The Shenandoah Valley is to a farming community what Manhattan is to a suburban community. Densely populated, rent is astronomical and buying property requires significant bank roll.

I look forward to someday sitting on my porch drinking a glass of bourbon made from corn and rye grown on my farm and smoking a cigar made entirely from tobacco I produced. To get there, I need to deliver near-perfect grains and leaves in an area that not so long ago was considered unfit for row crops.

When Loran Steinlage hears someone say, “I want to be where you are” when it comes to interseeding, he says it’s a sure sign that person is setting themselves up for failure. It takes patience and practice to set the groundwork. 

What I’m doing isn’t for the faint of heart. I not only want to farm, I want to be profitable, take care of the soil, water and wildlife and make sure my children and grandchildren can keep farming in the future. Doing things the right way — not just the easiest or most profitable in the right here and right now — is what I want to achieve.

THIS MAY SOUND crazy for a 72-year-old to say, but I can’t retire because I’m at the top of my game. My soil is the best it’s ever been.