Traveling down to the bottoms early in the morning to Lambdin Farms is a beautiful drive! The UCCEO team took that trip last week to spend their morning visiting with Randy Lambdin and his two sons, Matthew and Eric and UCCEO alum, Cole Pender.
Together, father and sons farm about 3000 acres, mostly soybeans and corn. They talked about farming being a year-round business including planning, prepping, planting, maintaining, harvesting and starting over again for the next year. There are some down times that are less feverish than the planting and harvesting, but there is always something to be done. Randy shared some issues that bring about challenges beyond their control. Things like weather, (this year it’s been the abundant rain in the spring and now drought this summer), mechanical issues, increases in all costs, and transportation add up to a lot of hard work and a lot of patience. It is plain to see that farming is a labor of love that they are passionate about.
Team member, Mason Lyerla, from Cobden Jr-Sr High shares his takeaways from our visit:
“A huge thank you to Randy, Eric, and Matthew Lambdin for hosting such a wonderful visit! All 15 of our young entrepreneurs left feeling both surprised and inspired by the experience.
2025 CEO alumnus Cole Pender kicked off the visit by introducing the class to Randy, Eric, and Matthew. Cole has worked for the Lambdins for several years. He delivered an outstanding speech on how the CEO program shaped his journey, sharing that many of the skills he gained through CEO were instrumental in getting him to where he is today.
During the visit, the class was shown several graphs and examples illustrating the land and resources required to run such a profitable business along the Mississippi River bottoms. This powerful analogy highlighted the importance of recognizing the resources you have and learning how to maximize their potential to achieve success.
Randy is the 8th generation of farmers in his family, with his children representing the 9th generation. If their children continue in the family business, (and some of them are already pitching in) they will become the 10th generation of farmers on that farm! In the United States, only 1% of farms last beyond the 6th generation, which makes the Lambdin farm truly one in several million!”
Many, many thanks to Randy, Matthew, Eric and Cole for sharing their morning with us during this busy time as harvest gets underway. And just as you’d expect, as we left they were heading to their trucks and tractors to get on with their day. Farming is a 24/7/365 day job and we are thankful for them and the many other passionate, hard working men and women who remind us that farming is not just a job, but a vital service that sustains families, communities, and future generations.
