Terry Cayko may just have soil pumping through his veins. His career of farming spans a lifetime and he has no plans of retiring. It's his passion. His family's tradition. And something he's darn good at.
As owner of 6J Farms Incorporated, he was recognized by Sidney Sugars on Jan. 15, at St. Matthews Church during an appreciation banquet that recognized area beet growers in varying categories. Cayko was recognized as the top producer in the "large, over 247 acres" category.
This is the third consecutive year he has received this recognition.
"It was an honor and an accomplishment to receive this designation because there are so many good farmers in this area. I may have been number one, but everyone was darn close because you have to be a good farmer to stay in the business," Cayko said.
He attributes his good fortune in the fields to his use of a three-year crop rotation. He uses the same rotation seasonally with his spring wheat. "Many farmers are starting to use a three-year rotation and have been for the past few years. This will be my sixth year with it and I think that is why these past few years have been good enough to allow me to be eligible as the top grower," he said.
His farm is located approximately eight miles north of Fairview by the Confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. This year, he and his right-hand man, Toby Miller, planted 374 acres of sugar beets, making up roughly a third of his crop. He devoted the other two-thirds of farmland to spring wheat.
This year was a wet one. Spring brought with it a fluctuating mix of rain and dry spells that made it necessary to pay close attention to opportunities for getting into the field. The trick was to get in as fast as possible without getting in too early. When it was time for the second spray the land had dried up and things were off to a good start.
In mid-August one of their beet fields was damaged by a large hail storm and the crop spent the next three weeks trying to regrow leaves.
Warmer September temperatures created optimal conditions for extra growth which resulted in high tonnage yields for many area farmers. This also created a condition that led to lower sugar content in the beets, resulting in a 16.58% factory average. Normal sugar content levels can be on the upwards of 18%, on average.
Cayko credits part of his success to his use of Roundup Ready beets. "This has done a lot for me and for the entire valley. Staying ahead of the weeds helps to make everything so pretty," he said.
Early in the harvest season the weather made it possible for nearly 80% of the beets to be out of the ground in roughly 10 days. Once the rain came it took nearly 20 more days to harvest the remaining 20%.
For Cayko there is a lot to be said about being a farmer in these parts. It takes perseverance and commitment. It's a proud tradition. His grandparents farmed. His parents John and Jeannette did too. He and his wife Vicky willingly followed suit. His son Jason planned to continue the tradition until his unexpected passing. And Cayko has every intention of making sure the opportunity is there for his two grandsons, Carson, 13, and Gunnar, 9. "They are the reason I will continue farming. I want them to have that opportunity because I know it's what their dad would have wanted for them," he said. "And with our daughter and her family back home we are hoping that if they would want the opportunity to follow their grandfather's tradition they could," he said.
"I enjoy farming because it's an opportunity to be out in the fresh air. I love the smell of the ground in the spring when you plant. I enjoy watching the plants come up. I've been farming my entire life and it is something that will always be in my blood," he added.
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