Our Story
The VanTilburg family has been proudly farming in Celina, Ohio for more than 100 years and implements many conservation practices to preserve their land for generations to come. Over the years, we have grown our farming business to also serve other farmers by specializing in multiple services including cover crops, custom fertilizer application and soil sampling. Other business ventures include a commercial grain elevator, crop insurance business and excavation.
Farming for more than 100 years
Boyd VanTilburg, the great-grandfather of current co-owners Matt, Kyle, and Luke VanTilburg, began farming in 1902. In trade for food and board, he helped Roy Snavely farm 160 acres. For over one hundred years, that same tract of ground was rented from the same family by the VanTilburgs. Boyd's son, Harold, followed in his father's agricultural footsteps.
VanTilburg Farms, Inc.
VanTilburg Farms Inc. was incorporated in 1977 by Harold VanTilburg and his sons Mark and Jim. The three farmed together until Mark moved onto other opportunities and Harold retired in 1993.
Preparing for the future
In 1993, Jim and Brenda VanTilburg took sole ownership of VanTilburg Farms, Inc but were soon joined by their three children. Matt graduated from OSU ATI with a degree in Ag Commerce in 1995, followed by Kyle in 1998 with a degree in Ag Maintenance and Diesel Maintenance from UNWO and Luke earned his MBA in 2005 from WSU.
Time for change
In the early 2000s, VanTilburg Farms, Inc. began incorporating cover crops and adopting no-till methods while looking at other innovative ways to improve their farming business. VTF Excavation was established to provide excavation services for ag clients and an ag retail side, VTF-Sunrise, a partnership with the Sunrise Cooperative was added to offer poultry litter as a fertilizer source for local farmers.
The next generation
In 2010, Jim and Brenda officially retired leaving the business in good hands with Matt, Kyle and Luke. With a strong focus on soil health and regenerative farming practices, the new owners began searching for a way to bring their practices closer to food production and to the consumer. In 2016, they came across like-minded dairy farmers from Northwest Kansas and eventually partnered to create MVP Dairy and The Dairy Learning Center, Inc.
Continuing the Family Tradition
Although much has changed throughout the years, the same values and passion for farming, innovation and hard work are going strong with the 4th generation of VanTilburg Farms. Today, Luke, Kyle and Matt VanTilburg are at the helm of the family business along with more than 80 team members, but you can often find three generations of the VanTilburg Family ready to lend a helping hand.
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