About 600 hectares near Gryfice, crop production paired with a small herd of Herefords, and a clear division of responsibilities where each partner manages their own side of the operation. Anna and Jakub Czerniecki, members of our Association, share their journey from corporate banking to farming, what it’s really like to run an agricultural business as a team, and how ten years of sustainable practices have completely transformed their soil.
Let’s start from the beginning. What does your farm look like today, and how did you get here?
Anna & Kuba: The farm we run together covers about 600 hectares – 580 hectares of arable land, with the rest set aside for meadows. Our main focus is crop production: cereals, rapeseed, corn, and potatoes. As a hobby, we keep a small herd of Herefords – 15 cows plus a heifer calf born just yesterday (laughs). We’re also working on a diversification project to expand into professional livestock production, building a pig facility.
Kuba has always had farming in his blood; his father, grandfather, and several generations before them were all farmers. After university, we couldn’t decide whether to move back to Gryfice, where the farm is located, or build careers in banking in Warsaw. In the end, we decided to keep one foot in each world. Fifteen years ago, that was still doable because the farm was 120 hectares, and Kuba’s father provided tremendous support. That arrangement lasted nearly a decade: working full-time in Warsaw and spending every vacation and long weekend farming the land in Gryfice.
However, once the farm expanded to 400 hectares and we introduced potato crops, we realized we couldn’t keep our finance careers while properly growing the farm. In 2021, we made the leap. Kuba left banking right away, while I worked remotely for another two years to gradually transition into farm life. Today, we both work on the farm full-time, each managing our own side of the business.
How do you split your responsibilities, and how do you maintain a work-life balance?
Anna & Kuba: Kuba plans crops several seasons ahead, monitors plant health, and manages field production. He’s responsible for the final harvest quality. I handle regulatory compliance, paperwork, grant applications, certification, accounting, and HR. There’s a mountain of administrative work, especially with regulations constantly shifting.
Beyond that, success comes down to solid organization and a structured routine. Kuba works out in the fields while I work primarily from home or travel to meetings. During spring, summer, and autumn, I handle most of the childcare and household management. In winter, our roles flip. Kuba’s field work is strictly weather-dependent and can’t be put off, whereas my administrative responsibilities are far more flexible and fit easily around family life. Paperwork and invoices can be handled any time of day – or night.
Do you think this co-management model is becoming the new standard in agriculture?
Anna & Kuba: Our experience reflects a broader shift. Running a modern farm is running a business, plain and simple. On a large-acreage operation, it’s virtually impossible for one person to oversee field crops while managing heavy administrative demands. Given the current volume of compliance and paperwork required, it’s just not realistic.
With a background in corporate management, Anna now applies those skills on a micro-scale. She’s even brought in a few corporate perks: we have “Fruit Thursdays” – a nod to our corporate days (laughs), and our employees’ kids get gifts for Children’s Day and St. Nicholas Day. Since we began running the farm as a team, operations have become far more streamlined.
The main downside? Work is always present – work bleeds into almost every conversation, even at the dinner table. But this shift isn’t unique to us; in our region alone, several farms have adopted a similar dynamic. A generation ago, that would have been unheard of.
What is your biggest challenge right now?
Anna & Kuba: We’re currently focused on two key areas. First, given the sharp volatility in fuel, fertilizer, and input costs, tight financial management is vital. Keeping crop production profitable requires constant vigilance. Second is diversification. With changing climate patterns, severe droughts, and unpredictable yields, we realized that securing an additional revenue stream is essential for long-term stability. And we have ambitious growth plans.
Day to day, the biggest uncertainty is always the weather. The climate in the West Pomeranian region of Poland can be unforgiving. Very dry springs put severe stress on both the crops and us, keeping us up at night. While our regenerative farming practices help cushion the impact of dry spells, nothing can replace actual rainfall when it comes to crop growth.
Where did your regenerative journey begin, and what benefits have you seen?
Anna & Kuba: We began introducing sustainable practices about ten years ago – even before “regenerative agriculture” became a mainstream term. We started with reduced tillage, then introduced cover crops to maintain living green cover on the fields for as much of the year as possible. Regular soil testing helped us understand exact nutrient levels, allowing us to fertilize far more precisely. Precision farming tools were the natural next step.
A decade in, the improvements in soil health are clear. Across several fields, the soil’s structure and water-retention capacity have improved noticeably – it holds onto moisture much longer during dry spells. Over the past two years in particular, these practices have helped lower our operating costs, specifically for fertilizer and fuel. In an era of soaring prices, those savings are critical.
What value does your Association membership bring to the farm?
Anna & Kuba: The Association is a go-to resource and knowledge hub. The experts involved are always ready to offer guidance and share real-world experience. Their e-learning platforms make it easy to dive deeper into advanced sustainable practices. Recently, through my participation in the AgroWoman mentoring programme, I obtained an ESG certification within the ASAF knowledge certification system. Soon, we plan to certify the entire farm operation.
You took over management from the previous generation and have big plans for the future. What are your thoughts on succession, and what advice would you give aspiring farmers?
Anna & Kuba: Our succession situation turned out ideally. The original 120 hectares belonged to Kuba’s father. He handed operational control over to us while remaining active on the farm. While he provides a wealth of advice and decades of experience, all final operational decisions rest with us. That structure has worked exceptionally well.
Unfortunately, succession often plays out like an episode of Succession. Older generations can struggle to hand over the reins, which often discourages the younger generation. We know plenty of cases where frustrated young people simply move to the city, start corporate careers, and leave agriculture behind entirely.
Our advice? Think of farming as running a business. You need to understand agronomy, market dynamics, finance, and people management. Track every cost carefully – there’s no room for guesswork. Stay adaptable and always play the long game. And as for running a farm as a husband-and-wife team? In our experience, it’s a massive advantage. We’d recommend it 100% (laughs).
Thank you for the conversation.