- Farm Manager Learns Fast
and Finds New Career
- By Karen Gentry
Associate Editor
- Three years ago Jeff Carlson was unemployed and looking for work after a move back to his home area of Hart, Mich.
Dan Greiner, a friend of his brother’s and a grower of asparagus and Christmas trees, offered Carlson and his wife a place to live in migrant housing while he looked for work. Carlson helped out around the farm fixing tractors and other equipment and doing home repairs.
“I did work around the shop for him. He (Greiner) liked what I did. He asked me to stay on here and help the farm manager. I didn’t think I’d like farming as much as I did,” Carlson said. When that farm manager quit, Greiner asked Carlson if he wanted the job.
“Jeff ended up being way more dedicated. He thinks just like I do. He also got along with the help a lot better,” said Greiner. Greiner and Carlson are great friends now. “If I’m not there, he’s the boss,” said Greiner, who communicates daily with Carlson.
Carlson took the job and has not looked back. He likes the partnership with Greiner and envisions staying at the job for a long future together. “I want to stay with it as long as he’ll keep me on,” Carlson said.
“Tractors and upkeep of housing is no problem. I didn’t know about planting, spraying, upkeep of fields,” said Carlson who finished his first full year as farm manager after the previous manager quit at the beginning of asparagus last year.
“He had no idea. The only thing he knew how to do was lock things up because he was from Chicago,” said Greiner, with a laugh.
Carlson has been busy attending educational sessions, listening to guest speakers and learning all he can about growing asparagus. He even consulted the Internet, to the amusement of some of Greiner’s long time laborers.
Carlson is quickly learning about tilling fields, planting asparagus and how to care for asparagus.
“The hardest part about growing asparagus is keeping your grade high while you’re picking,” Carlson said. He has been observing Greiner as he applies the necessary chemicals on asparagus. Carlson is in charge of the work crews and must make quick decisions during the busy asparagus harvest. He is also learning about the care and trimming of Christmas trees.
“I enjoy being outside. I enjoy the people and the other farmers. Everybody around here is willing to help. I think I’ve still got the enthusiasm of being the new guy,” said Carlson. He said he asks a lot of questions about growing asparagus, which is “a lot more complex than I ever dreamed.”
During the six-week asparagus harvest, Carlson puts in long hours where he hardly sees his wife and two daughters. “Those are 80-90-hour weeks. It’s just every day, seven days a week,” he said. Carlson’s workload does subside quite a bit between asparagus harvest and Christmas trees.
Carlson’s wife, Kathy, is also now involved in the business- taking care of payroll and paying the bills. Kathy is originally from Florida but enjoys the winters and small town atmosphere of West Michigan.
“I’ve never been one to sit behind a desk. Paperwork is my downfall. Luckily my wife likes that. She definitely keeps me organized,” Carlson said.
Carlson and Greiner not only are partners and friends, they also enjoy some of the same hobbies such as spending time at the beach.
Greiner grows 280 acres of asparagus of the Jersey varieties primarily for the processing markets.
Greiner’s uncle Bud and his father Tom had 3,000 acres including 700 acres of asparagus. The land was divided up five years ago between Dan and his cousin Scott.
The farm started out as a dairy farm, went to vegetables and was one of the first farms to raise asparagus crowns in a big way in the area, according to Greiner. Greiner now gets his asparagus crowns from Tom and Rick Oomen.
