From one generation to the next

January 6, 2025 | Jeff Hutton

Riley Schnell is continuing the legacy of his grandfather, Rolland, as he takes over the family farm

For more than 50 years, Rolland Schnell has worked the land in Jasper County and the surrounding area, raising hundreds of thousands of bushels of soybeans and corn. He’s made a living, supported his family in the process and continued the legacy that began generations ago.

That legacy is now in the hands of his grandson, Riley Schnell. He is determined to make his own mark in the farm fields while honoring the demanding work and pride his grandfather is leaving behind.

Making the transition

It was 1973, and Rolland had been out of college a few years, working for Deere & Co. But his father became sick and the young Rolland needed to help. Rolland would ultimately expand upon the Schnell family farming tradition and make it his own.

It proved demanding and there have been several challenges along the way — the everyday struggle with cash flow, equipment, input costs, navigating the ups and downs of the market and surviving truly tough times like the farm crisis of the 1980s.

But the Schnell family farming operation has proven successful.

“It’s been a good ride,” says Rolland, who has been an active farmer-member of the Iowa Soybean Association for years, even serving as the board president in 2016. He is well known across the soybean industry for his hard work and accomplishments.

But recently, Rolland began experiencing his own health challenges. He recognized then he needed to seriously find a successor whose desire for farming mirrored his.

“Up until a few years ago, I was in good health, but something has changed,” he says with a catch in his voice.

That’s where Riley steps in.

The next generation

Over the past four years, Riley partnered with his grandfather and began in earnest making his mark in  
the farming business.

But he’s been around farming longer than that.

“As the story goes, after I was born, I was thrown in the cab of the combine, so I’ve been around farming basically since Day 1,” Riley laughs. “I’ve always been blessed with the ‘curse of farming.’”

Rolland knew Riley had the drive and passion to do the work.

“Riley has always wanted to farm all his life,” Rolland says.

But it was four years ago when Riley called his grandfather to say he might be ready to make the move.

“I was working for a feedlot operation in State Center, and I wanted the chance to farm,” Riley says. “And to my surprise my grandfather said, ‘Come home this fall, find some sort of off-farm income and we’ll cut everything down the middle.’ I had 375 acres initially. We stayed separate entities, sharing inputs costs and grain profits, but maintaining separate books.”

That continued for three years until Rolland’s health woes worsened.

“This past season was my first full year alone,” Riley says.

“I said, ‘It’s all yours buddy,’” jokes Rolland.

But even before this past season and three years prior, Rolland has been guiding his grandson in the intricacies of being a successful farmer and what it takes to build a legacy.

“Those conversations really started during my high school years,” Riley says. “He would talk about the poor markets, what to do, what not to do. He and the experience I’ve gained have been the best teachers.”

And there’s a lot to consider.

Rolland and Riley converse daily about conservation, what to plant, fuel and input costs, equipment, maintenance, the markets … the list seems endless.

“We always joke about what was on the list today,” Riley says. “But my grandfather said to focus on your top three items and prioritize them that day. And know your cash flow and stay within your means.”

Invaluable lessons

Rolland says he’s been happy to pass on lessons he’s learned on the farm to Riley, not afraid to share some of the unvarnished realities of being a farmer.

From the farm crisis to the fluctuating markets, Riley knows well the stories from his grandfather.

“Riley has a lot of good ideas, forward-thinking ideas,” Rolland says. “But I keep having to harp at him to be careful because you don’t know what’s going to happen next year economically. If you have some equity built up now, you can save for the hard times. Try to grow and implement your ideas without spending a whole lot of cash. Cash is king and I can only caution him the best way I know how.”

And for Riley, those lessons have been invaluable.

“I’ve learned a lot from him,” he says. “My grandfather and I still talk every day on the phone or ride around in the pickup truck. I’ve spent enough time with him growing up and I always knew that to be a farmer was so much more than sitting behind the steering wheel of a tractor.”

Taking your shot

Riley says the transition from his grandfather to him has been made easier through Rolland’s guiding hand and the hope the Schnell legacy will only grow stronger in the years to come.

“I called him, asked for an opportunity and I have treated every day as such,” Riley says. “I don’t approach any of this with a sense of entitlement because I know I’m here solely because of him.

“It’s humbling to carry on his legacy and everyone that came before him. And I do believe this was the path that was chosen for me long ago and I’m meant to be here and take hold of the opportunity my grandfather has given me.”

For Rolland, passing down the family farming business to his grandson is “heartwarming and comforting. There’s a sense of pride and that’s satisfying.”

Rolland says the lessons he has passed down, including the good and bad, are not meant to dissuade and discourage, but rather inform Riley that he can make his own way through the business of farming.

“I tell him to please plan ahead, dream big and do what you want,” he says. “You’ll never make the basket unless you shoot. Just be cautious when you’re shooting.”

Bittersweet yes, but Rolland knows his farming legacy is in good hands.

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