A legacy of Custom Harvesting is deeply rooted into Larry and Nancy’s lives and has become a lifestyle over the past 30 years of their custom harvesting career. It began early on for Nancy when she was born and raised a custom harvester’s daughter to Abe and Lenora Neufeld, growing up on the road with her three older brothers Keith, Bruce, and Doug. Nancy found herself alongside her mom helping her cook for the harvest crew. The day Nancy was old enough to drive, her dad pulled her from the kitchen and changed her job title to “Truck Driver”. After graduating with her secretarial degree from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, she spent her first summer away from the Harvest trails. Abe, Lenora and their sons continued in the Custom Harvesting business while Nancy would occasionally visit them at a few of their harvest stops.

Time started to move on for her as she began to work full-time doing secretarial work in the Newton area and became involved in the community. It wasn’t long after, that she met Larry Schroeder from Goessel, Kansas and they married in May of 1985. At the time Larry had been working in an auto body shop doing detail work and painting cars. In the spring of 1986, a year after they were married, Abe approached Larry and Nancy with an option to go Custom Harvesting as he thought it would be a good opportunity for them. They spent the summer and fall running a John Deere 7720 combine with a 24-foot header and a truck for Abe, while they worked alongside Nancy’s three brothers. After the year’s harvest was over, Larry and Nancy went back to their jobs in Newton but it wouldn’t be long until they found themselves back on the harvest roads.

In 1989, Schroeder Harvesting was officially formed and Larry and Nancy took to the wheat fields running two John Deere 9600’s with 30 foot headers. Larry ran two machines until 1995 when they added a third combine and have ran three ever since.

Larry and Nancy will tell you that over the years the thing that keeps them coming back to the same places is the enjoyment of the bonds that are formed with their customers, who have become some of their closest friends.

In 1991 Larry and Nancy welcomed their first son Scott, followed by twins Lance and Staci in 1993. On any given day Scott and Lance could be spotted riding in the combines or trucks while Staci would help Nancy in the kitchen preparing the meals. As Scott and Lance got older they became an integral part of the field operation by running the tractor and grain cart, operating the combine and driving truck. Likewise, Staci continued to assist in the kitchen until she transitioned to driving the tractor and grain cart for a couple of summers.

Working as a family on harvest can be a challenge. Being in a confined space can cause conflicts among family members, but Larry and Nancy helped keep those to a minimum. They taught each of their children to work hard, stay committed to what they were doing and how to stay true to their word. Spending summers away from home is not necessarily what every kid dreams of doing, but for Scott, Staci and Lance they always looked forward to going on harvest because of the environment that Larry and Nancy created for them. Larry and Nancy always find a way to keep family in the business, including putting a family picture on the employee application and even having their children’s names put on the side of a few of the grain trucks. The family aspect has been one of the things that employees enjoy most about working for Larry and Nancy.

During the harvest season, Nancy spends her days cooking for the crew, packing lunches for them to take out in the morning and delivering a hot supper meal that always includes a piece of her homemade bread! No matter what the day holds for Nancy, how many parts runs she has to go on or other tasks she needs to complete, she always arrives to the field with a cheerful face by 6 o’clock every evening. The crew has become accustomed to looking forward to her red pickup pulling into the field signaling supper time. Along with Nancy’s tremendous food, meal time brings a perfect opportunity to strengthen relationships among the crew. The only complaint left by the crew is that they might have to buy the next jean size up by the end of the harvest season! When asked about the lessons that she learned from watching her mom, Lenora, be a Harvester’s wife, Nancy reflected that Lenora would be satisfied by making do with what she had and that she never complained. She taught Nancy that you just have to take it one day at a time.

Larry has often been found on the other end of the phone when his peers are looking for advice on the financial components of the Custom Harvesting business. He has said that he learned techniques early on from Nancy’s brother, Doug, on how to do financial tracking and computer record keeping. From there he is self-taught and learned to enjoy the financial side of the business. Larry is known for “knowing his numbers” often being able to tell down to the penny how much it would cost him to move his machines each mile down the road. He was even featured in the Successful Farming magazine regarding the financial aspect of the business.

Efficiency and innovation have always been a forethought of Larry’s also as he has proven that by adapting to the continuous changes in machinery and technology over the years. Larry is always thinking and developing ways to better his operation. Precision is a notable trademark of Schroeder Harvesting and is displayed by Larry’s streamlined field operation and organization of his machines. Larry never takes any corners and always treats his customer’s crops like they are his own.

Joining the U.S. Custom Harvesters Organization in the early 1990s contributed to the Schroeder’s finding friendships among other harvesters who they would often see out on the road. This proved to be highly beneficial as these friendships have allowed them to work as a team to help finish jobs. Larry’s hobby of photography has turned into a way to give back to the organization. Larry is the man behind the camera lens at the annual USCHI convention, documenting the event for over the past 10+ years. Nancy also helps out by documenting the memories and putting photo scrapbooks together. USCHI has proved to be an essential part in Larry and Nancy’s success as custom harvesters.

Larry always starts the season off by finding quality employees to work for him. The way that Larry takes time to invest and get to know each of his employees is second to none. He truly cares for them and it leaves a lasting impact for each individual that works for him.

It is evident in how Larry and Nancy live their lives and how they treat their employees, that success to them is more than dollars. Instead it is much more eternal focused. When asked what they were most grateful for, Larry and Nancy said they were grateful to have grown up in good homes where they learned to trust and place their faith in Christ that things would work out. Early on, Larry said that he probably worried about if it was going to work, if the weather was going to be good, but he had to learn that you have to trust and have faith that things are going to work out. And it has worked, God has provided for what we needed.

Over the last 30 years, Larry and Nancy have made “Harvesting with Pride” the motto of Schroeder Harvesting and subsequently have built an ongoing legacy together. They’ve learned to persevere through the ups and downs in their career and as a result have become an inspiration to their customers, employees, and their family; making them a great candidate for the U.S Custom Harvesters Hall of Fame.

Larry & Nancy Schroeder

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 97; Sylvia, KS 67581

Email: office@uschi.com
Phone: (620) 200-1381

U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc.

Site Hosted & Maintained by USAgNet