Matt and Wendy Nalle, who recently received two land tracts containing the elevator and feed mill from Gallatin Grain Company, are looking to surrounding farmers and the general public to help them decide how best to serve them as a locally run business.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
In February, Danny Froman, owner of Gallatin Grain Company, surrendered his grain dealer’s license to the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Grain Regulatory Services Program and closed the grain elevator, due to an inability to pay debts.
"Our plans right now are to use the elevator for personal farming, then offer commercial storage," said Matt. "We’d like the public to help us decide what they would like us to do and what they would be willing to support above and beyond that."
If there is interest in a feed store, or if farmers would like to see the Nalles sell crop inputs (seed, chemicals and fertilizer) — they’re open to anything the public will support.
With wheat harvest approaching the Nalles need to hear from wheat producers as early as possible, especially growers of hard wheat so they can judge the demand for services and accommodate needs.
Matt said 90% of the comments he’s been hearing from people regarding the land transactions have been positive.
"Most people have been supportive and are wanting us to run the elevator and the feed mill," he said. "We need to hear from more people so we can have a locally run business."
He said he realizes it’s been a tough time for local farmers. He doesn’t know the details regarding the dollar amount of claims filed by 100 other farmers, and won’t until the state holds an administrative hearing sometime in April. But he said he believes the transaction between the Nalles and the Fromans will provide a better situation for those farmers than the initial bonding would have provided.
"When the state releases their reasoning for the transaction, it will be plain to see it’s a positive thing for all farmers involved," he said.
The Nalles received two plots of land and the assets. Gallatin Grain Company as a business entity will remain in Mr. Froman’s name.
The new business, as yet unnamed, will have no association with Danny Froman or the Gallatin Livestock Barn, said Matt.
Matt and Wendy Nalle are fifth generation farmers in the Pattonsburg area. They presently farm row crop throughout Daviess County and have cattle. Matt is a graduate of Pattonsburg High School. Wendy is the former Wendy Kampman of Bethany. Wendy runs the household and helps Matt with the farming operation in any way she can. They have three boys, C.J., 11, Jimmy, 6, and Andrew, 10 ½ months.
"One thing we’d like it to be out there, plain as can be, is that the land transactions went through all the proper channels and received approval," said Matt. "We want people to understand that we’re not getting benefit over the other claimants." Officials from the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office carefully looked over the transaction and approved it with the goal to benefit all the claimants involved, he said.
Now Matt and Wendy are ready to get down to business.
"If we roll up our sleeves and get public support, we can get a business started here that will be beneficial to us and to the public around Gallatin," Matt said.
To clarify last week’s story: It was reported that the land transfers were executed through a quit claim deed. The two transfers were actually transacted through one warranty deed and one quit claim deed.