Kendig Family Farm and Ranch

Larry Kendig and his son, Lance, raise 300 to 400 cattle per year.

They plant wheat, corn, milo (grain sorghum), soy beans, hay and sometimes sunflowers. Their land is completely no-till, and they’ve been planting more cover crops each year. This helps build organic matter and micro flora and fauna in the soil to help produce nutrients for their crops.

What family members involved in your operation?

My son Lance works on the farm. Phil comes out when he can; he owns a business in town.

How many animals do you raise for Niman Ranch?

We raise from 300 to 400 head of cattle per year.

What are the crops produced on your farm? 

We plant wheat, corn, milo (grain sorghum), soy beans and hay. Once in awhile, we’ll plant sunflowers. We also plant cover crops in rotation with our other crops.

What’s the history of your farming operation?

My great-great-granddad homesteaded our farm in 1870. The original house burned down in 1961, so my dad and granddad built a new house in its place. My mom and dad lived here until they passed in 2006 and 2007, then my wife and I moved in. It’s been a family operation from the very beginning. We Kendigs had some off-the-farm jobs during the 1930s. My grandpa owned a hardware store and sold watermelons and sweet corn to help us get through the tough years of the depression. The Solomon River runs through our property, and back then they had to carry water through the fields to water the crops. Farming and agriculture has just always kept us going.

What sustainable farming practices do you use on your farm?

We are completely no-till, and we’ve been planting more and more cover crops each year. This helps build organic matter and micro flora and fauna in the soil to help produce nutrients for our crops. We try to manage everything as best as we can. We all add to the operation and preserve the land a little better and better.

How long have you sold animals to Niman Ranch?

Since the late 2000s.