Expanding to Support the Next Generation.
In August of 2025, after over a year and a half of planning, permitting and building, Loyson Farms reached a very special milestone— the completion of their brand new, deep pit cattle barn. Located in Ghent, Minnesota, Loyson Farms is a diversified cattle, corn, hay and soybean operation, expanding to support the fourth generation on the farm.
Nestled in the southwest part of the state, Doug Loyson now operates what was originally his grandparents’ farm. The land Doug and his wife Jodi are raising their four children on is the same land Doug grew up on and that his father grew up on before him. With deep family ties to the farm, welcoming home their oldest son and fourth-generation operator, Lane, to carry on their legacy is that much sweeter.
With Lane returning home after college, Doug knew that expanding was the key to providing Lane a place on the farm and bringing him into the operation. While both love the row crop side of their farm, their passions lean towards cattle, making the feedlot an easy choice for expansion.
As they weighed their options, ultimately, the addition of a deep pit cattle barn seemed like the best opportunity for growth. Compared to bed pack barns, deep pit barns offer higher potential in labor savings and fertilizer value—two things the Loysons set out to optimize with this build. Not only would this type of infrastructure benefit their efficiency in the cattle business, but the ability to recycle nutrients back into their row crop operation made it a win-win.
All farmers know that time and money are hot commodities in this industry, and this barn seemed like a natural fit for Doug and Lane. With already high fertilizer prices that are expected to keep climbing in 2026, the ability to use cattle manure on their crops is going to be a huge asset for Loyson Farms. The flexibility and reliability of having their own nutrient source readily available and an easy-to-execute manure management plan creates a seamless crop-livestock integration for them. Plus, the farm will reap long-term cost benefits in reduced bedding expenses and associated labor, along with increased cattle comfort—especially in Minnesota winters—and better overall functionality of space.
To make this investment come to fruition, the Loysons put in countless hours alongside their builders to help bring the barn to life. With so much of this project tied to the family and Lane’s return to the farm, large portions of this vision rested on him. Welcomed home with a welder in hand, Lane did most of the weld work on the new barn, including all the gates. They were custom-made so they’d be uniform, sized appropriately and built to the Loysons’ quality and longevity standards. Lane’s craftsmanship led a significant part of the build. “He can definitely take pride in that,” Doug says happily. “It was definitely a family affair to build this.”
That sense of ownership runs deep at Loyson Farms. For Doug, caring for cattle has always been ingrained in him; he doesn’t remember a time without waking up to do livestock chores. While Doug laughs that he’s “just wired that way,” this barn offers future generations the ability to grow their passion for the cattle business just as Lane and Doug have. The Loysons appreciate the daily rhythm their cattle give them—as opposed to some of the downtime that can come with raising crops—making this new barn even more special.
With much of the fall being dedicated to harvest time, they set their sights on finishing the barn before the summer was over. From permitting to design to construction, the addition of their deep pit cattle barn was a labor of love. Doug jokes that setting a hard deadline served as good motivation to complete the project and get cattle moved into their new home on their intended timeline.
For anyone who has seen the excitement of cattle in a new pen, field or even on fresh bedding, you can imagine the view the Loysons had the privilege of witnessing and the feelings of pride and relief as they watched cattle come into their new barn. “It was a very rewarding feeling to watch cattle run down the alley for the first time,” he said, “To see the joy on my son’s and his girlfriend’s faces when filling the barn for the first time, it was a proud dad moment,” Doug remembers fondly.
The now cattle-filled barn not only marks the completion of the project and the start of a longer-term investment but also symbolizes a new chapter for their operation. A new chapter with a greater emphasis on efficiency and sustainability, and one that anchors Lane’s place on the farm with the potential to welcome home other family members in the future. Family, tradition and innovation all intersect at Loyson Farms. From handmade gates, nutrient recycling and generations of hard work, every detail of this farm tells part of their story.
It’s stories like this, happening in quiet corners of our trade territory, that make us proud partners. We’re overjoyed by the innovation and dedication our customers and community display in the name of continued growth and success. CFE is thrilled to play a small role in these operations, and we look forward to a strong future for many generations to come. <<
