As we've finally finished planting and are enjoying some much needed rains, we finally have a chance to dig back into our Partner Spotlights. This time, we're highlighting long time friends and neighbors - The Krenke Family!
Bradley Krenke grew up in the Byron, Nebraska, community on the farm his parents started after his father returned from the Army. He was born in 1958, around the same time they began farming. Bradley attended school in Byron, graduating in 1976. After completing a year of vocational agriculture training, he joined his father on the farm in 1977. That same year, in June, he married his wife, Crystal, and the couple moved to a place his father had purchased a few years earlier, just ¾ of a mile from where Bradley grew up.
Brad rented that farm, along with 120 acres in Kansas owned by his grandmother. Crystal worked as a florist for a few years before transitioning to running her own business from home. Bradley and his father farmed and raised cattle together, and in 1996, Bradley took over the land his father had been farming, while also renting land from a few other landowners.
Brad's dad Wayne Krenke at the Nebraska State Capitol
In the 1980s, Bradley, along with a few friends and neighbors, began contracting popcorn acres with a couple of companies, one of which was managed by a friend’s brother-in-law. That company eventually merged with a cooperative from the East Coast, allowing them to secure more acres and establish a more stable production base. They grew popcorn for the company until it was sold.
Brad was pleased when Free Day approached him about renting pivot-irrigated ground, especially when bean stubble was available for planting. He said, “I enjoy seeing popcorn grown on the farm again and take pride in supporting young entrepreneurs by providing additional acreage to help their business thrive.”
Brad and Crystal’s daughter Jessica, and husband Andrew Lara, live in Decatur, Texas, with their daughter, Lourdes. Their son Jared and his wife Sarah live in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Brad with granddaughter Lourdes
Keep up the good work, Brad! We, too, really enjoy the Free Day popcorn, especially the white!