Kirkwood Community College, 2016
Core Skills
Whole farm budgeting · Crop planning · Grain marketing · Landlord relations · Equipment maintenance · Manure management planning · Employee supervision · Farm program administration · Storage and drying · Livestock production