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Jake Spece - Johnston Creek Farms

Johnston Creek Farms
2587 Quasqueton Diagonal Blvd.
Independence, Iowa 50644
319-334-6593

Jake Spece started raising cattle with his grandfather on the family farm when he was just 14 years old. With the help of a youth loan from the Farm Service Agency, he developed his own dairy cow milking business as a teenager.

After graduating from high school, Jake enrolled in Northeast Iowa Community College to study Dairy Science. He had a particular interest in learning about other income-producing options within the dairy industry that might be available to him to pursue vocationally.

Eventually Jake concluded that the dairy industry itself was too limited in scope to satisfy him. He could see no way to expand his operations to meet his vision, so in 2008, he quit milking cows and found another direction for his business.

Today, as the owner of Johnston Creek Farms near Independence, Iowa, Jake provides customized feeding and tending of baby calves for farmers and agribusinesses in the area.

Over the last few years, Johnston Creek Farms has grown and evolved by strategically targeting the customized care of calves as an unmet need within the larger agricultural community.

Jake has spinal muscular atrophy and uses a wheelchair. His workday revolves around feeding cattle, building fences, establishing rotational grazing patterns for livestock, and performing all the functions essential to maintaining a thriving cattle business and working farm. A grant from Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services provided Jake with funding for business start-up expenses, including building a barn. He also used a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS), to pay for expenses related to his business vehicle.

Jake’s truck is a key piece of equipment for this business. It has been modified to accommodate his wheelchair, and he relies on it to monitor cattle and calves spread over the 23-acre farm every day.

Jake employs one assistant who works as a hired hand. Jake and his assistant keep a vigilant eye on the livestock so they will be aware of any feed, medical, or climate- related issue affecting the cattle almost immediately and can act quickly to resolve any problems.

Jake used his expertise in Dairy Science and a PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Support) to create a strategically targeted business that provides customized feeding and tending of baby calves for farmers and agribusinesses.