Bruce Zavadil knew he was going to be the third generation to farm his family’s nearly-1,000-acre operation in Pope County. What he didn’t know was he would take it over in his early 20s.

“With my dad passing, it was a tough time the first few years,” Zavadil said. “A person makes mistakes, and you learn a lot and rely on some good neighbors. At that age when I had questions, they were very helpful.”

Outside of farming, Zavaldi holds a degree in diesel mechanics from Alexandria Technical College. He sold Pioneer Seed for a decade, was a member of the CHS Prairie Lakes Coop Board and served on the Lowery Fire Department for more than 30 years.

Zavadil and his wife, Jeannie, have four children: Sara, Nathan, Brianna and Jordan, who farm with him. Zavadil is a founding member and chair of the Pope County Corn and Soybean Growers Association, and he encourages others to support the next generation of farmers and local organizations.

“Our main goal … is to provide scholarships to local students going into ag careers and support FFA,” Zavadil said. “Not everyone wants to go to the capital and lobby, but having a membership gives us that.”