What separates success from failure?

Some say inches. Others claim that ‘one’ thing. Is it where you came from, perseverance, talent, or just plain luck?

Growing up, Wes Johnson had a bedroom full of John Deere toys. From day one he knew what he wanted to be, a farmer. His grandparents, Ludwig and Marjorie Whiteleather, had a large dairy operation in Minerva, OH and Wes would spend most of his free time working there. By the age of 13 he could handle most of the day-to-day tasks required at Whiteleather Farms. His school friends were always amazed that he was not just driving at a young age, but driving large trucks and tractors with ease.

In high school, he enrolled in a vocational machine trades program that would give him a skillset he could use on the farm. Despite a few less ambitious and sometimes mischievous classmates, Wes learned all he could from his instructor, the late Robert Citino. He graduated in 1998 and continued working on the farm full-time.

In 2012 he decided to take a risk and start his own farm. He branched out, buying some property, 22 beef cows, and started Johnson Family Farms. This would be a big change for him; not only starting an operation from scratch, but also switching from dairy to beef.  Getting started took the efforts of his mother Kathy, his late father Fred, his brother Travis, and his partner Nikki. With a lot of hard work and the help from family, it’s become a successful 300 head operation. On top of this, Wes and Nikki managed to have three beautiful daughters, Scarlet, Savanna, and Summer Rose. This gave him a few more “helping” hands on the farm. It also meant they needed a goat for the kids to play with.

Another thing he has focused on is staying diversified with multiple income streams for the farm. Beyond managing 300 cows, selling beef directly to consumers and occasionally selling calves, they plant nearly 900 acres (owned & rented) with various crops. In between these duties, Wes hauls gravel & sand for customers and even sells round hay bales at the farm.  

Among other responsibilities, Wes’s mother Kathy handles the direct meat sales. It doesn’t take long to realize how passionate she is about their operations. The black angus they raise on the farm is all natural; this means no antibiotics, additives or hormones. They are diligent about humane handling of the cows to ensure a stress-free environment.

This is a successful venture by all accounts.

If you ask Wes how this happened, he will tell you “I get down and dirty every day. You’ve got to have a drive in you, while everyone else is ready to give up that’s when you start going harder, and I have the drive.” He also credits all the support he’s received from family.

Success or not, he is happy with what they’ve built. He looks around and says, “I can’t believe it, it’s still a dream!” It’s usually distinct sarcasm when you hear someone say, “living the dream.”  Wes however, is genuinely doing it and loving it.

It’s not just his drive or the support from family that’s attributed to his success. He has a plan, not just any plan, a definite chief aim. This is a term coined by author Napoleon Hill. A single, defined, and clear purpose; being a farmer in this case. Success is hard to recognize without a defined goal.

The room full of John Deere toys has turned into a barn full of real green tractors, and the plan has been the same from day one.

Hot dogs.
Peas in a pod.
We’re farmin now boys!!

More info about Johnson Family Farms can be found on their website –
https://johnsonff.wixsite.com/jffarms/the-farm

You can purchase their high quality freezer beef, pork, and farm-fresh eggs at –
28240 Gilson Rd.
Salem, OH 44460

Call for appointment –
330-206-5653

07/04/24 – NJR