About Us

Clarence & Gene Longmeyer

Clarence “C.E.” and Helen began the Longmeyer legacy on the farmstead they purchased when they married. It was there they raised their three children—Mary, Lorna, and Gene. Gene was even born in same home that David and Lisa live in today. Down in the basement, Helen’s old ringer washer still sits. Although she later owned one of the new Maytag machines, she rarely used it; she always said it just couldn’t get clothes as clean as that trusty ringer.

The children attended the Linder schoolhouse, went on to Rockbridge School, and eventually graduated from Greenfield High School. During those years, the farm produced row crops, forage, cattle, and hogs—with all the livestock work done on horseback. David says that if his grandpa “C.E.” could see the farm today, he’d think the cattle building was pretty dang cool.

Gene went on to serve in the military police and married Nancy in 1965. Together they raised two sons, Stephen and David. Stephen attended Rolla University and now works as a engineer for Peterson Manufacturing Co. David stayed home to continue the legacy of the family farm.

Over the years, the farm was home to more than the usual cattle and hogs. There were peacocks, guineas, and a pair of gander geese named George and Martha. And then there was Garlic—the longhorn that Uncle Henry originally received as a joke at his stockyard. When the stockyard closed, Garlic came to live out his days peacefully on Longmeyer Farms. His horns remain on the farm in memory of him.

After the everyday chores were done, you could frequently find Gene in the evenings tinkering with equipment—fixing it, painting it, and making it run better than before. It was a pastime he truly enjoyed, and one that clearly carried on down the bloodline. Today, his grandsons are farm equipment mechanics for Case IH, keeping the tradition of hands-on craftsmanship alive.

The heart and soul of the farm! Lisa keeps the operation fed and children accounted for. She also works outside the home as an administrative assistant for an indpendent local seed and supply company. On the farm you can often find her scooping snow out of feed bunks in the winter and meals on wheels during harvest. David is the head honcho doing the work day in and day out. He calls the shots and sees them through. He’s the guy doing the daily feeding and chores. Often found in the planting tractor or combine with a grandkid asleep next to him. His favorite jobs include running the combine and the bulldozer. His least favorite jobs include book work and cleaning grain bins.

Married in 2016, became parents in 2019, and officially adopted their kiddos in 2023. Raising their kiddos on the farm from the very beginning. Drew also works as a Case IH service technician and Megan is a hospice registered nurse. You can often find Drew fixing broken equipment, running a silage wagon, or manning the combine. He’s one to fill in for whatever is needed. Megan is your tallow maker and has been learning odds and ends on the farm like raking hay, grain cart driving, and running the skid steer.

Derek proudly became Dad adopting his boys in 2021. He works full time as a service technician for Case IH. You can often find Derek managing the forage side of the farm, driving the tandem during harvest, and finding his way into the driver’s seat at planting season.

Nancy is David's Mom. She is the book keeper and keeps the guys fed for lunch during the week. She grows a large garden and cans produce for us to use throughout the year. She has spoiled her grandchildren with homemade applesauce and frequent batches of fresh pies and cookies! She is also frequently found filling in when a babysitter for the great grands or meals on wheels are needed.

“Norm” is Lisa’s dad and fills in seasonally and when David needs an extra hand. He is often found running a sileage wagon, raking and bailing hay, and being our master woodworker when a project needs completed. Amongst many projects, he made a replica of the barn for the kids to play with and constructed the kids playset on the farm. You can always count on him to have a lunch pail of candy bars “the emergency kit” which makes him the top pick when the kids choose who to ride with!

Jim is a lifelong friend of David and Lisa's, and he came to be a farmhand as his retirement job. He and David have shared labor through the years helping each other with their most pressing projects. Their friendship dates back to meeting at church in Hagaman as kids. He is a master mechanic, helps feed the cattle, and helps put the crops in and take them out.

Colby grew up with Drew and Derek and spent a lot of time in youth group with them. He started as a young pup on the farm bucking bails and working cattle and has stuck around to help on his weekends off from Boeing. He can be found doing any odd and end job David gives him. He is always up for a challenge and usually leaves the farm ready for a shower following power washing equipment or bedding the cattle building.

60+ years ago at the age of thirteen I was living with my grandparents in Rockbridge, Illinois. Not much for a young boy to keep himself entertained in the small town of Rockbridge. My Grandmother heard that Helen Longmeyer was looking for someone to help mow the four yards that they maintained. So grandma contacted Helen and offered me up for hire. When the lawns needed mowing Helen would drive to town pick me up and then drive me back home. The mowing and other jobs kept me busy all summer and out of trouble. A part-time job became a full-time job for the summer.

I enjoyed being at the farm, Clarence, Helen, Gene and Nancy were down to earth good people and treated me very well. At the farm there was always something to do. After yards were mowed Helen would have me clean the chicken coop which was not one of my favorite jobs. When Helen and I finished all of her projects then I would help Clarence, Gene and Art their hired man. I quickly learned how to drive a tractor and operate other farm equipment. Helped with grinding corn and feeding hogs and cattle. Mowing hay and baling hay. Cultivating corn and beans. Filling the silage pit. Mowing fence rows. Moving cattle from pasture to pasture. Building fence with a manual post hole digger.

It was a great summer job, I learned so much and was in top physical condition by helping with many different tasks. I learned the meaning of: (a long hard day's work) was and appreciate how it helped me mature. That first summer job turned into four years of working summers, weekends and holidays at the farm. Working at the farm and being with good people was one of the best times of my life! One day at lunch time with Clarence and Helen, we were talking about farm life, and I will always remember the comment that Helen made: (you can take the boy from the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy).

After leaving the farm I have thought about her farm life comment many times and how true it is. Even when Jeanie and I moved away from Greenfield/Rockbridge in 1973 to start a career with Oldsmobile Division of General Motors, we would travel back on our vacations. The children and I would make time to visit the farm. Our children and grandchildren love spending time at the farm. Now retired, Jeanie and I travel from North Carolina to Greenfield in the spring and fall to help Dave and Lisa at the farm planting and harvesting corn and beans. The farm will always be part of my life. What a lucky man I am to be part of the Longmeyer Farms and their Wonderful Family!

Roger can often be found operating a grain cart or mowing hay. We found Roger as a customer on our farm buying hay for his horses. After several business transactions he learned of our need for help and we knew of his need for hay so Roger and David struck a deal. He’s reliable help and his kind and calm nature makes him one the kids like to ride along with. We’d like to think this side gig is a calmer alternative to the mental health facility he worked in prior to retirement!