Passing It On

July 23, 2026

By Kriss Nelson

For Roger Van Ersvelde, the decision to bring a younger farmer into his operation was both personal and practical.

He and his late wife, Louise, made the decision together, knowing that without children to carry on the farm, the future of their operation could not be left to chance. They wanted to create an opportunity for someone else, much like the one he had been given years earlier.

“I was given the opportunity to farm by my parents,” he says. “We wanted to give somebody else that same chance.”

That opportunity found its way to Cole Olson.

Olson, now 30, first connected with Van Ersvelde as a high school student looking for work. What started with mowing and helping around the farm gradually grew into something more. Over time, the two built a trust and eventually developed a plan to transition the farm.

Building Trust

Today, that plan is well underway.

The pair began by sharing responsibilities on rented ground, gradually increasing Olson’s role. By the end of 2026, Olson will be farming all of Van Ersvelde’s owned acres in a 50-50 arrangement. 

The next step comes in 2027, when Van Ersvelde plans to sell Olson and his wife, Kayla, a parcel of land, giving their family, including daughters Hattie and Sadie, their first owned acres and a place to build their future.

For Van Ersvelde, the approach is deliberate.

“I’m not giving it to him. You’ve got to earn it,” he says. “But you also don’t want to bury someone in debt so deep they can’t see the end.”

That mindset is shaped by more than five decades in agriculture.

Van Ersvelde started farming in 1970 after returning from the Air Force, buying his father’s machinery for $10,000. He later navigated the farm crisis of the 1980s, making difficult financial decisions that still influence how he thinks about risk and opportunity today.

Instead of passing along expensive machinery, he sees land as a more stable foundation for the next generation.

“Machinery loses value,” he says. “Land gives them something to build on.”

Learning Curve

For Olson, the transition has been about more than ownership. It has been about learning from experience.

“Roger has taught me so much,” Olson says. “That experience is something you can’t replace.”

Unlike many farmers, Olson did not grow up on a large operation. His interest in agriculture came from friends and neighbors, eventually leading him to study agricultural systems technology at Iowa State University.

Even then, farming was not a certainty.

After college, Olson considered moving away for work. A simple conversation changed his path.

“I asked him what his plan was,” Olson says. “All he said was, ‘You might want to stick around.’”

That was enough to keep him rooted.

Their partnership blends experience with a willingness to adapt. While Van Ersvelde brings decades of knowledge, Olson contributes a comfort with newer technology, helping manage equipment systems and data that continue to evolve in modern farming.

“It’s a lot of small things that make a big difference,” Van Ersvelde says, pointing to Olson’s ability to problem-solve and take initiative. In one early example, Olson fixed a broken mower on his own while Van Ersvelde was away, a small moment that reinforced his confidence.

Making It Work

Still, the path into farming has not been easy.

Olson spent years balancing off-farm jobs with growing responsibilities on the operation. Even today, he takes on additional work to support the farm and his family.

“As a young farmer, you’re subsidizing your habit a little bit,” he says. “You’ve got to be willing to put in the hours elsewhere if you want to make it work.”

That reality is part of a larger challenge facing agriculture. As the average age of farmers continues to rise and fewer young people are entering the profession, making transitions like this one increasingly important.

Van Ersvelde believes part of the solution is looking beyond traditional paths.

“They don’t have to come from a big farm,” he says. “Sometimes the best ones are the ones who really want it.”

He also sees value in keeping farms at a scale that allows new farmers to get started, rather than consolidating into ever-larger operations.

“If we don’t bring younger people into agriculture, we’re going to be all old,” Van Ersvelde says.

Why It Matters

For consumers, the impact of that trend reaches far beyond the farm.

Every meal, every tank of renewable fuel and countless everyday products begin with agriculture. Ensuring there are farmers ready to take the next step is essential in continuing to feed, fuel and clothe the population.

For Van Ersvelde, the goal is simple. Leave the farm better than he found it, both in the land and in the hands it passes to next.

For Olson, it is the chance to build something of his own while carrying that legacy forward.