In 2022, Grove City Christian School alumnus Caleb Sullivan graduated from The Ohio State University. Though Sullivan departed with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business, or “agribusiness,” and applied economics, that wasn’t always his plan.
Circle S Farms has been in Sullivan’s family since its inception in 1975, when his grandparents, Doug and Edna, established the farm. Since then, it has become one of Grove City’s most cherished attractions, known for its fall pumpkins and summer sunflowers.
Though the farm has been part of his life since he was born, Sullivan thought his career would completely diverge from farming. However, the 2020 pandemic prompted Sullivan to reevaluate his future with newfound clarity.
“I originally wanted to go for occupational therapy,” Sullivan says. “But through COVID and coming home, and not being able to live on campus or anything, I kind of fell back in love with agriculture, the farm and what it means to my family.”
Alongside his younger brother Tim, who is currently studying agricultural systems management at Ohio State, Sullivan balanced coursework and farm work when classes transitioned to remote learning.
“It’s kind of funny, I would actually watch the Zoom classes as I would work around in the tractor,” Sullivan says. “I spent a lot of time on the farm in those two years of COVID, which really brought me back to it now.”
For Sullivan, a silver lining throughout the initial stages of COVID-19 was being able to fine-tune his social media, videography and video editing skills by working for Farm Science Review (FSR) in London, Ohio.
In July 2020, Sullivan and other FSR student crew members filmed tractors recreating the Ohio State Marching Band’s iconic script Ohio formation. They even used a weed whacker to dot the I, Sullivan says.
The brief clip has since amassed roughly 7.8 million views on Ohio State’s Facebook page.
“It took us four to five times to get it close enough to perfect,” Sullivan says. “It was with John Deere Zero-Turns.”
Sullivan is now a regional marketing manager and social media coordinator at Ag-Pro Companies, which specializes in selling John Deere equipment. He encourages students of all ages to develop their interests outside of school and work, regardless of perceived practicality.
“Find something you’re interested in or passionate about besides your school, besides your line of work, that you can really grab onto to see if you can diversify what you’re doing,” Sullivan says.
Going forward, he aims to continue working for Ag-Pro and ensure the longevity of Circle S Farms. Following his wedding to his wife Claire in May 2022, which naturally took place on the farm grounds, he can’t help but think about passing on the torch.
“We want to build up the farm to where it’s sustainable for the next generation,” Sullivan says. “Whether our kids want to turn it into a wedding venue or they want to grow pumpkins or they want to grow watermelons, the farm’s successful for them.”
Lucy Lawler is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
