Cecil, who has been farming for 49 years, raises crops – including watermelon, corn, soybeans, mixed vegetables, and greenhouse flowers. Cecil and his wife, Imelda, have three adult children who are involved in the operation of Cecil Farms.
Read MoreWhile the DeWeeses also have hill ground and various other soil types to work with, the river bottoms are tricky. Like many other row crop farmers in the far western portion of the state, the DeWeese brothers have turned to contract growing of hogs in order to diversify their operation and maximize their profit margin.
Read MoreFor 60 years, Cecilia resident Kenneth Hayden has farmed 850 acres of land, and the 91-year-old is still at it.
Read MoreSarah and her husband Bart own Red Hill Farms, an esteemed livestock and crop farming operation spanning south central Kentucky and northern middle Tennessee. Not only does Jones oversee the sale and care of Red Hill’s many cattle, but she also manages its finances, records, marketing and promotions.
Read MoreThe Thomas family has a deep family history in agriculture, and both Mark and Wesley were raised on farms. While Wesley is now also a Nurse Practitioner, Mark is fulfilling his lifelong dream. “From an early age, I have always been dedicated to agriculture and the farm. I have never wanted to do anything but farm full-time,” noted Mark.
Read MoreWhen you hear the words “firewood operation,” you may envision large, desolate sections of land absent of hickory, oak, and maple trees. That’s not the case here. As Reed looks over a tract of land they farmed for firewood in recent years, he bends down to point out oak and maple saplings flourishing on the forest floor.
Read MoreWhen asked how he feels about growing chickens on contract for Tyson, Tim Morrison said “I’m lovin’ it,” with a grin. The reason for that grin is apparent when one learns that all the chickens grown on Morrison Farms – and that’s a LOT of chickens – are processed in nearby Obion County, Tennessee, for use in McDonald’s restaurants all over the world.
Read MoreLearn about Coopman Farms, the last dairy in Ballard County.
Read MoreJD Country Milk is a family owned and operated dairy farm and processing plant located in Logan County, Kentucky. Willis and Edna Schrock have created quite a niche market for their milk, and over the years they have raised eight children.
Read MoreFischer lives with his wife, Barbara, in Daviess County and farms with his sons Brian and Jerry, along with the third generation which includes Robert and Jake. There, the Fischers grow soybeans and corn, with the younger Fischers also raising a tobacco crop.
Read MoreWhen farmers think of leaders in regenerative agriculture, they may not think of a farm tucked away in Carlisle County, Kentucky, or a family that has been tending the land since the Civil War. But after just a few minutes of visiting with Brad Reddick and his son, Joel, it’s easy to see that these men eat, sleep, and breathe soil health.
Read MoreMost people don’t start a new full-time career as they approach retirement age. But don’t tell that to brother and sister Terry and Sharon Rowlett. The Rowletts have undertaken s significant career move with the opening of Rowlett’s Milkhouse and Creamery.
Read MoreJames R. “Buddy” Smith has been farming in the Bluegrass Region for more than 50 years. He is the 2020 Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award winner.
Read MoreA land ethic was instilled in Mark Turner at a young age while helping his father on the family farm. When Mark took over Turner Farms, he saw the negative effects from the moldboard plow to the land. He decided to purchase a no-till drill in 1983. The farm now practices no-till and plants cover crops on every acre.
Read MoreNearly 1,330 acres of the property has a long history of logger choice harvest and occasional wildfire. This left mostly small-to-medium saw timber with a large percentage of low quality, less desirable species. The family has been working to improve timber quality through cull tree removal and mid-story removal for regeneration.
Read MoreAchieving soil health through the use of no-till farming and cover crops is nothing new to Edward (Myrel) Trunnell, who began farming more than six decades ago. Conservation is synonymous with his idea of farming.
Read MoreJerry and Valarie live and farm on the first piece of land they bought together in 1967. By purchasing other farms, their Springhill Farms operation has grown to nearly 1600 acres of cropland, with 200 additional acres of unplanted land, and 300 acres of rented farmland.
Read MoreTodd Clark is a first generation farmer in Lexington. He began helping a neighbor farmer as a young teenager and had his first tobacco crop at age 16. By the time Todd was 18, he was leasing a house and land and had branched out to cattle and hay operations.
Read MoreThe history of Old Homeplace Farm in southeastern Kentucky dates back to the mid 1800s. No written record exists of the family’s crops or livestock, but we imagine that it was like most other Kentucky farms of that period: highly diversified and remarkably self-sufficient.
Read MoreFarming and caring for the land has been the vocation and passion of the Halcomb Family for many generations. From settling of the Home Farm in the 1830s to the present day, each generation has embraced this opportunity and responsibility.
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