Larry Jr and Eric Wappel are the youngest of four generations of family farmers starting with their maternal great grandfather, Harold Shannon.  Harold moved his young family from Creek, Illinois to Pulaski County Indiana in 1940 to pursue the farm life.  He bought a 160 acre farm, worked the land and raised livestock in addition to a full time job.  With some help from his sons he was active on the farm well past retirement age into the 1990’s. At that time his son Jack took over the family farm.  Jack, Larry Jr and Eric’s maternal grandfather farmed on a part time basis all his life and continues to farm in his retirement years.  Ed Wappel, Larry Jr and Eric’s paternal grandfather also had the desire to become a farmer and purchased 120 acres in the late 1940’s. He raised hogs and farmed that and other rented ground until his retirement in the early 1980’s. Ed retired farming approximately 500 acres.  Larry Sr was always involved in the work on the farm.  Being an honors student in high school he considered going to college to become an engineer, but his love of the outdoors and of farming combined with the good harvest the fall before made his choice to stay on the farm an easy one.  Larry Sr. quickly became the primary decision maker on the farm and by the age of 34 he was sole owner and operator.  Within a few years he grew the operation quickly through purchasing and renting properties.  Today Larry and sons Larry Jr and Eric work together on the family farm that is now known as Wappel Grain & Herb.

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