Taylor Sumption grew up immersed in the lifestyle of a farmer—life was slow, but rewarding. After studying general agriculture at South Dakota State University, he chose to return home and apply his knowledge at the family farm. Years of industry experience and studying prompted a deep reflection about what they should grow, how they should grow it, and why.

When farming was America’s dominant industry, farmers grew a much wider range of crops, mostly to support the local community and themselves. But as technology advanced and competition grew, farmers shifted their focus to the economics of farming. In an industry where margins are everything, choosing the most profitable crops is a matter of survival.

The modern farmer is forced, essentially, to plant corn and soybeans, Taylor explains. It's a risky venture—corn and soybeans provide the most assurance that you're not going to lose money, so the banks will push you that way.

Today’s farmer has to gamble between short-term and long-term success. On one hand, growing anything other than corn and soybeans can make it impossible to pay off the land or meet other expenses. On the other hand, when grown as a monocrop with pesticides, corn and soybeans can have devastating effects on the health of a farmer’s soil, increasing the chance of environmental disaster down the line. This is one of the reasons Taylor founded Anthem Oats.

Years of frustration with what the commodity cycles and agriculture monocrop system do to our soil, 
our health, and our environment all culminated in designing a product with oats that are easy to grow, efficient, environmentally friendly, and beneficial for the health of the soil, he explains.

Having grown up around oats, Taylor Sumption always saw them as a lifeline for the soil. 
He and other researchers at the USDA are only just discovering exactly why this is.

Oats reintroduce really high populations of mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria, 
which increases soil activity and root interchange with nutrients, he says.

Oats are an important, sustainable crop needed for pig feed and cattle medicine. 
They’re also the key to securing the Sumption family legacy for years to come.

In Taylor’s ancestors’ days, most people either knew a farmer or were farmers themselves. But when he traveled the country with his wife, Taylor found that the disconnect between farmers and other Americans had grown significantly.

When we got to the coast, it seemed like very few people understood modern agriculture, what we do, and how we do it, Taylor says. The idea of doing something to try to close that gap always resonated with me.

With Anthem Oats, Taylor hopes to show a side of rural America and agriculture that is not 
commonly understood.

When my great-great-grandfather settled here, he wasn’t chasing profits. He was looking for a place to exist, live on the land, and raise a family in a quiet lifestyle, he explains. Over the last 75 years, we've drifted away from that. But I think society will shift back. Many people are moving to this area because of the peace and quietness.

But when someone needs help, the rural town he calls home is anything but quiet.

In places like this, when someone gets hurt or sick, people come together to help, Taylor explains. 
It's incredible how everyone bonds and creates that strong sense of community.

It’s that same communal comfort that drives Taylor to keep pushing when things get tough.

You can feel a bit discouraged now and then, but then I'll receive a letter or an email, or come across an article in a magazine, or hear people talk about starting with a seed and ending with oatmeal—it's amazing, he says.

Taylor shows more than resilience in an unforgiving industry—his story is one of deep passion for the land, respect for his ancestors, and an awareness that community is everything.

Whenever I need a boost, I just visit a local store or town where our products are sold and chat with people, Taylor says. That connection with others—the stories we share—it’s amazing.