I'm the seventh generation to farm, or something like that. My parents ran a dairy operation when I was a kid (and still operate their own farm), so I did grow

I'm the seventh generation to farm, or something like that. My parents ran a dairy operation when I was a kid (and still operate their own farm), so I did grow up in agriculture. But, being a tech nerd, I was always more attracted to the big field equipment. In 2007 I invested $12,000 in a small parcel of land I found to rent, rent for the equipment I needed to do the job (along with hiring some customer operators), and lost money doing it! But then 2008 happened, sending commodity prices through the roof. I was able to turn a small profit the following year and used the proceeds to start to buy some equipment, and slowly started to grow from there. So, some definite luck, an investment, and most importantly having family to answer questions. I think it would have been impossible for me without that wealth of knowledge to draw on.