Three Farmers

Blending generations, backgrounds, and style.

Story and Photos by Martha Mintz

On Lazy Day farm in Yuma, Colorado, a familiar tale is playing out. A farmer is nearing retirement. While he's comfortable with what he knows, his son is full of ideas and enthusiasm, ready to pen the next chapter of the farm's story. Yet another player, the next generation, is hard at work carving his own farm narrative.

Chad Day sits at the center of this story with a unique character arc. As a teenager, the farm was work, obligation, and the source of stress for his family.

It took just one semester of college to gain an appreciation for home. "I matured and realized the family operation and occupation was something good. Something to be proud of," he says.

Day earned a degree in animal science. His intention was to return home with a skill set he could use to add to the operation. He did come home—plot twist incoming—after a 16-year career in law enforcement.

A temporary job at the jail segued to being elected Yuma County sheriff. In the position he learned leadership, management, and discovered a passion for technology.

"I don't want to be an early adopter. I want to be an innovator. The guy that tries a new thing and shares his experiences. It's just the way God wired me," he says.

That desire didn't diminish when Day returned to the farm in 2019. He wants to pursue alternative crops and find value-added markets. The ideas are backed by research, but there's always risk.

Day has an enviable relationship with risk and stress. Challenges are to be analyzed and a course of action set. "Coming from law enforcement, farming is low stress. Nobody is going to die based on a decision I'm making," he says.

Above. Chad Day brings fresh ideas and a tolerance for risk to the farm. Planting black eyed peas instead of fallow proved a home run. Direct harvesting pinto beans proved dusty and a practice that will need more evaluation.

Back at the farm. Chad's father Bryce had a very different farm journey. His father passed at just 58. His brothers pursued other paths, leaving Bryce and his mother to wrestle the farm through the volatile 1980s.

"My mom was a great partner. She had all the faith in me in the world," Bryce says.

For years, though, Bryce was largely on his own. "I didn't think Chad would come back. I didn't really have a plan, I just survived and made things grow," he says.

When Chad returned, the status quo shifted. He brought passion and ideas, urging Bryce to expand beyond traditional crops and management with an eye on a future that included Chad.

The years have seen ventures that were learning experiences, others successes. Swapping fallow for high-value black eyed peas, for example, proved a home run in a tough year.

While successes are encouraging and may earn trust, Chad is clear he has no desire to push his dad out. He values his experience and his knowledge. He does, however, see benefits to both in moving forward with transition.

"I want to unburden him of the responsibility of the decisions and save him stress. He's worked hard and deserves the opportunity to enjoy life," Day says.

Both farmers speak of their internal battles to consider where the other is coming from.

"I have to keep my mind open to change. I know Chad gets frustrated with me," Bryce says. He feels the pressure of legacy. "My mom and dad worked hard to give me this opportunity and I'd like to see it continue."

Chad's son-in-law Tom Staggs is also a player. The young farmer has worked with the Days for years and recently started leasing his own family's farm.

"Chad is great with cash flows and planning. Tommy is very bright, too. He sees opportunities and works hard," Bryce says with clear fondness. Chad notes Bryce and Tom have similar life experiences and personalities, helping form a strong bond.

"I'm grateful for the relationship they have. They don't have to have as many hard conversations as dad and I do," he says.

Chad hopes to have fewer tough conversations with his successor by having a gradual transition plan in place—an option that wasn't as available for him and his dad due to his farming hiatus.

"We're fortunate that Tommy is around, competent, and pursuing farming," Chad says. He is hopeful they will work more together. Tom, a new father, is already looking to the future, too.

"I'm doing this for the next generation. Hopefully, I'll build something and get to watch them prosper," he says.

The trio seem to all be working toward a shared ending, but it will take some work to get each character on the same page. ‡