For Lakeview graduate Peyton Halvorsen, what started as a simple way to serve his community and set his own hours turned into lifelong skills. By operating his business, Halvorsen Lawn Care, he has built a foundation that will help launch his future career in construction.
I've dealt with customer management, advertising, employee management, money management, taxes, and have built a bigger business each year,” Halvorsen said.
In 2022, Halvorsen Lawn Care began with about 30 lawns. By 2025, Halvorsen was maintaining 83 properties in the Columbus area, including businesses, residential properties, offices, and more. But scaling a business meant handling adversity.
Equipment is a massive expenditure for any lawn care operation. To keep up with his expanding clientele, Peyton needed to upgrade to more efficient machines. Thanks to the Nebraska FFA Foundation SAE Grant Program, he received vital funding to upgrade his riding and push mowers, allowing his business to keep moving forward.
Growth didn't come without setbacks. After losing a few yards at the end of 2024, Peyton refused to slow down. He kicked his marketing into high gear—utilizing social media, yard signs, vehicle lettering, business cards, and local newspaper ads. By mid-2025, his resilience paid off, helping him gain more than 20 new customers.
With that expansion came the reality of being the boss. Halvorsen took on everything: making management decisions, scheduling logistics, hiring employees, investing in advertising, managing the billing system, and keeping equipment fine-tuned.
Halvorsen’s goal has always been to provide quality service to his community, which he finds rewarding. He prioritizes having clear communication with customers, attention to detail, and being reliable. According to Halvorsen, putting the community and customer first has played a huge role in earning referrals and maintaining his clients.
This commitment didn't just earn him customer referrals—it earned him statewide recognition. His SAE project culminated in a full-circle moment at his final State FFA Convention, where he was named the 2026 Star in Agribusiness.
Halvorsen’s long-term goal is to own and operate a construction or contracting business, and with his experience from his SAE, he’s already halfway there. He is currently attending Northeast Community College to major in building construction while continuing to run his lawn care business.
Halvorsen’s advice to other FFA members is to take advantage of SAE opportunities and not be afraid to start small.
“Be willing to work hard and learn new things that might be out of your comfort zone,” he said.
His project began with borrowed equipment and a small handful of clients, but he possessed the hard-work ethic and support from FFA to take Halvorsen Lawn Care to where it is today. Not only did he build a successful business, but he was also building a lot more in the process.
