A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Eugene Matzat

A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Eugene Matzat

Eugene Matzat has always been a man of the land. Agriculture is a family tradition, his life’s work, and a passion close to his heart.

“I grew up on a family farm in Starke County,” Gene said. “My father wanted his sons to come back [after college] to farm with him, and that’s what I wanted too.”

Gene’s father finished school with eighth grade but wanted his kids to go further. All five of his children attended college: his daughters earned degrees in Education, Social Work, and Political Science. Both of his sons went to school for Agriculture. Gene went to Purdue University for his Bachelor’s in Agronomy and a Master’s in Farm Management. He returned to the farm after graduation. An opportunity arose for Gene to work at Farm Credit, and he did for seven years.

By that time, he was looking for other work.

Purdue Extension, a program that connects university research and resources to relevant real life people, satisfied his need for a career that would help his peers and his community.

Gene started as a Water Management Specialist and is now an Extension Educator of Agriculture and Natural Resources. This is his fourth position with Purdue Extension. His second was as a Conservation Specialist with T by 2000, where his focus was on teaching farmers how to prevent soil erosion. When the program lost funding ,Gene worked with the 4-H Club to maintain a connection with Purdue Extension while looking for another position in the organization. It was fun working with kids but it did not fulfill him the way his current position does.

As an Educator, Gene has a personal relationship with like-minded individuals in his community. He attends some of the classes that he organizes.

Purdue Extension offers regular classes on home gardening as well as working the land on a larger scale. Some of their topics include plant science, chemical safety, and soil fertility. People who attend the classes can become Master Gardeners. The certification requires a certain amount of volunteer hours, which can be done through Purdue Extension Agriculture programs. Some choose to answer questions over the summer Gardening Hotline while others put in time at the Farmer’s Markets.

“Agriculture changes every day, every year. It’s guaranteed to because #1: the weather. And #2: because Agriculture is a global industry. What is done here impacts other parts of the world. To help farmers get the most recent technology, Purdue Extension has been there as an unbiased program. We are trying to help all the farmers.”

Gene still farms on the weekend. He and his wife own 160 acres, 55 of which is tillable. On 30 acres they grow corn, while the other 25 is for hay.

“I enjoy it because it is an opportunity to get back to the farm that I grew up with. I can take care of the land, maintain fertility, and do the things I know need to be done to protect the land.”

Part of their property is protected by the Department of Natural Resources and can only be used as a source of timber. Classified Forest status comes with certain rules. They are not allowed to plant on the land and must protect it from invasive species like garlic mustard and asian bush honeysuckle. Gene and his wife go on walks together and remove invading plant life by hand.

“I don’t see it as nature taking its course,” Gene says. “Everybody wants to have a desirable setting. We like to make sure we are being good stewards of the land so generations after us have something they can really admire.”

Gene and his wife are both very nature conscious. They met in school, where Linda was earning a degree in Wildlife Science. Together they helped found Friends of Potato Creek State Park, a program that raises money to support the park

The organization meets monthly about issues pertaining to Potato Creek and creates special projects to help it improve.

“Parks are an important part of our society. It provides a green space for people to get away and rekindle the spirit. It gives an opportunity for people to spend leisure time doing something fun, but it’s also a place that is protected and historical.”