Greg Kugel is no stranger to taking risks. At 19 years old, when he expressed interest in coming back to the family cash crop farm after being away at college and working as sales rep for a crop inputs company, Greg’s dad, John, agreed but under one condition: Greg would take on farming a few acres of his own. John told him if he could make a profit, he could leave college and return to the farm full-time.
Realizing a Dream
Greg had worked on the farm growing up, but while he was in college recognized his calling had always been farming. “Working in an office made me realize that when it comes to what I do every day, ten out of ten times I’d rather be in the tractor,” said Greg. “For me that’s what is the most rewarding and what I look forward to.”
Greg’s parents always encouraged him to return to the family farm after completing a college degree. Seeing his desire to build on the family legacy, yet recognizing the challenges that would lay ahead, John, who had taken over a few acres of grain for some neighboring farms at the time, challenged Greg to farm a few acres of grain on his own.
“That was one of the wettest years on record,” Greg laughed as he recalled that first year he was responsible for farming his own land. Despite the challenges he faced his first season, Greg made a profit!
“After that season, I was ready to pursue farming full time, but I knew I would have to bring something new to the table. I didn’t just want to be another person for the farm to payroll- I wanted to bring in an additional revenue stream to help the farm expand,” said Greg.
Greg is hands on in his operation, from pruning trees in the winter to loading up the box truck full of fruit in the summer to take down to the farmers' markets in Chicago.
A New Direction
Kugel Farms started as a fruit farm nearly a century ago, growing a wide variety of produce. Located in Berrien Springs, Mich, the farm was founded in 1930 by Greg’s great grandfather Grover Kugel who purchased the original 80 acres. Only 15 miles off the coast of Lake Michigan, the farm’s soil and climate provide ideal conditions for growing fruit. Today, the farm spans over 225 acres, and has transitioned its focus from mostly tart cherries to grapes, peaches, and over sixteen varieties of apples.“When I came back to the farm, a neighbor approached me about renting out some apple orchards,” said Greg.
The farm began selling their produce wholesale, but Greg had a vision to sell to the fresh market as well. “I grew up around other producers who were selling at local farmer’s markets, and that’s what gave me the idea to start getting our fruit in front of customers so they could enjoy the farm fresh produce we were proud of growing.”
“That’s when I got the idea to start travelling to the Chicago Farmers’ Markets,” Greg said. “I really started pushing for this idea in January of 2020, and then two months later the pandemic was in full swing.” What seemed like a possible roadblock in Greg’s plans turned out to be one of the tickets to his success.
Despite the uncertainty, Greg prepared all spring for the farm’s first trip to the farmers’ market. Only a little over an hour and half away, Chicago is home to dozens of farmers’ market locations that host thousands of vendors and customers weekly.
“Farmers’ markets were one of the only places people could still gather during the pandemic because they were outside, so we saw massive success that first year we started making trips to Chicago each week. I think people were just so anxious to go somewhere and be outside. We sold out the first trip we took there, and that’s when I realized this could be a really profitable source of income for the farm.”
Supported for Growth
Greg and several of the farm’s full-time employees started making multiple trips to the Chicago Farmers’ Markets each week, putting them on a path of rapid growth over the next few years. At that point, Greg recognized his need for not only financial support, but industry expertise as his farming operations continued to grow.
“That’s when I reached out to GreenStone, and they introduced me to Jeff Ginter,” said Greg, referring to the vice president of lending who works out of GreenStone’s Berrien Springs branch. “I’ve been working with Jeff since the beginning. When I really started growing, I needed a loan to help me make upgrades to my equipment and help with operating expenses. Jeff knew exactly what kind of operating note I was going to need and walked me through every step of the loan process and everything I needed to know like the interest rate and structure of my loans.”
“When I first started working with Greg, he had just started farming on his own and had big ideas of what he wanted to achieve within his first five years farming. When he started going to the Chicago Farmers’ Markets, he came to GreenStone seeking financial support, and I was excited to start working with him to help set him up for success,” said Jeff.
“I’ve loved working with Greg because he truly has a passion for what he does, and he has so much energy. It’s really rewarding for me to work with younger farmers who are just starting out because I enjoy watching them succeed and seeing their operations grow over time.”
“I really had to lean on Jeff to determine what I needed to operate and upgrade to still make the operation profitable. I would consider Jeff a vital part of what I do. I know I can text him anytime and he’s always there to answer my questions.”
As the demand for fresh produce at Kugel’s Farms stand continued to grow, Greg also realized he needed assistance with keeping his farm’s books up to date and turned to GreenStone again for support with tax and accounting services.
“I began to realize how valuable my time was, and having professional support even with something you might be able to do yourself is worth it for the time you can put back into your operation.”
Greg stands with VP of Lending Jeffrey Ginter in one of the farm's expansive apple orchards that cover over 225 acres.
The Power of Starting Today
During the busy farmers’ market season, which usually runs from the end of May through the end of October, Greg loads up a box truck full of fresh produce including a variety of apples, berries, peaches, tomatoes, and other vegetables and makes a trip to the Chicago Farmers’ Markets three times a week. He has gained a large following of regular customers that he looks forward to seeing each week.
“To me, it’s really rewarding to share the product we grow ourselves with people who are excited about it,” said Greg.
Greg now farms 50 acres of his own land, harvesting about 40 acres of apple varieties, and 10 acres of other seasonal produce to take with him to the markets.
“My advice for a young farmer who is just starting out? I would say if you are willing to learn, there is always someone out there who is willing to help. In farming, there are plenty of people who want to see the next generation succeed and are willing to help you get started,” Greg said. “Don’t worry about being too young or not having enough experience. The sooner you start, the more you can learn, and the more experience you can gain yourself!”
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