Irons in the fire: Family the most important crop to Ephrata farmer

EPHRATA — Farming is much more than just a passion to Jeff Cobb. It is his life’s work.

“Every day is different,” said Jeff. Which is ultimately why he continues to love farming he explained.

Having grown up on a farm, Jeff learned the ins and outs of the business firsthand working alongside his dad and family, an experience which he accredits to this day for instilling in him the importance of honest, hard work.

And from that experience came the drive to begin his own farming venture. He enjoys being able to physically see the accomplishments and results of his labor as opposed to just seeing numbers on a computer screen.

“I wanted to be able to go from start to finish,” Jeff said.

Today, Jeff is the owner and operator of JC Farms, a feat he says wouldn’t be possible without the help of his family, friends and neighbors who keep him going.

THE EARLY YEARS

Looking back on his childhood, there was never any question that Jeff loved the farm life. At as young as 6 years old, he took a lot of pride discing, making his lines as straight as possible while his dad, Mike, worked alongside him.

There was even a time at school he recalled, when his mother received a call from the school questioning if there had been a tragedy as Jeff appeared to be upset one day. When questioned though, Jeff admitted that he had simply been sad that his dad’s hay had recently been rained on because he knew how hard Mike had worked and yet it still got ruined.

“It was kind of a no brainer I was going to be in the business in some form or another,” said Jeff. “I always knew farming was going to be my profession.”

Jeff is the youngest of four kids, having two older sister and an older brother. They all grew up learning the ropes he explained.

“We cut our teeth on the steering wheel of a John Deere tractor,” Jeff joked. 

As he got older, he even began sneaking out late at night just so he could be the first one at work.

His dad and uncle, Brian, have been farming since 1984, and are the owners and operators of C&C Farms which currently operates about 5,000 irrigated acres, 700 head of cattle, and produces corn and hay. They also have a small trucking company.

Mike and Brian started from scratch when they got into farming, Jeff explained. So he is a strong believer that it is always possible to get into farming even if one isn’t handed down. 

Jeff grew up working alongside both Mike and Brian, learning from their 

Jeff also learned the business side of farming from his dad he explained, and was able to establish connections with the people Mike does business with which he has been grateful for.

JC FARMS

He started JC Farms in 2011, and set out to put out small-bale alfalfa.

Jeff got his start into the farming industry with an old two-string bailer, an old John Deere tractor and some old wheel-line ground.

He and his wife, Paula, were married in 2009, and together they were determined to make a name for themselves and grow the business with respect to the business his dad and uncle built that they hope to someday carry on the legacy.

When dealing with bank loans or forming leases on ground in the farming industry, Jeff explained that it isn’t always enough to rely on ones name or family to carry them along. Farmers with land to lease from and banks are still going to want to see the capability and bankability of a farmer to determine if they want to work with them or not Jeff explained. 

To do so, Jeff knew he would have to get creative with his farming.

On top of starting his own business, Jeff also continued to work full-time for Cascade Agronomics as a crop consultant as well as helping out Mike and Brian at C&C Farms.

He would work as a crop consultant during the day and helped out his dad, but by night he would be out working his alfalfa. Paula helped out too, changing water and often toting their baby son, Clayton, around in a backpack with her as she worked.

Jeff with the help of his cousins, got creative in custom bailing and stacking also. They would go bail and stack even the smaller 5, 10 acres, the stuff nobody else wanted to do Jeff said. He had his two-string bailer and his cousins brought in their three-tie bailers to get the jobs done. And eventually, he moved into 3x4, mid-sized bailers.

Though they no longer offer custom stacking, today JC Farms custom-hire hay production services about 700 acres. Jeff and Paula also continue to produce small alfalfa and grass//alfalfa bales which they market to equestrian and feed stores. Commercially, they market to Ellensburg based, Anderson Hay.

Through his job as a crop consultant and in working with his dad, Jeff learned early on that there are many different approaches to farming but yet they all yield similar results. With this in mind, Jeff admits that while he does a lot of things the same way as C&C Farms and others he has worked with, he takes pride in the things he does different. He enjoys being able to take little pieces of every individual farm and create his in his own way.

He is also unafraid of trying out new things; fertilizers, chemicals, machinery, etc in his real world, real budget life. He uses his own farm a testing ground for the comparing the efficiency and cost effectiveness of different products, and is always happy to share what he learns with others.

He also does his best to treat his workers/helpers well and provide them a fair wage. Many of them have full-time jobs of their own but still come to help him, he explained. He tries his best to make the experience worth their while, and hopes to give them a break form their jobs with what he calls “tractor therapy.”

“It’s probably cheaper than real therapy.” he joked.

Paula keeps him running, he explained. He himself often goes out and runs equipment as opposed to watching tv. And she is with him every step of the way.

“I’m lucky to be a part of his work,” said Paula. “We do it together.”

She supports him and his long hours of work she explained, and it is important to her to understand what he does.

“It’s not a job,” said Paula. “It’s a lifestyle.”

Having grown up on a farm herself, Paula explained that it’s better to start off when the risks are lower, then as you grow as a farmer, your bankability also grows she said. It is also important to learn how to manage personal costs because they can’t control the cost of what the crops will sell for.

PHILOSOPHIES ON FARMING AND FAMILY FIRST

If there is one person Jeff credits many of his philosophies on farming to, it is father.

“He is my hero,” said Jeff.

Through Mike, Jeff learned many valuable lessons that he continues to apply in his daily life. One particular lesson was the importance of treating people fairly and honestly. Mike has always instilled in him the idea that equipment can be fixed, it is the person who is more important in regards to facing problems on the farm. Money, crops and experiences come and go, but if you mistreat someone that can last forever Jeff explained.

Jeff and Paula now have two children, son Clayton, 6, and daughter Callie, 3. He hopes to raise them up on the same values of which he was raised, and continue to provide for and make his family proud. He also enjoys being able to take his children along with him around the farm.

“My most important crop is my family,” said Jeff. “I am proud to be a farmer. It’s up there next to being a father and a good husband, and hopefully it’s all i’ll ever do.”

Though there are many challenges faced in farming, Jeff takes them in stride.

“You either have to own the ground or have the equipment to do the best you can and give the most honest rent value.” said Jeff.

In farming, rental rates and competition make long-term land leases even more vital. It is also important to treat the land as if it was your own and maintain it well he explained. 

He has worked hard to purchase his own equipment and make his own leases, but hopes that other more farmers, land owners will continue to take chances on farmers just starting out despite their age or family name.

“You need to get to know the person, not just the name.” Jeff said.

Both Jeff and Paula hope to convey that farmers aren’t just out there to hurt the land, but rather that they strive to produce good, quality products. They also hope to be an example that it is possible to produce and provide quality products to others without having to nickel and dime prices. 

He hopes to never see the day when farmland in the Columbia Basin gets sold off to corporations over local farmers and maintains that even those corporations once started out small and someone took a chance on them.

“I don’t want that to happen. We have to be creative in how we farm and be efficient,” Jeff said. “Somewhere back in time, someone gave them a chance. That’s what this area was built on.”

He also stresses the importance of trying new things in farming.

“You can’t do the same thing and get a different result,” said Jeff. “There will always be variables, constant variables.”

Another challenge he sees in farming is the continued hope to provide more than just what he and his family need, but rather to continue to provide for others so that they can continue to provide for their families.

“It’s the American dream,” said Jeff.

PRESENT AND FUTURE

Today, Jeff continues to work for Cascade Agronomics. He also irrigates, applies fertilizer and chemical crop aids, and monitors fields for C&C Farms. He is also a volunteer firefighter for Grant Co. District 5, and serves on the Grant County Farm Bureau and Moses Lake Rodeo Roundup committee.

With all of this, he was once asked if he had too many irons in the fire. 

“Whenever I feel like I have too many irons in the fire, I just build a bigger fire,” said Jeff. A statement that is now the JC Farms company slogan. “Sometimes you work for free or a wage, Jeff explained, but you always have next year, you always have another iron in the fire.”