Meet the Zwicker Family!
Jim
Growing up on the farm, I have always known my career path. As a young boy working with my father on the family farm, I learned farming strategies as well as perseverance, hard work, and dedication. I seized an opportunity I was given while still in high school to begin my own farming business. When my father passed away unexpectedly in 1979 while I was still in college, I realized the most important lesson he taught me was the acceptance of things you cannot control like the weather, market prices, and changes in family structure. Upon graduation from Western Illinois University with a degree in Agricultural Economics, my farming operation underwent a major expansion during the onset of the farm crisis of the 1980's. This experience formed the basis of my conservative ideals and established my long-term business strategy. I then married my wife, Carla, and 11 years later we purchased the Zwicker Family Farm and moved there to foster a way of life we firmly believed would be advantageous to Deanna, Alyssa, and Trent.
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Over the years, my occupation has allowed me to raise our children on the farm and be an active participant in their lives and their activities, all the while instilling in them a sense of responsibility. I have worked to develop mutually beneficial relationships with landlords as to the care of their cropland and improvement of their farmstead. The exciting frontiers in agriculture, I firmly believe, are the many technological advances available today due to Global Positioning Systems (GPS). As Trent will attest, I strongly advocate to him and to anyone wanting to ensure a viable career in farming they must carefully monitor their expenses, effectively utilize technology in their production, and be able to expand their operation at a reasonable pace. I take my responsibility as a steward of this land very seriously and work diligently to secure an opportunity for future generations to shape the world of agriculture.
Trent
Hello, my name is Trent Zwicker and I am proud to call myself a farmer! Growing up in the country, my childhood was not spent watching T.V. or playing video games because I preferred to be outside in the dirt and dust. At a young age, my passion for the soil became clearly evident to me. Throughout high school, I was heavily involved with varsity athletics, but my most enjoyable memories were spending time in the hog and cattle barns of the county and state fairs. My most productive times were the unending spring days and sleepless fall nights spent in the tractor as I learned the tricks of my trade. This was a valuable hands-on experience that laid the foundation for me to begin my farming career. At the age of 16, I was given an incredible opportunity to rent farm ground on my own. Because of my attention to detail and the skills I attained, I have prospered new relationships and have become a 1/3 partner in the farm.
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Thanks to my family, I became heavily involved in 4-H and FFA, which constituted a huge part of my earlier years and helped to define the man I am today. I decided to follow my true calling and seek a degree in agriculture in the fall of 2013. I graduated from Western Illinois University in the spring of 2017 with a degree in Agricultural Business and Agricultural Economics. My duties have expanded immensely since that time and now consist of managerial decisions and keeping books for the farm, along with the day-to-day responsibilities I have come to know so well. In 2018 I took a step forward and built a 2,400 head capacity hog finishing barn in which I run and manage all aspects. In 2020, located right here at the Zwicker Farm, I married my longtime high school sweetheart, Kelsey, amidst a global Coronavirus pandemic! As a partner in Zwicker Farms, I will be fair, honest, and professional in my business endeavors both now and in the future.
Carla
My name is Carla Zwicker an I allowed Jim to sweep me off my feet when we first met at Western Illinois University. I give credit to my four grandparents who farmed their entire lives and inspired me to cherish a similar life on the farm with Jim and our children. It was and still is, the best place to raise a family, make memories, teach values, and become a productive member of society. My parents modeled a cohesive family structure and I felt being in the trenches with Deanna, Alyssa, and Trent offered the best parenting opportunities. While Jim emphasized a solid work ethic and the value of a dollar, I strove to develop their faith in God and promote a hunger for learning. I have committed nearly 35 years to 1st Community Bank, where I am Vice President. Beulah Church has allowed me to serve as an elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, children's music director, and other positions. As 4-H leaders, Jim and I enjoy giving back to the organization which contributed so much to the growth and development of our children. We are strong proponents of the benefits of 4-H and FFA alike as they aid in the preparation of well-rounded, confident young minds for tomorrow's challenges. I feel being around young people, simply supporting our own children and others, maximizes our time here on earth and is the best anti-aging medicine!
Kelsey
My name is Kelsey Zwicker and I am the proud wife of Trent. Growing up, I looked up to my father as a farmer and fell in love with our family-oriented country lifestyle. In high school I was heavily involved in varsity athletics, as well as student council, National Honor Society, choir, school musicals and plays, and the Henry County Fair Queen Pageant. I knew it was fate when I met Trent at a youth group movie night as he was the only one wearing cowboy boots! Upon driving into the Zwicker Farm for the first time all those years ago, little did I realize just how much that place would soon mean to me. Our early years were filled with so many fond memories of tractor dates during spring and fall, showing hogs and cattle at the county fairs, and riding along with him to various farm equipment auctions. Majoring in Elementary Education, I graduated from Western Illinois University in 2018 and began my dream career of teaching young minds at Alwood Elementary School in Alpha, Illinois. Nowadays, when I'm not at school, you can often find me in the hog building helping load out or sort pigs, running seed to Trent in planting season, driving the loader tractor pulling out fenceposts, and running late-night meals to the guys in the fields in the spring and fall. Not to mention all the nights I don't have to cook dinner and get to accompany Trent to another marketing meeting! I couldn't think of a better place to start our young family and raise our future children than on the farm instilling in them the same values Trent and I hold so important to us.
Deanna
I am the oldest of the Zwicker siblings and currently live in Davenport, Iowa. I graduated from Orion High School as Valedictorian in 2007. Growing up I was quite involved in 4-H and the county fair each year, where I enjoyed showing livestock. I was crowned Miss Rock Island County in 2008 and went on to be a finalist at the Miss Illinois County Fair State Pageant. Majoring in Economics, I attended Augustana College where I was also Vice President of the student body. Realizing my passion in agriculture, I pursued a career at Cargill first as a grain buyer and then as an advisor. I am currently with Cargill’s Marketing Service as a Grain Marketing Advisor where I manage over $100 million of grain revenue in Northern IL. I assist my customers on when to sell grain, how to manage risk, execute trades and remain profitable in volatile markets. My heart is rooted in our family farm and I have truly found it my calling in life to financially assist those rooted in the heart of agriculture--the American farmer.
Alyssa
I am the older sister to Trent and the second daughter to Jim and Carla. I currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona. Graduating from Orion High School in 2010, I was very active in athletics, FFA, 4-H, student council, drama club, and honor courses. I also had the pleasure of serving as Miss Rock Island County and as a finalist at the Miss Illinois County Fair State Pageant. I attended Augustana College where I was on the debate team, served on student government, studied abroad in Guatemala, was active in sorority activities, worked at the Quad City Autism Center and graduated with honors in 2014 with a degree in Psychology. I currently am obtaining a Ph.D. in pediatric neuropsychology from the University of Iowa and completing my residency program at the Phoenix Children's Hospital. Here, I work with patients of traumatic brain injury, patients in neo-natal ICU, geriatric patients with dementia, and just about any other case dealing with the medical and behavioral aspects of the brain. Growing up on the farm has instilled in me core values such as dedication, a drive to succeed, and the willingness to work tirelessly to achieve my goals. I feel so blessed to have been given wings to fly and roots to come home to.
Callie
Hello everybody, my name is Callie! I am the four year old daughter of Trent and Kelsey. Because I am half Border Collie and half Australian Shepherd, I always have plenty of energy for any and all activities. I have been self-appointed as fearless protector of the farm from any and all rodents or other four-legged intruders, although I have been known on several occasions to get bested by Mr. Skunk. In my spare time I enjoy lounging around the farm, going on rides in the back of dad and grandpa's trucks, going on walks down the lane with grandma, and always meeting new people! Perhaps my favorite hobby is chasing those pesky farm cats. Every visitor to the Zwicker Farm is sure to get a few complimentary tail wags and belly rubs, on me!