Employment History:
Senior Sales Associate, Tractor Supply Co. (1997-2007); Non-Commissioned Officer, Maryland Air National Guard (1969-1989)

Published Works:

Public Speaking Experience:

Why He is an Expert:
You learn by doing and Mr. Streaker has been doing it - for 35 years. He reads research data sheets and keeps track of all the different climate changes that come through, which cause different atmospheric conditions. He reads about the weather in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Sun.

Best Advice:
"Agriculture is constantly changing and you have to keep up to be an effective resource and to succeed. The farmer raises a good crop and offers a good price for it. But then, you have to pay for storage, feed storage and other utilities. If you go into crops and you have irrigation as a backup for the intensive farming of vegetables and berries, you will do okay and you will survive a drought. But if you are borrowing or getting a grant for the next crop, you’re worse off if your soil is not ready, or there is another catastrophe. You have to know the most notable insects and fungus, as well as soil types for each crop."

Passionate about:
"I like to see things grow and I like to see them healthy. In that regard, I hope I might have two green thumbs. I’m passionate about the green revolution, as people recognize the need for an open mind. We have to go forth with different and new techniques. We have to get productive to the point that we influence other people to change from the traditional crop harvest."

Biography Excerpt:
Charles Bryan Streaker Sr. is a co-owner of Cedar Lane Farms in Maryland. Even after watching the state of agriculture change drastically in his 35 years of experience, Mr. Streaker continues to remain current in his field. As effective as traditional methods have been, he utilizes progressive agricultural applications to yield safe, high-quality and heavily concentrated or intensive farming for all crops. He achieves increased efficiencies in plant food and vegetable production and, in the past, has optimized land for the raising of dairy cattle and calves. Additionally, Mr. Streaker is an expert in the treatment of soil used for tilling, integrated pest management and best management practices.

     

Cambridge Who's Who: What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?  
CHARLES BRYAN STREAKER SR.:  The overall success I’ve had through hard work and diligent persistence; also, the hope derived from technical innovations that have come up. The generation after World War II is one thing; but from the 1970s [to the present], we’ve advanced technologically in the agricultural field with new equipment, new methods for conserving fuel and increased soil efficiency. We have been a struggling economy, but the United States is one of the few countries to achieve a constant net export.

What would you like to promote most about yourself or your business?
I’ve helped a lot of people in my associations and on the farm; we’ve yielded increased efficiencies of plant food production and vegetables. I’ve [achieved] more on heavily concentrated or intensive farming for all crops with adequate nitrogen, different types of lime and crop fertilizers. Dolomite lime is just one thing to help keep the pH balanced so it’s not too on the acidic side or too on the basic side.

What is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
I’ve been running my father’s family farm for the past seven or eight years. So far so good, I should say. I’ve diversified from cattle to crops and hay with no cattle at the right time. Regarding the cost to produce cattle with inflation and demand, these are the highest commodity prices we’ve had. We were paying more money for the actual input of the fertilizers, fuel and feed to put into animals, whether they are poultry or others. To hit maximum efficiency, it’s a very high-priced investment per acre, sometimes up to $500-600 when you consider the equipment, manpower and irrigation backup. Also, consider the actual final product coming out with frost, or [if there is] too much [or] too little rain to consider. You can succeed if you get the basics, you don’t take shortcuts, and you don’t over-fertilize.