Age: 38
Occupation: Farmer and owner, Mueller Family Farm
Email: muellerfamilyfarmllc@gmail.com
Family: Farm founder, grandma Linda Mueller; mother and stepdad, Mindy and Jody Carter; girlfriend, Amber Risen; fur family, Tank, Lily and Gus
Affiliations/community activities:
Old Capital Farmers Market; Urbana Market on the Square; Jacksonville Farmers Market; The Farms of Illinois; Slow Food Award; Illinois Stewardship Alliance
What led you to your career?
Childhood memories of gardening with my grandparents and later helping my grandpa, Lari Mueller, complete one final season during his battle with cancer. The farm offers freedom and the ability to be my own boss.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career path?
Mother Nature’s obstacles of wind, hail, flooding, drought, disease and pests. These variables change, and a farmer has to change techniques to combat these obstacles. Scaling up to a profitable business has also been difficult. Specialty crop producers have historically not had as much government funding as commodity crop growers have.
What would you like your life to look like in five or 10 years?
I wish to be doing what I am doing now, and I would like to build a house on the property and live a true homestead lifestyle. I plan to invest in emerging technologies to keep Mueller Family Farm at the cutting edge of specialty crop production in our region.
What do you wish your younger self had known when you started on this path?
You cannot rush success. I wanted to grow the farm, and that put stress on myself and my family. I wish I could have told myself to take it easy, create a plan and execute a successful business.
What has been your greatest professional achievement?
My greatest achievement is turning a hobby farm in the middle of nowhere into an operation that feeds thousands of people all while maintaining my personal values and integrity. And, I never imagined I would celebrate being a Forty under 40 award recipient with the people that love and support my vision.
What’s the best purchase (under $100) you’ve made in the last six months?
Standing in boots 10-plus hours a day means I need to take good care of my feet.
This article appears in July SBJ 2026.