Demmitt, who is the 19-year-old son of David and Debbie Demmitt, is pursuing an associate degree in agricultural business at Clark State Community College. He said he is one of two Clark State students who are focusing on organic farming.
“The education that I am receiving is helping me see that as an up-and-coming farmer, our soil is extremely important and we need to conserve it so that we can continue to farm it in future generations,” said Demmitt, who will be a sixth-generation farmer.
Growing up on an 1,100-acre organic dairy farm, Demmitt became familiar with the many jobs on the farm.
He has helped milk cows, raise hay, spelt, beans and corn, done routine maintenance on equipment, delivered grain and hay to other organic dairies, and other tasks.
He said he enjoys working with the cows, as well as the mechanical work.
After graduating from high school, he enrolled in college and began paying more attention to not just the daily tasks in farming, but the management and business sides of farming.
To get a better understanding of what it’s like to run an organic dairy, he purchased five brown Swiss heifers and is leasing 15 acres of cropland. He is making the decisions on when to breed the heifers, and then will track their milk production.
He also is making planting, cultivating and harvesting decisions on the crop land.
“I can see a lot more of what goes into it,” he said.
This summer, he is keeping busy with an agricultural co-op on the family farm, as well as working part-time as a diesel mechanic.
Demmitt said the co-op focuses on the operations or decision-making on the farm.
He is studying three areas: the combine operation for spelt, a type of wheat; pasture management for the cows and its impact on milk production; and researching the feasibility of organic blueberry production.
In addition, he is helping with the day-to-day farm operations.
Two days each week, he works as a diesel mechanic. When growing up, he learned a lot about diesel equipment from working on the farm, he said.
Demmitt said he hopes to graduate from college next year and continuing a family tradition of working on the family farm.
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