One Plot At Time
Like most, Daniel Jossund’s journey in agriculture started early—growing up on his family’s farm in Perley, MN, he always knew farming was his future. From an early age, he found himself drawn to the work, whether it was riding along with his dad in the tractor or managing his own small patch of rented land as a teenager. His upbringing instilled a deep appreciation for hard work and a love for agriculture that has only grown stronger over the years.
Now, as a senior at North Dakota State University studying agricultural economics, he’s balancing school, farming, and an ever-growing hay and straw business that keeps him busy year-round.
“Once I knew that being a farmer was something that I could do, that was what I wanted to do,” Daniel said. “I was always playing with toy tractors and begging my mom to take me out to the field or the shop. As soon as my dad would let me loose in a tractor or combine, I was ready to go.”
Early Life
Daniel grew up alongside his brother, Andrew, who also shares a love for farming and has found his niche in auctioneering. Their sister, who now works at NDSU, remains connected to the farm as well, helping out during harvest. The Johnsons are a close-knit family, with a classic Midwestern mindset of everyone pitching in during the busiest times of the year. Even Daniel’s mom, who once stepped away from daily operations to raise their family, still runs the combine and handles much of the farm’s bookkeeping.
While farming has always been a major part of his life, Daniel’s path to running his own operation wasn’t handed to him overnight.
Building His Own Path
Daniel’s entrepreneurial spirit showed early. At just 14, he rented his first acres from his family to grow soybeans and wheat. That small step quickly snowballed into a bigger venture when he and his brother, Andrew, began baling straw to make some extra cash. What started as a side project with an old square baler soon turned into a serious operation. When Andrew moved on to pursue auctioneering, Daniel bought him out and took the business to the next level—scaling from small squares to large rounds and expanding his reach across the region. Today, he plans to bale 2,000 acres of straw and 200 acres of alfalfa, showing that a little ambition and a lot of hard work can go a long way.
“I didn’t ever envision the hay and straw business being a big part of what I want to do, but it just fell into place and it worked,” he said. “It works good for me.”
Throughout his college career, he has spent ample time at the farm, more so in the summer and seasonal months, but farming isn’t just a summer gig for Daniel. When he’s not in the fields, Daniel keeps busy with snow removal in the winter, subcontracting for S & S Landscaping to put his equipment to use year-round. The experience has provided him with valuable business skills and additional income to invest back into his farming ventures. It’s all part of his strategy to make the most of his resources year-round, which is a common strategy for farmers, and especially young ones.
A Gradual Transition
Rather than a sudden handover of responsibilities, Daniel’s family has offered a gradual transition of learning for the next generation, allowing Daniel and his brother to take on more acres and responsibilities each year. Their father, nearing retirement, has passed on more responsibility each year, allowing them to learn the ropes from the ground up—literally. It’s a transition plan that has allowed them to make their own management decisions while still having their dad’s experience to lean on.
“Instead of being given the reins to a large grain farm to take over, my brother and I have had the opportunity to start with our own acres, start small, and then over the years, my dad each year, will let us farm another piece of ground,” Daniel said. “So, we can see how it works from the ground up.”
The gradual shift has also given Daniel the freedom to make key business decisions, like choosing seed varieties and investing in new equipment. It’s a hands-on approach that’s preparing him for the day he and Andrew fully take over the 3,500-acre operation.
Embracing Technology
Like many young farmers, Daniel sees the value in blending tried-and-true farming practices with modern technology. He and his brother have introduced John Deere Operations Center to their operation, a move that’s helping them track data, monitor equipment, and make smarter, more efficient decisions.
The John Deere Operations Center is a high-tech command hub for farmers, helping to turn the data from their equipment and fields into smart, actionable insights. It connects tractors, combines, and other gear to the cloud, letting farmers monitor performance, track field progress, and make precise decisions about planting, spraying, and harvesting —all from their devices. Farmers enjoy the features like real-time machine tracking, field mapping, and collaboration tools. Whether it ‘s fine-tuning operations, sharing data with agronomists, or keeping records for compliance, the Operations Center puts modern precision ag at their fingertips.
“One thing that my brother and I have started to use the past two years is the John Deere Operations Center. As we started to buy equipment, we have gotten into John Deere GPS and using John Deere Operations Center—that’s a really nice tool for tracking data and [seeing] where the machines are,” Daniel said. “We were always using auto steer. It’s just this John Deere tech with the operations center is a little bit more sophisticated.”
Find a niche… I think that that’s really going to be an important thing for people my age to be successful. To find a niche outside of the regular big commodities.” – Daniel Jossund
While Daniel values traditional farming methods, he remains open-minded about adopting new technologies that can streamline operations and increase productivity, a mindset that is crucial for staying competitive in today’s evolving agricultural landscape.
Pride In A Farming Legacy
As a fourth-generation farmer, Daniel carries a deep sense of pride in working the same land his great-grandfather homesteaded. Standing in the fields where generations before him labored, his connection to the past might be a driver for his feeling of responsibility to the future.
“There’ are a lot of families around here that used to farm but don’t anymore, so it’s definitely cool to have the opportunity to keep farming with the same last name,” Daniel said. “And to think about the fact that we’re on the same farmstead that my great grandpa homesteaded, how much it’s changed through the generations, and that it’s the same lineage continuing that—it’s neat to think about.”
Though he’s passionate about farming, Daniel also understands the challenges young farmers face today, from rising costs to the need for diversification.
Finding A Niche In Modern Farming
For young farmers like Daniel, carving out your unique place in the industry is crucial to long-term success. The rising costs of land, equipment, and inputs, combined with market volatility, have made it challenging to rely solely on traditional row crops. That’s why Daniel has embraced diversification—balancing the family farm with a growing hay and straw business.
“One thing that I see people like myself who want to come back and farm do—and a really important thing—is to find a niche, like I did with the hay and straw. A lot of farms are just corn, beans, wheat, and maybe sugar beets, but it’s just those main crops. It’s hard to start farming that or break into it without a lot of land base,” Daniel said. “So, whether it’s custom spraying, fertilizer spreading, crop scouting, or something else ag-related to supplement you—maybe you could use some of the same machinery you already have for it—I think that that’s really going to be an important thing for people my age to be successful. To find a niche outside of the regular big commodities.”
His story is an answer to a growing trend among young farmers who are looking beyond the typical seed rotation to create additional revenue streams. Whether it’s offering custom baling services, agronomic consulting, or exploring specialty crops like cover crops and organic produce, finding a niche helps young farmers establish their independence while making their operations more resilient and sustainable for the future.
The Need For A Dual Career
The reality of modern agriculture means that many young farmers can’t afford to farm fulltime right away. These secondary careers not only provide financial stability but also offer opportunities to invest in their farming operations over time.
“That goes back to what I was saying, finding a niche. Because it’s hard to survive off of just farming when you’re starting out, because it’s a very capital and intensive business. And to get to that point where you’re set, maybe it’s time to retire. Whether that’s a W2, off-the-farm job or another business that you have, that’s important,” Daniel said
Other farmers turn to careers in agribusiness, crop scouting, or technology-driven services that tie back into their farming operations.
While Daniel values the generational knowledge passed down from his family, he knows that staying competitive in today’s farming world requires adaptability. For young farmers looking to build their future in agriculture, diversifying income sources, embracing new technology, and finding their niche is more than just a strategy— it’s a necessity.
“Once I knew that being a farmer was something that I could do, that was what I wanted to do.” – Daniel Jossund
Looking To The Future
With graduation on the horizon, Daniel is eager and excited to put his full focus on farming—why? Simply because that’s what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s also excited to continue expanding the hay and straw business, refine their farm operations, and explore new opportunities to improve efficiency and sustainability.
“I am eager to be able to devote more time to farming, commit more time to it, doing more with the hay and straw business, being there in the winter more to work in the shop, and keeping a tighter eye on my books—just doing a better job of managing everything,” Daniel said.
Whether it’s growing crops, doing his snow removal business in the off-season, or playing music with his family band at local events, Daniel embodies the spirit of today’s young farmers—resourceful, hardworking, and deeply committed to their communities.
