AG WEEK: Jacobs family celebrates seven generations of farming

The fact that he’s worked the family farm with his grandfather, father and son is not lost on Al Jacobs. 

“It’s been rewarding, and it’s great when you work with family. It’s not a livelihood, it’s more of a lifestyle,” Jacobs said. 

The Jacobs farm was recently recognized by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship as one of Iowa’s latest heritage farms. The designation honors farms that have been operated by one family for an extended period of time. 

For the last several decades, three generations of Jacobses could be found working on the family farm located on County Road E-17 just west of Scotch Grove at any one time. 

“I remember working with Dad (Doug) and Grandpa (Marvin),” Al Jacobs said. He joined the operation in the 1980s. “I remember growing up when Dad and Grandpa were partners. Now it’s me, my brother Mark and my son, Nic.”

The Jacobs legacy farm dates back to March 18, 1874, when John Jacobs staked his claim to the land. Later came Rudolf Jacobs and Arnold Jacobs, Marvin’s father. Marvin stepped away in the early 2000s. 

“He retired but helped us farm in the early 2000s up until his death basically,” Al Jacobs said. 

After that, Doug took over and is still there, along with the sixth and seventh generation. 

The farm’s outputs over the years changed with the times. In the early years, the Jacobses focused on cattle, hogs, hay and oats. The farm evolved through the decades and later added soybeans and removed cattle. Hogs were sold off in the 2000s. Now, the Jacobses focus their efforts on feeding cattle and growing soybeans, corn and hay. 

Their large Jones County operation requires evolution on their own accord, too. 

“The equipment (we use) has changed amazingly,” Al Jacobs said. “Technology now is nowhere where we would have ever dreamed … the farm’s went more to being equipment-based than labor-based. You can get so much more done with so much less help.” 

Jacobs remembers more than half the tractors in their fleet were without cabs. These changes have affected how they scale their business. 

“There were big changes,” Jacobs said. “It’s not any slower. The thing now is you have to run so many more acres. You put the same amount of time in, but falls and springs are the same length. With the new technology, you are more efficient and you get so much more done.”