Conversations with Dane Garner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dane Garner.

Hi Dane, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I (Dane) grew up in Natchez and my wife (Caroline) grew up in Woodville. We both grew up with a love for agriculture. My father owned a logging company but passed away due to a logging accident when I was seven years old. Caroline grew up on a small beef cattle farm. I knew I wanted to go into the ag industry, so I worked on a local row crop farm during high school as well as while I was in college at MSU obtaining an ag science degree.

Caroline obtained a marketing degree from William Carey University. After college, I continued to work on a few local row crop farms. Caroline finished college and took a job at a local bank, In 2015, she and I got married. That is also the year we decided to take a leap of faith and begin our row crop farming operation, In 2018, we farmed 1,500 acres of leased land and now in 2023, we farmed 5,000 acres with 300 acres of that being land she and I purchased in 2021.

Along with row crop farming, we have a beef cattle business, a dirt construction business, and grow and sell fresh sweet corn. We have about 70 head of beef cattle currently. Within our dirt construction business, we build ponds/lakes, roads, building pads, clearing jobs, leveling jobs, etc. During the summer months, we typically grow and sell about 15 acres of our Vidalia sweet corn. In 2022, we were awarded the Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Award for the state of MS.

This award is given based on the growth and development of a young farming business for a first-generation farmer. We then competed for the national award in Puerto Rico and placed in the top 10. A little background on our children. In April of 2017, we welcomed our daughter Logan. In November of 2018, we welcomed our son Ben. In April of 2023, we welcomed our second son Rich.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not always been smooth. As anyone can attest in the agriculture industry, you can do everything right and still lose. With agriculture, the weather, input prices, and commodity prices all play such a large role in a successful year but those three things are all things we cannot control.

We have always strived to work hard and continue to put back into our business to make it successful. God has truly blessed our family. We have started multiple successful businesses from nothing and we have created a perfect family. God has opened so many doors for us, we would not be where we are today without his guidance.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
How I got started in 2015, was because a few local landowners saw my work ethic and decided to take a chance on me.

I worked very hard for the farms I worked on, striving to be able to work for my farm one day. We have worked and continue to work very hard for our businesses. Although so much more contributes to success in agriculture, we know that that is one thing that we can control.

What matters most to you?
Our goal is to lead by example and show our children what determination and work ethic can get you in life. We would like to have businesses for them to join if they want and when the time is right.

There is a sense of accomplishment to plant a seed in the bare tilled ground and watch it become a mature plant to be harvested and sold for consumption to contribute to feeding the world.

Contact Info:

• Email: Caroline.garner25@outlook.com