Next Gen Ag is a year long series that will run on our In The Field blog, Facebook page, Instagram page and Twitter account. Each Wednesday, we will highlight a young person pursuing a career in the agriculture industry. Individuals can be in high school, college, or recent graduates who are working to establish a career in agriculture. Stay tuned each week to meet some of our industry’s future leaders!
Farming has a way of capturing hearts at a young age. Landen Morris grew up on his grandfather’s farm in Roanoke Rapids and, in his words, “got bit by the farm bug and it wouldn’t let go.” Today, as owner and operator of Landen’s Produce and LG Morris Farms, Landen is continuing to propel the agriculture industry forward one crop at a time.
As a young boy, Landen spent many days on the farm with his grandfather. “I have so many memories of riding on the armrest of the tractor while my grandpa planted cotton and helping to cut cotton stalks,” he said. “Every day at school I remember counting down the minutes until I could get home and help on the farm. I’ve always had a love for it and known this was what I wanted to do.” Growing up in a world immersed in agriculture, it’s no wonder that Landen found a passion and love for agriculture at a young age. “I’ve known since elementary school that I wanted to be a farmer,” he said. “Farmers are the backbone of this country. They feed and clothe the world. I want to spend my life helping them make a difference and make the world a better place.” Although it may seem surprising, Landen started actively working at this dream in middle school by becoming involved in 4H and starting his first produce operation.
When Landen first started middle school, he became involved in the Halifax County 4H program where he learned to show livestock, specifically steer and goats, and harnessed other key agricultural skills. In the summer of 2017, when Landen was just 13 years old, he established Landen’s Produce and planted his first crop of collards, cabbage, and mixed greens. “With the help of many friends and family members, I was able to lease my first piece of land and begin my farming journey with Landen’s Produce,” he said. “Since that time, we have been very fortunate to expand production each year with a broad spectrum of vegetables.” Today, Landen not only continues to grow a variety of produce, including watermelon, cabbage and collards, but he has also expanded the farm to encompass a variety of row crops, like soybeans, peanuts, corn and wheat. “While in high school, I knew that after graduation I wanted to be able to expand Landen’s Produce to be a successful operation to provide for me and my family and I am blessed to say that it has grown far beyond that. In May of 2023, I was fortunate enough to lease a piece of land for my first crop of soybeans,” he said. “This year I have expanded my row crop acreage and look forward to continuing to expand the business this way in future years.” In addition to farming full-time, Landen also works for Jason Aycock Auctioneering selling farm equipment and is a member of the N.C. Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Program.
As a farmer, there truly is no typical day in Landen’s life because it all depends highly on season and time of year. From planting and harvesting to working in the farm stand on-site, Landen stays busy all year long providing high-quality products to members of the community. “Agriculture is a very hard profession, but at the end of the day, I do not believe that there is a more rewarding occupation to be involved in,” he said. “Knowing that I am producing locally grown, fresh vegetables that are going to be consumed by a local neighbor in my community is very rewarding and keeps the love that I have for this industry burning.” Although he loves nearly everything about farming, Landen’s favorite crop to grow is collards because he enjoys watching them start from such a small seed and grow into something so big in a matter of weeks. “It is amazing to see how something so little turns into something so big with a little hard-work and love put into it,” he said. “There is just something about being able to take a seed to harvest that just gives you a sense of pride that your hard work has paid off, and that’s why I choose to farm.”
Landen’s strong passion for the industry, along with his communication skills, business minded mentality, organization skills, and desire to educate the public, will take him far in the agriculture industry. In the future, Landen not only hopes to expand the products offered on the farm, but also bring people out to the farm to teach them more about agriculture. “I would love to see Landen’s Produce open a strawberry patch, which is in the works for the spring of 2025, and I would also love to expand on the row crop side of the operation to produce cotton and tobacco,” he said. “In addition to expanding the production side of the business, I would like to create opportunities for people to come out and visit the farm, not only to see what we do, but also to become more educated on agriculture and its importance. I would love to see families come out to the farm and leave with a better understanding of our state’s number one industry than when they arrived. Everyone wants to leave a legacy through what they do, and I want the work behind Landen’s Produce to change lives across the community for many years to come.”
For anyone interested in pursuing an agricultural career, Landen challenges you to fully commit yourself to the dream and dive in. “You don’t have to be from a farming family to make a difference in this industry,” he said. “The dream doesn’t work until you do, so put in the work and chase after your dream with all that you have. The agriculture industry is so incredibly rewarding and worth all the hard work you put into it.” We are so proud of Landen and all that he is doing to further our state’s number one industry. Keep up the good work Landen!
