Best of Both Worlds

 Four years ago Adrian Fay left his large Argentine farm to put down roots in Central Illinois and learn how to grow 300 bushel corn.

Fay is no ordinary farmer, let alone one from South America who decided to 'Buy American.' For starters, he holds degrees from both Harvard and MIT, where he served as a part time lecturer and research scientist in bioengineering. He speaks four languages and composes classical music in his free time. His global mindset is evident in every decision he makes, whether it's bringing in outside investors or developing best practice protocols with other American farmers.

We are sitting in a cozy little family restaurant on the outskirts of Farmer City, Ill., where Fay (pictured below) relates his story with the enthusiasm of an energizer bunny. Like an Argentine tango dancer, you can't keep your eyes off him, let alone ignore his message.

"Here and halfway around the world, we see the same mentality," he says, pacing the floor, hands in the air. "The farmer puts the way of life above the business, and as a result they lose their way of life because they are putting the business second."

Global diversification

Like most of the American farmers who expanded operations by adding enterprises in the vast soybean frontier of Mato Grosso, Brazil, Fay came here to diversify and reduce risk. He and farm manager Carlos Mayer began scouting the area in 2006, talking to extension specialists and farm managers about the region's benefits, which include close proximity to university and corporate biotechnology research. They bought their first farm in 2007 for $5,550 per acre, then quickly purchased three other nearby farms in 2008 and 2009 with outside investor help. 

Once in Illinois, you might think Fay would be happy to relax and learn the customs. Instead, he brought in fertility and soil scientists and hired accountants to put his business plan in play. He started Midwest Ag Innovation Network (MAIN), a hand-picked network of farmers who collaborate to determine best practices to maximize yields.

"Farmers everywhere only look at their neighbors, they don't look across the world," says Fay. "To be a key player we felt you had to have a wider presence."

The group meets online and at private field days to share how to reduce costs, improve genetics and negotiate better input prices. To get in and reap the experiences of others, collaborators must be willing to share results from at least two acres of field trials. Oh, and farm at least 100 miles from each other.

"The way to exchange production data and ideas is not to do it in your neighborhood because you're competitors," says Mayer. "So we have been attracting people from at least 100 miles or more. That's a minimum distance for competitive reasons."

Fay's goal is to boost the typical 3 to 4% ROI for to something closer to 5 or 6% using the latest genetics, best practices and innovation. "We're doing that through contact with the University (of Illinois), creating the innovator network, and using the contacts we have in South America," he says.

In other words, thinking outside the box. Way outside.

Fay may have come here to try something new, but American farmers might learn a thing or two as well.