What happens when a fourth-generation farmer returns home with an agronomy degree to join the family operation? Kevin and Amanda Pendleton share the story of running a 1,200-acre farm together while also helping other farmers manage risk, profitability, and crop insurance.
Family farms often talk about succession.
The Pendletons are living it. - brought you to by Amrbook. Learn more at www.ambrook.com
In this Farm4Fun episode, we sit down with Kevin and Amanda Pendleton, a father-daughter duo farming 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans in Northwest Indiana while also running a successful crop insurance and risk management business.
Kevin is a third-generation farmer with 37 years of farming experience and more than three decades in crop insurance. After his father retired in 2023, Kevin stepped fully into the role of managing and operating the family farm, focusing heavily on financials, ROI, and maximizing profitability per acre.
Amanda represents the fourth generation, graduating from Purdue University in 2025 with a degree in Agronomy. While she grew up around the farm, it was the pandemic that gave her the chance to work alongside her dad daily, ultimately leading her to pursue agriculture professionally.
Now the two are working side-by-side, balancing:
• A row crop operation
• A crop insurance agency
• Risk management consulting for other farmers
In the second half of the episode, we also talk about how tools like Ambrook are helping farmers better track their finances, organize records, and make clearer business decisions.
Because if you don’t know your numbers, it’s almost impossible to manage risk, understand profitability, or build a long-term strategy.
We also get into some fun conversation about Amanda’s experience being crowned Miss Tippecanoe County 4-H Queen in 2021, and how that journey helped build confidence and leadership skills that carry into agriculture today.
This episode is a great look at generational farming, family partnerships, and the financial mindset needed to succeed in modern agriculture.