TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
who is due in July. “My girls aren’t old enough yet to be my farm hands,” Koller said, “but they love to ride the tractor with me, scouting and checking the crop fields.” “My wife has chickens and a garden, so that keeps the girls busy on the land as well.” And the support doesn’t stop there. “My mom also plays a huge part in keeping my business running. She keeps all of my books and finances organized.” A role in fulfilling her son’s dreams is one Rachel Scott feels honored to have. “I’m just so blessed to have the opportunity to help him do exactly what he loves to do,” she said. The nine-to-five concept of what a typical work week looks like for most Americans is out the window for the average farmer. “There is no ‘typical day’ out here on the farm,” explains Koller. “Every day presents a new challenge for which I have to find a solution. There are many things that can change what the day will bring—the season that we are in, weather, and equipment. The most difficult aspect of farm life is working 100-hour weeks, and mother nature can always make or break your business every single year.” But to farmers across the nation, all the unknowns and risks are worth it. There is so much satisfaction in seeing the fruit of your labor springing to life down each carefully constructed row and the life represented by each beautiful green field. “The most satisfying part of being a farmer is planting the crops and watching them grow. It can be rewarding and fulfilling. I hope to be able to raise my kids with the same heart for hunting and farming and instill the hard work ethic in them to one day be successful,” said Koller. “I’m hopeful to be farming for as long as God’s plan allows it.”
Unlimited and also the University of Arkansas at Monticello for research on waterfowl. I also get to work with and be consulted by the best wildlife management developers in the states.” And after growing up hunting and fishing with his dad, uncles, and cousins, he also enjoys some of the other perks that come with the job. “I also get to enjoy participating in the hunting and meeting of different guests that are invited on our hunts.” It’s the perfect position and one he’s unknowingly been preparing for since he was a teen. Additionally, Koller leases roughly 900 acres of farmland and has used it to start what he calls his “side business,” which is now Koller Farms LLC. As a first-generation farmer, he spent 2018 and 2019 developing the previously neglected farmland, preparing it for planting and has grown rice and soybeans every year since 2020. He continues to purchase more equipment each year to expand his business. With a career path that inevitably morphs from a job to a way of life, it takes a supportive team to make it all work. Koller has that support from his beautiful, expanding family. His wife, Madison is a nurse and works for CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital. “Zach is the most hardworking man I know,” she said, “and he gives 110 percent in everything he does. I love that our kids get to be raised on the farm and see firsthand the outcome of hard work. Being married to a farmer can be challenging because of the long hours. Some days, it means packing up food and the kids and heading to the fields so we can eat dinner with dad.” The couple has two daughters, Maisyn, who is nine, and Whitley, who is three, and they are also expecting their first son,
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LIFE & STYLE
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