Custom Operation Turns to Community to Help Get the Work Done

Chris and Michele Grekowicz operate Grekowicz Farms Inc., a unique farming enterprise near Harbor Beach, Michigan. Their custom farming operation serves the needs of dairy farmers in the area through harvesting, providing feed, and handling manure disposal. “I say we have the front end and the back end of the cow,” describes Chris, “and the dairy farmer has the middle part of the cow. It’s kind of a partnership that’s been working quite well.”

But the Grekowiczs’ success is about more than just that

partnership. What really makes their story special is their sense of community. The couple relies heavily on local adults and high school students who are looking for part-time work to drive trucks and pick up stones in the fields. According to Chris, “Word gets around that ‘Hey, I made this much money last summer.’ So the parents start calling to say ‘My kid’s 16 years old now, and they want to come and pick stones for you.’”

Whether it’s for seasonal or afterschool work, the Grekowiczs are able to keep their operation running

smoothly while offering the community job opportunities. “We couldn’t do [our work] without them,” Chris says. “We see it as utilizing the neighborhood; working with the neighbors. That makes this a community thing.”

Grekowicz Farms harvested over 24,000 acres of hay and 8,000 acres of corn in 2019. To meet those kinds of numbers, they rely on high-quality Krone hay and forage equipment, including three EasyCut™ Disc Mowers, four BiG Pack™ Large Square Balers, and four BiG X® Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters.

When asked why they run Krone choppers, Chris explains, “When I saw the corn head Krone has, it was just so light, so simple, so easy, so gentle on the corn coming in. Nobody else has a header like that. And Krone has just been providing more and more horsepower all along. I want that power.”

Running this much hay and forage equipment makes Grekowicz Farms quite well-known to area farm equipment dealers. “The competitors are always wanting me to go to another brand,” says Chris. “But they don’t have the power and they don’t have the header [that Krone does].” Chris adds that he prefers Krone disc mowers because of the reliability and simplicity. “The Krone mowers are simple. That makes it a lot easier with [part-time] employees to keep it as simple as possible.” Krone extends thanks to Chris and Michele for sharing their story and for all they do for the Harbor Beach, Michigan, community!