Many boys dream of following in their fathers’ footsteps, but to graduating senior Eric Euken, it’s more than just a dream. In filling those footsteps, he will try to make a living in a risky occupation — as an Iowa farmer.

Euken, an animal science major, will return home this spring to farm 750 acres of rented cropland in Cass County in southwest Iowa. With his return, he will become the fifth generation of Euken farmers.

Euken is excited about his future, even though he said few people recognize the trials and hardships farmers face.

“Farming gives you a sense of pride doing something right, even though you know nobody’s watching you,” he said.

According to the 1997 Census of Agriculture for Iowa, the number of farmers under the age of 25 has dropped from 2,852 in 1987 to only 1,468 in 1997.

In Cass County, the numbers of young farmers have dropped from 45 to only 18. Mike Gaul, Agriculture Career Placement adviser, said 15 percent of agriculture students at Iowa State are returning to the farm, which is down from past years.

Euken could have his choice of careers. He has the academic standards to succeed, as he is a regular on the Dean’s List, missing the mark only once in his entire college career. He has received a perfect 4.0 grade point average for a semester twice.

But unlike other graduating seniors, Euken doesn’t have to worry about filling out his r‚sum‚ and finding the right job.

“Job hunting is a big deal,” he said. “I’ve known what I’m going to do this whole senior year.”

His neighbor in Cass County, Dennis Hall, approached Euken in winter 1998 to rent 200 acres of his farmland. Hall said the decision for him to leave farming and do something else came about quickly.

At the time, Euken was only a junior and still had one and a half years left of college. When he approached his father, Roger, he thought it was nice his son wanted to come back. But Roger Euken also recognized the problems he faced every day in farming and wasn’t sure if his son wanted to face the same stresses.

Roger Euken simply said in the final decision, “If you’re interested, we’ll help you out and do the best we can.”

Hall wanted to give Euken a chance, and he understood how tough it is to get into the farming business. He said it was not difficult to decide to offer the land to Euken.

“I’ve watched his family farm and take care of the land,” Hall said. “He’s the one I wanted to have it, and I’m glad he took it.”

Euken’s first spring included renting 200 acres and taking a loan of about $30,000 to cover the rent and expenses. This spring’s loan has been increased to $120,000.

Roger Euken said local banks have been very helpful, and he was surprised by the way in which the banks assisted his son. Currently, Euken’s loan is backed by his father’s equity.

“As soon as he can make things cash-flow, he’ll probably be on his own,” Roger Euken said.

Michael Duffy, agricultural economist, said it is important in farming not to depend solely on field crops.

“You need to be involved in animals in the summertime,” he said. “You have to make sure you fully utilize your resources.”

Euken plans to establish a cow-calf herd with his father to balance the grain market. Last spring, he used his resources when he experienced flooding and had to replant some of the wetland.

“You can’t worry about things like that,” he said. “You have to roll with the punches and protect yourself with programs and insurance.”

Last spring, Euken was able to pay off his loan by the sensible choices he made with grain-selling contracts.

Euken’s father said farming isn’t all about who’s the richest but a lot about odds.

“In farming, it’s not how hard you work; it’s how things just work out sometimes,” he said. “It depends on when you sell your product and the weather.”

Money and glamour don’t attract young college graduates such as Euken to return to their homes.

“I think it comes down to individual desires and passions. A child is born on the farm and sees their parents toil, it gets in their blood,” Gaul said. “And then they decide, ‘This is where I want to be.'”