Fifth-Generation Farmer Jared Barchak on Farmer-led Research: This is Our Idea
In gently rolling farmlands in west-central Missouri, Jared Barchak is continuing a family legacy while helping shape what the future of farming and agricultural research could look like. A fifth-generation farmer, Barchak manages a 280-acre, cow-calf operation with 75 mama cows that has been part of his life for as long as he can remember.
But while the roots of his farm run deep, his approach is evolving. Like many producers looking to balance productivity with sustainability, Barchak has embraced rotational grazing to reduce costs and improve land health. By frequently moving cattle, he’s able to make more efficient use of forage while limiting reliance on supplemental feed. “To try to limit feed costs, we move the cows anywhere from once a day to every 3 to 4 days, depending on the paddock size.”
That openness to innovation is what drew him to the From The Ground Up (FTGUp) Project. FTGUp is a farmer-led project in Ohio and Missouri, working to improve the real-world, on-farm performance of conservation practices across the Midwest. Backed by researchers from The Ohio State University, University of Missouri, Central State University, Lincoln University, and non-profit partner Solutions from the Land, farmers are designing their own research projects with scientists supporting them. Yield stability, protection from extreme weather, and profitability are key outcomes that the farmer-led research is investigating.
For Barchak, the project stands out because it puts farmers in control of the research itself. He believes this is critical to building trust and driving real change. “This is our idea… this is kind of us controlling it on five or six different farms in the area.”
That sense of ownership extends to how results are shared. Rather than relying solely on distant research institutions, Barchak sees value in local, practical evidence and data generated by people who understand the same soils, weather patterns, and challenges. He believes other farmers will be more receptive to findings from the research. “It’ll be kind of interesting to present our findings to other farmers… you could say, ‘hey, we did this right here,’ and this works. Or it doesn’t.” “I think it would definitely help them accept our data… that it was farmer led, from people that they know and they see in the community… doing this for a living,” he added.
Barchak is also learning a lot from the researchers on the project and is picking up ideas he could apply in other aspects of his farming activities. “It was kind of neat to see the application using the drones supplied by the University of Missouri, and how fast they can operate. I think this could be used in other aspects of farming as well. Any kind of spraying or broadcasting of seed out on the land.”
In combining generations of experience with new ideas and collaborative research, Barchak and other farmers in the region are working to create systems that are more efficient and resilient.
By Joseph Opoku Gakpo
