Zomer & Zeutenhorst Farm Family

By Lura Roti for South Dakota Farmers Union

On a Monday evening in April 2023, the Minnehaha County Commission approved a request to build a 450-head hoop barn for calving and feeder cattle.

“When it was time to vote, the chair of the commission asked his fellow commissioners, “when was the last time that we had a young man come in here asking for a building permit because they wanted to be in the cattle business?” This made me think in Minnehaha County they don’t see young people getting into the cattle business anymore,” said John Zomer, of the request he and his son-in-law, Taylor Zeutenhorst made. “Cow/calf producers are a dying breed. We did not hide the fact that we need this barn so we can expand so that our family farm can be sustainable.”

When the Minnehaha County Commission granted the permit, it was a sign that the Zomer/ Zeutenhorst family farm would be around for the next generation.

Building a family farm that is sustainable has been a life-long goal of John Zomer.

“Growing up on a small Iowa dairy farm, I always knew I wanted to be an over-the-road trucker – that is my first love. And I wanted to be a farmer – a close second love,” John explained.

He knew his goal of farming was a bit far-fetched because he is one of nine children. So, at the age of 22, he focused on his first career aspiration and purchased a 1985 Peterbilt 359 and a 1980 Merritt trailer and began hauling livestock across the U.S.

“I grew up in a time when you just expected to make your own way,” John said.

For nearly a decade, John hauled dairy cattle from New York to California – unloading cattle for 12-hour water breaks in Nebraska and Utah cattle yards along the way. “The difference between truck drivers who haul freight and those of us who haul livestock, is the freight drivers get to sleep at night and the ones who haul livestock don’t,” John said.

Together with his brother, Hank, Zomer Brothers Inc. expanded to 25 drivers, and the brothers began selling trucks and trailers out of a lot in Sioux Falls. In 2000, John and Hank decided to sell their livestock hauling business to focus on Zomer Truck and Trailer Sales and Service.

Because of hauling livestock, John was closely connected to the needs of agriculture producers and saw many producers in need of semitrucks and trailers as they expanded their crop acres to meet demand created by the expanding ethanol industry.

“We sold hundreds of trucks and trailers to farmers who were first time truck owners. So, with my experience as a driver, I made sure we helped them get comfortable with owning a truck and trailer. We do a lot of teaching and training,” John said.

While building up his trucking businesses, John and his wife, Stacy were also building their family. With four children under 8, Stacy was eager to help John get started on his second dream of farming. She wanted to raise their children in the country. So, when a long-neglected farm came up for sale just a half mile south of Valley Springs, she encouraged John to keep bidding during the foreclosure auction.

“I pretty much made John buy this place. I could tell that he was feeling closed in living in town and even though I had never lived in the country, I wanted our children to grow up here,” Stacy explained.

Zomer Family Farm

Planting maple trees to line the drive running from the main road to their farmhouse was among the first of many projects the Zomer family undertook as they cleaned up the rundown farmstead and built a new home for their family.

Twenty-two years later, mature trees and several modern outbuildings welcome family, friends and truckloads of cattle.

Although all of John and Stacy’s six children live in Valley Springs, most no longer live at home. Their son, Caleb, and son-in-law Taylor Zeutenhorst, work full-time on the farm which includes cropland and pasture acres throughout South Dakota.

“The original piece of farmground was only 100 acres and I knew that I could expand faster if I went north because land was less expensive than it was around Valley Springs,” John explained. “And we are in the trucking business, so hauling equipment or cattle doesn’t faze us.”

Although hauling cattle and farm equipment between fields or pastures can be a bit much, Caleb said he feels fortunate that the family farm has expanded enough that he can work fulltime.

“I never saw myself doing anything different,” explained the 23-year-old. “I could not imagine sitting behind a desk. I enjoy working with my hands, and with the farm I am working not just with my hands, but my head too.”

Prior to John asking him to return to the farm full-time, Caleb spent three years after high school working for a flooring company. He said he did not see a future in this. But working on the farm with his family is different. “If I am blessed enough to have a family someday – raising kids on the farm is a great way to get them involved and I believe it teaches them to be responsible,” Caleb said.

Triple Z Angus

Taylor Zeutenhorst started working for John on the farm in 2015 when he was taking a break from college. He was on track to get a degree in physical therapy and realized it was not for him.

“I was shadowing physical therapists during their workday and realized, I was an outdoor kid, and this was not the right fit for me,” Taylor said. “I was telling John that I was thinking about dropping out of college because I knew he had a vested interest since it was obvious that Samantha and I were going to be in this until the end, and I was wondering what to do. John offered that I could work at his shop. And then I started helping him in the field and hauling grain.”

During harvest two years later, John asked Taylor what he thought about diversifying the farm and expanding into the cow/calf business.

“I suggested we diversify by getting into the cow/calf business because it is the only part of the livestock industry that the conglomerates are not involved in,” John said. “And I remembered from my years of hauling livestock that we had a lot of customers who constantly complained about dealing with the big four packers.”

Taylor agreed to give it a go. “I grew up in Rock Valley, Iowa where there are a lot of cattle producers. I have an uncle who raises feeder cattle, so the idea of raising cattle was not completely foreign,” Taylor said. “We bought 55 cows and heifers. That first calving season I fell in love with it. It is interesting how things turn out. During school I had been so focused on helping people, and now, here I am helping livestock.”

Triple Z Angus partnership was formed in 2016, the same year Taylor and Samantha got married. John manages most of the marketing, Taylor takes care of the herd and breeding decisions, and Samantha handles the book work.

From the start, John and Taylor relied on veteran cattle producers for advice and guidance. And although there was a significant learning curve, things were going pretty well – and then calving season 2019 happened. During spring 2019 it was either raining or snowing.

“I was checking cattle in the yard in the chest waders I wore for duck hunting because there was 2-feet of mud everywhere and my muddy jeans were wrecking our washer and dryer,” Taylor said. “We moved the machinery out of sheds to try and get the cows and calves out of the mud. It was a disaster.”

“We had major death loss,” John added. “Taylor worked his heart and soul out trying to keep those calves alive and I said to myself, “if he is still in this after this year, he is in it for the long haul.”

Even with 30 percent death loss, Taylor did stick it out. But a lot changed after spring 2019.

He made the decision to move calving season to begin in January and Triple Z Angus began working on the permission they would need to build a hoop barn for calving.

To maximize their investment, they decided to finish their calves and others so that the barn would remain full year-round. “To build a barn and use it only 60 days a year is not feasible. We had to increase our profits to keep Triple Z Angus alive. It’s all part of building a sustainable family farm,” John explained.

Today, while Taylor spends his days outdoors, John and Samantha share an office at Zomer Truck and Trailer sales and service. Since the birth of their oldest son, Theo in 2022, Samantha has worked as assistant manager. In 2024, she and Taylor welcomed their second son, Milo. Grandma Stacy watches Theo and Milo on Mondays and Samantha spends Fridays on the farm with her sons.

“They are 1 and 3 and are already both obsessed with tractors and trucks and cows – it’s all they talk about,” Samantha said. “Raising them on the farm teaches them responsibility and hard work and if they want to, when they grow up, hopefully they can continue the farm.”

With the future of Triple Z Angus in mind, Taylor is focused on herd genetics and implemented a cross-breeding program. “Head count is nothing if the genetics are no good,” Taylor said. “I would rather have fewer cows and have them be good mothers and offspring that are healthy, productive and have a good temperament.”

The family is also working to build a strong relationship with the community of Valley Springs. They hosted their first Open House September 2024. More than 100 attended the event that included Triple Z Angus burgers, bouncy house for kids and a flatbed farm tour.

“We want to be good neighbors and since we live so close to town, we want to provide the opportunity to show our neighbors what we do here on the farm and answer their questions,” John explained.