By Steve White swhite@nebraska.tv
Current conditions are the most challenging Fred Meyer has seen in his 35 years raising livestock. Feed costs are up and prices he gets are up and down. But farming has been good to them, especially the farmstead they keep west of St. Paul.
"My two brothers and myself grew up here," Kay Meyer explained. "It was a great life, we all loved the farm."
The raise corn and cattle. Kay works as a real estate broker while Fred also has an interest in property development. Their son John is a partner in the farm.
Fred said, "One thing our son learned early on growing up in our home, if you're going to be involved in farming, it's going to be delayed gratification. You don't get a paycheck every month."
Fred and Kay share a unique distinction as the first state FFA officers ever to get married. It wouldn't have happened before their time, because Kay was the first female state officer. Fred was among those who voted to allow women in the youth agricultural organization, something he now says sounds "archaic".
It was a few years after they first met, though, when Kay really noticed the man who would become her husband, when Fred was judging a tractor contest at the University of Nebraska.
Kay said, "I was really impressed at the contest how he backed a tractor in the spot it was supposed to be and he caught my eye."
"I had no idea that would be one of my finer points," Fred said with a laugh.
FFA introduced Fred to policymaking and public speaking, roles he developed as a member of the local school board, and later as chair of the State Board of Education. From St. Paul, he had a good view of the challenges schools faced, like Grand Island 20 minutes away.
"Their demographics are changing dramatically, have the largest kindergarten classes ever and yet 20 minutes north of us Greeley and Wolbach and small towns struggle to keep elementary schools open. Those challenges are real," he said.
While high corn prices are a challenge to livestock producers, he credits ethanol as a positive tool for rural development -- bringing jobs and adding value in small communities, not shipping them elsewhere. And it's changed the way he feeds cattle, with the corn by-products left from fuel production.
He said, "It's been an excellent product because cattle like the taste of it, consequently they eat more feed and they gain faster which is what we're after."
He taught ag classes before becoming a banker. But he couldn't Fred couldn't leave the farm, and he joined his wife's parents in their Howard County operation.
"Working in the office wasn't where I wanted to spend life. I thoroughly enjoy the outdoors, make decision on a daily basis that affect my life and farming fits this," he said.
The farm Kay's parents bought has now passed to a third generation, proud to be farming today.
As for that fateful FFA tractor contest, Kay was an organizer and Fred was a judge. 35 years later, they've raised three sons together.
Reporter's Notes by Steve White:
Fred Meyer retired from the state school board this year. He was appointed by Gov. Mike Johanns in 1999.
This summer, Meyer was honored with the Elaine Stuhr Leadership and Advocacy Award at the Nebraska Career Education Conference.
