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This Master Farmer couple listens to the beat of a different but successful drummer!

Tom Bechman 1, Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

June 27, 2016

3 Min Read

When asked for directions to his farm, Don Zolman, Pierceton, gave an address on the west edge of Warsaw. He said it wouldn’t look like a conventional farmstead, and he was right. An 18-acre property enclosed by a chain-link fence, it was once a warehouse and hub for a transportation company. In fact, it still houses a transportation company. But now it’s Tranzstar Inc., owned by Don and Darci Zolman, and managed by their daughter Aubrey Rife, serving as president, and her husband, Nick, operations manager. 

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The part of the huge warehouse that isn’t rented out to other businesses to produce income is the Zolmans' machine shed and shop area combined. And the farm office is upfront, sharing the same space as the trucking company.

Out back are several solar panels that generate electricity. The venture is important enough that Don and Darci don’t mind having their picture taken in front of it. Don grins when the electric meter runs backward. 

Beat of own drummer

In case you haven’t guessed by now, Don and Darci aren’t your "American Gothic" version of a farm couple. Each marches to the beat of their own drummer, and at times they are different drummers. In her role as program administrator with the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District, Darci sometimes hangs out with people with environmental leanings that don’t always match up with what many farmers feel comfortable talking about. She helps bridge the gap between these groups and the ag community.

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That doesn’t bother Don. They can agree to disagree when necessary, he says. Meanwhile, they do what it takes to make the farm operation run smoothly. If Darci wants to drive an eco-friendly car, which she does, it’s OK with Don. If Don wants to drive a big four-wheel-drive pickup, which he does, it’s OK with Darci.

Don has always been the one in the room who asks, "Why or why not?" and people respect him for it. He’s not afraid to try new things — a trait he inherited from his father. Sometimes they don’t work, but then sometimes they do.

One of the first articles Don appeared in for Indiana Prairie Farmer was some 30 years ago, when he was trying double-cropping buckwheat. Later he was featured using an ATV to pull a sprayer. He was one of the innovators who pursued that technique to spray burndown on time.

At one time Don and his family owned and managed grain elevators along with farming. They switched emphasis to production when ethanol and soy biodiesel industries moved in. Now biodiesel and other products are hauled commercially through Tranzstar.

“We’ve raised ducks for Maple Leaf since 1981, longer than any other producer, and it’s worked well for us,” Don notes.   

He also converted a small acreage to organic crops in the late 1990s and developed an online marketing service for organic soybeans. Profits were marginal, so he refocused on non-organic production. Today he sees new demand coming, and isn’t afraid to try it again. That’s how Don thinks.

Method to the madness

The truth is, behind the questions and curiosity is a sharp businessman who only takes calculated risks, and who succeeds far more often than not. “We purchased this complex because the company was failing, and it was available at a very good price,” he says. “We needed more shop and storage facilities. Darci and I talked to my daughter about running the trucking business before we made the decision. When she decided to do it, we bought it. It’s working well so far.”

Don isn’t through trying new ideas yet. He’s fascinated by Harry Stine’s high-population corn concept. In fact, he’s so intrigued that he acquired a John Deere twin-row, 20-inch-row planter at a subsidized price last year. “The jury isn’t in yet, but it has merit so far,” Don reports.

Curiosity to ask ‘why’ and understand the answer key to Don and Darci Zolmans' success

About the Author(s)

Tom Bechman 1

Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

Tom Bechman is an important cog in the Farm Progress machinery. In addition to serving as editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer, Tom is nationally known for his coverage of Midwest agronomy, conservation, no-till farming, farm management, farm safety, high-tech farming and personal property tax relief. His byline appears monthly in many of the 18 state and regional farm magazines published by Farm Progress.

"I consider it my responsibility and opportunity as a farm magazine editor to supply useful information that will help today's farm families survive and thrive," the veteran editor says.

Tom graduated from Whiteland (Ind.) High School, earned his B.S. in animal science and agricultural education from Purdue University in 1975 and an M.S. in dairy nutrition two years later. He first joined the magazine as a field editor in 1981 after four years as a vocational agriculture teacher.

Tom enjoys interacting with farm families, university specialists and industry leaders, gathering and sifting through loads of information available in agriculture today. "Whenever I find a new idea or a new thought that could either improve someone's life or their income, I consider it a personal challenge to discover how to present it in the most useful form, " he says.

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