Stewardship in Action: A New Landowner’s Journey

When Portland Oregon resident, Shannon Bishop, placed a bid at a closed farmland auction in the spring of 2024, she never expected to win.

“I’d been looking at farmland for five or six years and had bid at auction once before. This was a [sealed bid sale], and I submitted my offer with no expectation of getting it. When they told me I had won, I was very worried that I’d overbid—fearful and overwhelmed because I didn’t know what to do next. But it moved very quickly, and I bought a farm,” Shannon recalled.

That single moment set her on a new path — one rooted in the same fields she grew up near in Minnesota, and one that would connect her with Hertz Farm Manager Steve Hiniker, AFM of Hertz’s Mankato office.

“Steve was the manager of this farm prior to the [sale]. They asked if I wanted to continue with Steve and I said, yes,” Shannon said.

Shared Goals

Although the purchase came as a surprise, Shannon’s vision for the land was anything but uncertain.

“I’m very interested in regenerative farming. That was the whole goal for this, that I would get a chunk of land and I would build up the soil and help regenerate and give diversity to the soil. When I told Steve about that, he was very excited, on board. That was really where his heart was also. When we talked about it, I think our goals were very well aligned from the start,” Shannon explained.

For Steve, it was refreshing to meet a new landowner with fresh ideas.  “My relationship with Shannon has been a very good one. It’s been exciting to work with a new landowner. Shannon’s only owned this farm now for roughly two years. Typically, you work with clients that have been part of the ownership for quite a while, but it’s new and I’m enjoying it,” he said.

Turning Ideas into Action

Shannon arrived with an ambitious list of ideas for conservation, soil health, and crop diversity. Steve helped her focus on where to start.

“She had all these goals. I just said it’s hard to incorporate everything at the same time. It might be hard to incorporate everything, even long term, but let’s narrow this down. She was very adamant about trying to reduce tillage and increase crops in the rotation. So, we decided to try winter camelina (primarily because the crop came with a contract, thus guaranteeing a market and an eco-service payment through the Forever Green Initiative Environmental and Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO), which provided a risk management payment allowing us to break-even) and that’s one crop we used this year on approximately a third of the acres,” Steve explained.

What is Winter Camelina?

Winter camelina is an oilseed crop in the mustard family, planted in the fall and harvested in early summer. Today it’s being tested as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel, with potential food uses as well. Beyond its market value, winter camelina offers environmental benefits: it protects soil through the winter, reduces erosion, and helps improve water quality in sensitive areas. By acting as a cover crop, it also supports pollinators and promotes healthier soils.

To make the project successful, Steve brought together industry experts to share knowledge and possibilities. “We reached out to professionals in the industry, including the University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative, and Cargill (buyer), and a farmer consultant with Great River Greening / Perennial Pantry. We had a Zoom call where we all got together, and Shannon was just fascinated that we could brainstorm all these big ideas with a group like that,” he said.

Shannon appreciated the collaboration. “When I first bought the farm, I talked to Steve about wanting to explore regenerative and conservation practices. Steve was really helpful in gathering a group of experts in that field.”

A Learning Partnership

For Shannon, farm management has been a bridge between her passion for stewardship and the practical realities of farming.

“Management has enabled me to make decisions. I want to do things and management educates me about the details that go into decisions. I’m not a farmer and I don’t have that background. There’s a lot more that goes into the decisions… It helps me make informed decisions,” she said.

Steve values the partnership just as much. “Working with Shannon’s been a tremendous opportunity. Being a new landowner can quite often come with new ideas. We all get kind of set in our ways when we’ve been at something for a long time. Shannon has fresh ideas. She’s helping me think outside of the box,” he said.

Looking Ahead

The farm’s first trial with winter camelina didn’t bring big profits, but it achieved Shannon’s main goal.

The next step is applying chicken litter as a natural fertilizer and rotating to corn. Looking further down the road, both Shannon and Steve are eager to explore Kernza, a perennial wheat with deep roots and strong soil-conservation benefits as well as try to implement cover crops, which can be a challenge the farther north one goes in the Cornbelt.

What is Kernza®?

Kernza is a perennial grain developed from intermediate wheatgrass that produces harvests for several years without replanting. Its deep root system — stretching 8 to 10 feet underground — helps build organic matter, reduce soil erosion, retain water, and store carbon. The crop also opens new markets, with its grain being used in baked goods, cereals, and even beer. It is a dual purpose crop, offering forage value in addition to the grain it produces. For landowners, Kernza represents a powerful balance of conservation and economic opportunity.

For Shannon, each step is part of a bigger picture. “I hope that my children share the same enthusiasm for land stewardship that I do. They will carry on the legacy of that.”

Even though she lives across the country, Shannon has peace of mind knowing her farm is cared for. “I couldn’t do it without a farm manager. Even if I lived 15 feet from my land, I could not do it without a farm manager because I don’t have the skills or the expertise to do that,” she said.

A Shared Commitment

Steve summed up the partnership simply: “I believe new landowners can benefit from working with Hertz because we are the boots on the ground… It’s all about networking, relationships, and we’ve got connections. We can bring the pieces of the puzzle together.”

For Shannon and Steve, the journey has been about more than growing crops — it’s about growing trust through a partnership, protecting the land, and creating a legacy for the future. Together, they are proving that with shared vision and collaboration, farmland can thrive for generations to come.