Kaitlin Flick Dinsmore combines a love of cattle with conservation as she creates her own farming journey.
Story by Joann Pipkin, Photos by Elise Luebbering
If you aren’t growing, you’re behind.
The mantra behind Kaitlin Flick Dinsmore’s journey into farming comes with that one simple goal all while finding enjoyment in what she does. The young Linn County farmer’s journey comes by way of sheer determination and love for sustainability as she credits her mom and grandmother with fostering in her a fondness for the land and the cattle that call it home.
Today, the 30-something agripreneur balances her own agriculture and environmental consulting firm with raising cattle and a young family while stewarding the land under her care.
Kaitlin had a vast array of agricultural involvement growing up. While her father owned a small fescue and native grass seed business, Kaitlin had the opportunity to work there growing up, probing seed piles, taking moisture samples and cleaning seed with gravity tables, she quickly grew fascinated with seeds and plant sciences. Additionally, the young farmer’s love for the cattle industry runs generational in her family, as her mother’s side of the family dairy farmed until 2024.
According to Kaitlin, she feels tremendously blessed to have been involved with her family and witnessed the hard work and dedication her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins had to the dairy farm. She often reflects on the life her grandmother lived, milking Holsteins and raising eight children. 
“My mom was a first-grade teacher by day and cattle farmer by evening and weekends,” Kaitlin explains. “It’s so rewarding for me to get to carry on the legacy that my grandma and mom were involved with. I hope that my children grow up with the same love for the land and cattle, balancing good stewardship with raising quality (stock).”
Kaitlin was active in FFA in high school and went on to earn a degree in plant science from the University of Missouri.
“I have a vivid memory when I was 18 in FFA,” she says. “I loved animal science, loved plant science.”
A conversation with her late grandfather Elmer at the time nudged Kaitlin into plant science for her future career path.
“(I was fascinated) with the plant cycle and how crops grow, how they take nutrients from the soil and produce life,” Kaitlin says. “I wanted to be part of that and learn more. That’s why I love working in plant sciences.”
The young farmer is amazed that a tiny seed can be planted in soil and with the help of nutrients and water can go on to produce biomass and then reproduce itself.
“There’s no better story of what life is than that,” Kaitlin says.
After college, Kaitlin worked in the crop industry for several years before launching her own agribusiness, which provides technical assistance to farmers through stewardship programs that can help better their operations.
“There’s no better story of what life is than that,” Kaitlin says.
After college, Kaitlin worked in the crop industry for several years before launching her own agribusiness, which provides technical assistance to farmers through stewardship programs that can help better their
operations.
HANDS-ON STEWARDSHIP
While Kaitlin’s agribusiness focuses largely on sustainability and conservation programs, the young farmer herself is quick to practice what she preaches.
“It’s important to me to be part of something bigger than I am,” she explains. “I truly believe that the conservation efforts that I put on the property and the decisions I make will benefit soil ecology and increase organic matter. That’s something that will have an impact 50, 60 years down the road in the generations to come.”
With profitability top of mind, Kaitlin works to raise cattle while keeping conservation top of mind. Focused on rotational grazing, Kaitlin admits her operation is a work in progress.
“I’ve done work with water quality, fencing off streams, areas that cattle do not need to have access to,” Kaitlin explains. “I’m refining the rotational grazing and on the row crop side, I use cover crops and no-till to continue to increase organic matter and help the soil hold more carbon.”
Carbon sequestration is a tool that can help farmers like Kaitlin implement conservation practices on their operations. She also works one-on-one with farmers to sequester carbon and develop manure management plants on their own operations through her business, KMF Consulting.
In addition to cooperating with farmers, Kaitlin serves as a technical agronomist consultant for the Missouri Soybean.
“Carbon within the soil matters because right now there are so many companies that want to
be able to claim they’re carbonneutral,” Kaitlin explains. “Those companies can buy carbon offsets from farmers and store more of that carbon than they’re emitting into the soil through different
conservation practices that the farmer implements on his or her property.”
According to Kaitlin, carbon within the soil plays a key role in microbial activity and in increasing organic matter, which further benefits soil health.
“I’ve been very passionate about helping farmers navigate environmental and conservation markets,” she says. “It goes beyond carbon credits, too. It also looks at conservation easements, wetland mitigation banks, stream credits and EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Programs) through USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. There’s enormous opportunity for farmers if they’re interested in participating in those programs.”
The young farmer has worked, too, with carbon credit companies to help sequester more carbon
in her operation. Long term, she hopes to expand her own rotational grazing system with additional paddocks, adding both warm and cool season grasses to the forage mix.
Additionally, Kaitlin says she has more work to do on water quality efforts. By installing riparian buffers, she hopes to streamline tree and brush removal.
“I’ve even taken some pieces of the row crop field that are not productive and seeded them for wildlife habitat or pollinators,” she says. “I’m looking at balancing profitability, yield, grass, forage and grazing management with conservation efforts.”
BRACING FOR TOMORROW
When Kaitlin purchased her farm four years ago, she was simply looking for a place to house her cattle. The property today is home to her fall-calving cow-calf pairs. Once the calves are weaned, she feeds them out in partnership with other family members before marketing them on the rail.
Kaitlin recalls her now husband, Jake, once telling her that if owning 300 head of cattle was her dream, he would support it. And support he has. From her husband to her mom and father-in-law, each is willing to lend an extra hand when it’s time to wean calves, work cows or assist with other farm activities.
“This is my operation, I’m boots on the ground,” Kaitlin says. “But I also have a tremendous support system.”
With a support system that stretches far beyond the family tree, Kaitlin says trusting FCS Financial with her financial needs was an easy decision.
“The community support and engagement that I see FCS Financial have from supporting youth and agriculture at the collegiate level I think speaks tremendous to their mission of investing in younger generations,” Kaitlin says. “I wanted my dollars to go back into the community.
I chose FCS Financial for one reason.”
The young, beginning farmer adds that she loves being a part of FCS Financial’s business structure, its patronage and member ownership through its cooperative system.
“The opportunities provided through FCS Financial’s Young, Beginning Farmer program and its partnership with FSA (Farm Service Agency) is how I was able to make this happen, and I’m grateful for that,” she says.
According to FCS Financial Assistant Vice President of Agand Rural Lending Sarah Gehring, working with Kaitlin is unique in that she knew early on she wanted to own farmland and raise cattle and had her goals outlined.
“A lot of young farmers know they want to farm, to be in agriculture, but they don’t necessarily always know what that looks like at the time,” Gehring notes. “Kaitlin has a really distinct idea of what she wants to do now and in her future.”
Gehring adds that Kaitlin’s goals simply set her apart. With a lot of irons in the fire, Gehring says the young farmer works to accomplish her goals on multiple levels between her farm, her business and her family. Multiple income streams also make Kaitlin unique as she works to integrate sustainable management practices into her operation.
“I think other young producers should consider or at least research ways to include
additional revenue streams to their operations because as margins get tighter in farming, niche markets will really help young producers be able to come back to the farm,” Gehring explains.
FCS Financial’s stockholder advisory committee was a key learning opportunity for Kaitlin. She says the experience helped her gain perspective from other member owners and provide feedback to the organization.
“That’s been great to help strengthen my relationship with FCS Financial and continue to learn more about the organization in general,” she explains.
Farmer. Business owner. Wife. Mother. Kaitlin Flick Dinsmore is a woman who wears many hats. Yet, she wears each one with strong purpose, prioritizing daily tasks through hard work and efficiency.
“You have to delegate, and you have to prioritize,” Kaitlin says simply.
A true agripreneur, the young farmer has sights set on growing her operation while keeping it
enjoyable.
“I enjoy farming immensely right now, and the goals are to continue to grow, continue
to expand, continue to make a difference on soil health,” Kaitlin says. “I’m a firm believer that if you are not growing and expanding, you’re not keeping up. So, if I continue to do that and enjoy it, that will be success to me.”
