Derek Haigwood

When asked about why he went into agriculture, Derek Haigwood says, “it was just a good fit.” As a fourth-generation farmer that majored in agribusiness and went on to run a farm with his extended family, it seems that he was right. His family runsD.I.D. Farms, a name that stands for the first initials of the founders, Derek’s brother Drew, his cousin Isaac and Derek himself.

When it comes to working on the farm, Derek is never content to do the bare minimum. “People need me,” he says, “people need my income, people need the food that I'm producing. It's my job to put out the most high-quality crop that I can produce year in, year out.” Derek’s work ethic extends to all aspects of his work. His dedication to his career means that he’s always pushing to keep the ground healthy, the rice-growing and the harvest plentiful.

Derek’s work doesn’t end when the seasons change, however. When he’s not working the fields, he’s flying around the world. He travels extensively in his capacity as an exporter. No matter where in the world his business takes him, his mind never strays far from the fields, the weather or the seasons. “You're always thinking of summer in the winter,” Derek says, “and you have to, I think, to be successful.”

Between working on the farm and the many business meetings, Derek enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons. He’s at his most comfortable pretending to be a dinosaur with his two sons on the living room floor. Family drives Derek to constantly to improve, “My family depends on me and this is what I was born to do, and I want to do it well.”

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