“When you’ve got skin in the game, you learn how to do things quickly,” says Scott Miller, who purchased his first farm at age 19.
It’s been a whirlwind since, with some setbacks and triumphs along the way. But with great pride, Scott says he’s exactly where he wants to be.
After Scott graduated high school, his father, Walter, asked him what he was going to be. “I said, ‘a farmer,’ and my dad said, ‘There’s a farm for sale, you ought to go buy it,’ ” Scott recalls. “I signed my life away to the Federal Land Bank at the time.”
Starting with 146 acres in 1984, a house and a few outbuildings, Scott went to work building his operation alongside his high school sweetheart and new bride, Jane. They lived through the high interest rates of the 1980s.
“Things were not good, but it was a great time to buy ground and, thankfully, my dad encouraged me,” Scott says. “Even though interest was high, land was cheap. If anything came up for sale, I made my best effort to buy it. I also rented more ground.”
To survive, they made interest-only payments. Scott drove a semitruck and bailed straw, while Jane worked long hours as a hairstylist. “I literally would do anything to make a buck to keep going,” says Scott, who notes there were times when being in business was questionable. “But farming is a lifestyle you can’t get anywhere else. I don’t care where you go — that’s what keeps you moving forward.”
Today, Scott, a fourth-generation farmer, is growing corn, soybeans and some wheat on 2,900 acres in four counties: Shiawassee, Clinton, Saginaw and Gratiot. Jane is retired and now works alongside Scott on the farm.
Together, they have a daughter, Randi, 38, and a son, Damien, 35, and they wholeheartedly welcomed five grandchildren in recent years. Damien joined the operation 12 years ago after graduating college and spending a few years as a survey engineer.
Both Jane and Scott grew up on farms. “I was my dad’s shadow 24-7,” Scott says. “My grandpa, Ralph, too. It was amazing to work with them, and I learned a lot.”
Scott never worked for his dad or drew a paycheck, but they always worked together sharing equipment and labor. “It’s still the same with my son, who has his own ground, but we do everything together and utilize the economy of scale,” he explains.
Damien and his wife, Kortney, are farming about 400 acres and put up a contract-finishing hog facility five years ago. Manure that isn’t utilized on Damien’s ground is spread on Scott’s wheat acres to fill the potassium and phosphorus needs for a couple of years, as well as a portion of its nitrogen levels.
Having good neighbors and being a good neighbor are important to Scott.
“With the Swanson family, we are always there to help each other in times of need,” he says. “And with my agronomist, Ron Palmer, I didn’t realize how much I relied on him throughout my career until he retired about 10 years ago. He did so much for me as a farmer, but also as a person. I was kind of floundering until a young guy, Mike Becker, called on me. We fostered a relationship for about three years, and he didn’t try to sell me anything, which I thought was amazing. So, when Ron retired, he stepped in, and it’s been great.”
Farming smarter
Scott has evolved and embraced changes within agriculture, including the adoption of conservation practices and technology to farm smarter, from years of using a moldboard plow and conventional tillage, to now minimum till and some no-till.
“We were 100% no-till at times, but we strip-till most of our corn acres and heavy ground now,” he says. “We’re putting fertilizer in the root zone to prevent any runoff.”
The farm is environmentally verified through the Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program.
This fall, Scott planted a test plot of twin rows of wheat, which will be seeded with soybeans in the spring. In July, the wheat is harvested, and soybeans take over. “It’s our third attempt for two crops because we’re too far north to truly double-crop,” he explains.
He’s not afraid to take calculated risks, but his memory won’t let him forget his grandpa’s teachings. “He had gone through the Depression, was very intelligent, and a stickler for details,” Scott says. “His motto was, ‘You can’t afford to make all your mistakes yourself; you have to learn from other people’s mistakes.’ And we live by that to this day.”
All corn is dried on-farm, and they recently added storage for a 250,000-bushel capacity. With margins tight, Scott has a keen eye on return on investment.
“Both Grandpa and Dad always said storage and tile are good investments,” he says. “Normally, we can store 100% of our crops, but we had some really good yields this year — probably the best we’ve ever had — so we had to shut down and ship some out to make room to finish. It’s a good problem, but unfortunately, we took a bath on basis.”
Giving back
As a couple in 2000, Scott and Jane completed the Michigan Soybean Young Leaders Academy. Scott has served on the Michigan Corn Board for several decades.
“As a lifetime member and former president of the Michigan Corn Growers Association, Scott has tirelessly worked to advance the needs of Michigan corn growers,” says his Master Farmer nominator Matt Frostic, chair of the Michigan Corn Growers Association and member of the corn board of the National Corn Growers. “His contributions extend to the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan board, where he plays a crucial role in shaping policy and marketing strategies. His leadership was significant to the establishment of the first ethanol plant in Caro, a testament to his vision for sustainable agriculture.”
Scott has also served on his township board and Farm Bureau boards, both at the state and county level. Beyond state lines, He represented the U.S. Grains Council on a mission trip to Japan and has lobbied for Michigan corn growers in Washington, D.C.
Family and football
Scott lost his mother seven years ago, but his dad is still a source of strength. “Thank the good Lord, Dad is almost 90, still drives, and has a fantastic memory,” Scott says. “He is an eternal optimist with a smile that never quits. I vent to Jane, and I bounce ideas off my dad — it’s a great mix.”
Succession plans are in place. Scott has no plans to retire, but he would like to slow down. “We have plans to move, and Damien and Kortney will move in here,” he says. “But I’m always going to show up to work, as long as they will have me around. I built something here that will live on, and I’m happy my son has the same passion.”
No feature on Scott Miller would be complete without mentioning his love of high school football. Scott played in high school and went back to his alma mater as a freshman coach for a short stint. However, balancing it with his young family and the farm was too much. He was pleased to return as the varsity defensive coach in 2004, just as Damien was entering high school.
“It was so much fun to experience that with him,” says Scott, noting they were conference champs and made many runs in the playoffs. In 2008, just after Damien graduated, the team made it to the finals at Ford Field. “I looked around, and the whole town was in the stands,” he says. “That’s when I learned it’s much bigger than football.”
Damien went on to play football at Ferris State University, while Randi, a high school state cheerleading champion, cheered at Grand Valley State University and is now a registered nurse. “Jane coached cheerleading for almost 13 years,” Scott adds. “We cherish that time with family and following the kids with our motorhome and tailgate trailer.”
Tragically over the years, the Millers lost three nephews at young ages. “It has sculpted how we look at things — life is too short,” Scott says. “We like to travel and do fun things with our family. We buy memories instead of stuff. The combine can set there until we get back.”
On occasion, all five grandchildren are on the farm. “They love it here, and we love that they are all so different. … It keeps it fun,” Scott says.
With his pilot’s license, Scott and Jane fly to Gaylord frequently to visit Randi and participate in grandkid activities. “There’s nothing better than to watch your kids grow into parents, and we’re so proud of them,” Scott says. “It’s our biggest accomplishment.”
Scott Miller at a glance
Farm: Miller Family Farms, 2,900 acres of corn, soy, wheat and hogs
Ag and community: County Farm Bureau, 15 years as board member and executive committee; multiple trips to Washington, D.C., and Lansing to lobby on behalf of Michigan Farm Bureau; 25 years with Michigan Corn Growers Association; Corn Marketing of Michigan board member, with many trips to Washington, D.C., and Lansing; co-chair of the Michigan Farm Produce Insurance Board for eight years; township trustee for 15 years; and football coach for 13 years
Awards: American Soybean Association Young Leader Award, Michigan Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Award, MCGA Distinguished Service Award