Triple L Farms named 2021 Farm Family of the Year
A passion for farming runs deep among the Lininger family members and their third generation operation, Triple L Farms, in southeastern Logan County, where a commitment to taking care of the earth’s soil and tending to duties with siblings, parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts builds a tight bond and makes for a rewarding day’s work.
Brothers Paul and Doug Lininger, along with their siblings Dan and Susan, grew up farming with their father, Cleon. They first lived on a dairy farm outside of North Lewisburg, as established in 1955 by their father and mother, Geraldine. Then beginning in 1965, the family moved to their current location at 9254 State Route 559, North Lewisburg, to pursue grain farming and trucking.
“Raising a family on a farm meant there was something for everyone to do. There were many days that Cleon would go to work outdoors, and the boys were racing out the door right behind him to help in any way they were able,” the family said.
After graduating from Triad High School in 1976 and 1977, Doug and Paul said there was no question where they wanted to be, and they joined their father in the business.
“Farming is in our blood,” said Doug, noting that Cleon’s father, Page Lininger, farmed some on his own and also assisted when Cleon and his boys needed an extra set of hands or combine operator.
The livelihood also has been passed along to Doug’s daughter, Kelsey Lininger, who joined the operation several years ago. Following her graduation from the University of Kentucky in 2014 after studying agriculture commerce and agriculture business, she worked off the farm for a few years and now helps to operate Triple L Farms with her father and uncle.
“It was always my dream to come back,” said the 2011 Benjamin Logan High School graduate, who participated in FFA and earned her American FFA Degree following high school graduation like her father and uncle. Now she also works alongside her grandmother Geraldine to learn the bookkeeping procedures for the business.
Honoring the family’s longtime dedication to Logan County and the farming community, Triple L Farms has been named the Bellefontaine Examiner’s 2021 Farm Family of the Year. The grain operation raises corn and soybeans on 100 percent no-till land, and custom farms several hundred acres in Logan County.
Building soil health is a top priority, family members said, and they have used a variable-rate fertilizer and lime for 14 years. Recently, they have started introducing cover crops into the rotation as well.
In addition, the family has installed thousands of feet of waterways throughout their fields, systematically tiling the farmland, with grass strips to help control erosion.
Their careful tending to the soil continues Cleon’s practices in his early days of farming.
“Dad was one of the first in our area to practice no-till — he was ahead of his time in the 1970s,” Paul said.
The two brothers and Kelsey deeply miss working side-by-side with their father and grandfather, but said Cleon, age 85, needed to step away from his usual farming duties about two years ago due to health concerns.
Up until age 83, he could still be found out and about on the farm, and one of his favorite recent activities was helping to unload the semis at the grain dryer in the fall, the family said.
Through the daily chores and tasks on the property and when working with others outside of the family as well, his integrity and wisdom laid a firm foundation for the farm to prosper.
“He is very fair, honest and hard-working,” Doug said. “When the chips were down, there’s no one I’d rather have on my team.”
“When I was growing up, my Grandpa knew everything,” Kelsey said, recalling tractor cab rides with her grandfather that she and her siblings and cousins and now a new generation of great-grandchildren have enjoyed. Her mother, Jodi, related Cleon’s fun-loving side, teasing Kelsey and his other grandchildren.
Cleon’s wife of nearly 66 years, Geraldine, has provided an unwavering support to her family throughout the last number of decades. Her sons recall her working both on the farm and also at OM Scotts for 40 years, where she retired. At age 84, she still is involved in the farm’s business side.
“Somehow, she worked at OM Scotts and would come home and take care of all of us, too,” Paul said. “She raised four kids and was an integral part of the farm.”
With Cleon and Geraldine marking their upcoming anniversary in May, and the family recalls how Geraldine graciously made sacrifices for the farm early on.
“She had to move their wedding up because there was hay to make,” her sons said.
Kelsey’s father said his daughter had similar ideas when it came prioritizing farm work.
“She wanted me to plant corn and not come to her high school graduation,” he said with a laugh, noting that he made sure to attend her commencement ceremony.
While Doug, Paul and Kelsey are charged with the day-to-day operations of the farm, they related that it takes their entire family’s assistance, including spouses and children, working as a team to make the business successful.
Their brother and uncle Dan, a recent Honda of America retiree, is regular helper in the fall as a grain cart operator, and there are many other important roles as well.
“It takes all hands-on deck, all year long — daughters offering rides to and from the fields in the spring, sons-in-law hauling grain in the fall, or an extra hand at the shop in the middle of winter — all important roles that allow the farm to operate smoothly,” the family said.
“Not to mention all the help and support received at home during the long days in-season; meals delivered to the entire harvest crew, sweet treats that fuel the long day, or the partner at home keeping the housework caught up.”
Doug and his wife, Jodi, have two other daughters as well, Gentry and Mandi. They are grandparents to seven grandchildren and are involved with the West Liberty First Church of God.
Paul and his wife, Dawn, have six children, Rachael, Jessica, Andrea, Darby, Daniel and Dayna. They have seven grandchildren and are involved with their church.
Kelsey and Brad Cummins have two children, Kayla and Kolton, who attend Indian Lake Schools. They enjoy spending time in the barn together with Kayla and her livestock projects, and watching Kolton play various sports.
Brad and Kelsey are members of the Logan County Agricultural Society, and members of the Logan County Fair Board, where Kelsey serves as the treasurer. Kelsey is also a member of the Logan County Farm Bureau.
The many hours spent out in the field and at the business office also have meaning for the years to come. Triple L Farms strives to continue the family farm and allow future generations the opportunity to live and learn from the land if they desire.
“The family farm is so much more than a business — it is a lifestyle worth preserving,” the family members said.