Business started to help neighbors celebrates one year of service

In small towns, when an individual is in need, someone else will almost certainly step up to assist. This was exactly the case with Colten “Farmer” Deckard and his burgeoning trash collection service, eponymously named “Farmer’s Trash Service.”
This local business emerged last year when many Wright County residents became dissatisified with the service of a garbage company that serves the rural Hartville area.
There were claims that customer trash hadn’t been collected for days and even weeks, resulting in neglected garbage turning into unsightly heaps at the end of countless driveways
It wasn’t long before word spread, and eventually it reached the ears of young Farmer Deckard.
A 2023 graduate of Hartville High School, Deckard was raised the youngest of four brothers in Grovespring.
He chooses to go by the name Farmer, which he inherited from his great-grandfather, Harry Farmer Henslee.
When Deckard heard about the trash collection dumpster fire (pun intended), he knew he wanted to lend a helping hand. At the time, he was working a factory job, but he decided to prioritize the needs of his neighbors. In April 2024, he established Farmer’s Trash Service.
“I thought this would be a good opportunity to jump in and help out my local community,” Deckard said.
“I got started with some cattle racks from my grandpa, Steve Henslee, and my dad, Ray, helped me put everything together on a flatbed trailer.”
Initially, Deckard had a clientele of 70 – a substantial number for a young individual entering the trash service industry.
“Just being so young, not much out of school, I wasn’t able to supply trash cans,” he said. “That worried me some, but my customers were okay with it.”
As time progressed, the amount of customers Deckard served increased. By March of this year, he was able to acquire a dump trailer, a purchase, he said, that was well worth it.
“Now, I can add more customers, because I’m not handling the trash twice, and it speeds me up at the landfill,” he said, referring to the Hartville landfill, where he disposes of all his customers’ garbage.
Currently, Farmer’s Trash Service serves a broad area including the towns of Hartville, Grovespring and Niangua.
“I have lived here all my life; I’m local and I know my customers,” he said.
“A lot of them have watched me grow up. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without them.”
Of course, serving such a large number of clients is not a one-man job; it takes a team. Fortunately for Deckard, he has a supportive circle of loved ones, all of whom assist in the day-to-day needs of his business.
Deckard’s mother, Michelle, is an expert at tracking down parts needed for equipment, he said; his brother, Ethan, is a mechanic who has come to the rescue many times; and his sisters-in-law Elizabeth and Lindsey Deckard assist with bookkeeping.
“I have a lot of support making this business into what it is today,” Deckard said.
In the future, he plans to purchase trash cans as well as a trash truck – hopefully within the next five years – to expand his customer base.
“My role is to do my best to support my community and keep my customers happy,” Deckard said.
For more information, contact Farmer’s Trash Service via phone at 417- 531-2951.