Rooted in Glen Elder: A Legacy of Family, Faith, and Farming

Just outside the quiet town of Glen Elder, Kansas, the Porter family has been a part of the land for generations. Theirs is a farm that has grown through change, endured challenges, and remained grounded in something deeper than the soil. Family.

Tim Porter,72, has called this land home for as long as he can remember. In fact, it’s where his story began.

“Our main farm has been here on the north side of town ever since 1953,” Tim says. “That’s the year I was born. And it’s been home ever since.”

That sense of place runs deep. For Tim, farming wasn’t just something you did. It was something you became. He joined the family operation full-time in 1972 after stepping away from college. “I decided either I was tired of going to school or I was as smart as I was ever going to be,” he says with a quiet laugh. “So I came home to farm.”

In truth, Tim had been part of the farm far before that. “I was with my dad even when he had to carry me around,” he says. “I’m thankful he was willing to put up with me and teach me as much as he did.”

The Porter operation is a mix of dryland and irrigated crops, milo, wheat, corn, soybeans, along with hay and a cow-calf operation. It’s the kind of diversity, and hands-on work that has shaped the family for decades. Today, Tim farms alongside his brother, John, and his nephew, Shale Porter, who represents the fourth generation.

For Shale, as the oldest son, the pull of the farm was never just about business. It was about belonging. “Grandpa and Grandma moved to the farm where we’re at today in 1953,” Shale says. “They started with pigs, farrow to finish, and sold a lot of breeding stock. They always grain farmed too, and when my dad and uncle came back from college, they expanded the operation.”

Now, Shale works closely with his father and uncle every day. Not only does he spend that time on the farm with family, but he spends time growing the legacy with the experts themselves. 

“There’s nothing quite like getting to see my dad and uncle every day,” Shale says. “And now my son is here helping too. That’s three generations working side by side. I get to learn from them, and hopefully my son gets to learn from me.”

The generations of the Porter family farm haven’t continued by accident. It’s built slowly, season by season, with resilience and faith for the livelihood built to continue. The passion for the farm within the family has become a tradition. More than just a way of life, it’s a livelihood. 

“You have to be willing to adapt,” Tim says. “Especially when the hog industry started to go away, we had to change. We learned more into the cattle and expanded the farming side. That kind of change isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary. You do what you need to do to keep going.”

That persistence is something the Porters know well. They’ve seen weather wipe out crops, markets shift overnight, and hard years come and go. But through it all, they’ve stayed the course.

“You always think you’re prepared for everything,” Tim says. “But you’re not. You learn that sometimes you just need a little luck. Luck being when preparation meets opportunity. That’s farming.”

For Shale and Tim, the key to moving forward has always been faith and grit. “We’ve faced plenty of trials and tribulations over the years,” Shale says. “But we keep going. We’ve been blessed to work with good people. CVA, our bankers, folks in our community. They’ve helped us get through the tough times so we can keep doing this next year.”

The farm may be where they work, but for the Porter family, it’s also where they live out their values. Tim still remembers the quiet impact of being home every night for supper. Something his father cherished.

“My dad always said he liked being able to put his feet under the dinner table at night,” Tim says. “I didn’t think much about that when I was younger. But now, looking back, I get it. It meant something. Being home with your family matters.”

Working the same land that your parents and grandparents once worked brings its own kind of perspective to each other. It’s not just about the acres you farm or the yields you harvest. It’s about honoring what came before and making sure it’s still there for the next.

“You realize after a while it’s not just about making a living,” Shale says. “It’s about what you’re building, what you’re continuing. I want my son to understand where this came from and what it takes to keep it going.”

That long-term thinking is why Tim believes in the importance of asking for help and leaning into lifelong learning for the young people around him. He says the same thing about faith. “A faith-based life, that’s important,” he adds. “It helps you keep going when things don’t make sense.”

Community plays a role too. Tim spent over 25 years on the board of the former Farmway Co-op, serving as chairman during the merger with Central Valley Ag. His passion for the cooperative model is the same as it was in the beginning. “Co-ops are vital to the communities they’re in,” he says. “A lot of times, their employees live in your towns. They go to your schools and churches. They support local life in a real way.”

As farming evolves, both Tim and Shale understand that staying informed is part of evolving efficiently for the farm. “You have to be willing to learn,” Tim says. “Everything changes. Equipment, techniques, markets. You have to keep up.”

In Glen Elder, Kansas, the Porter family continues to grow more than just crops and cattle. They’re growing tradition. They’re growing resilience. And most of all, they’re growing together.

This story, and yours is the foundation of growth for years to come. The cooperative table is strong with every sacrifice and every win. 

The table is set, we are saving you a seat. 

Our planet is hungry. Together, we feed it.