taylor-made tenacity · dupont registry specializes in sales of exotic supercars from marquees like...

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June 2018

Also insideAg Secretary Perdue visits Co-op - p. 5

Empty fields in April - p. 8

Marshall Farmers opens The General Store - p. 22

Taylor-made tenacityDetermination, diversification keep TTT Dairy going strong

June 2018 3

Input opportunity Secretary Perdue stops to speak, listen at Tax Day event at Knox Farmers Co-op. Empty fields in April Rain and cool temperatures bring the state’s spring planting to an extended standstill.

Asking for the business Marshall Farmers Cooperative’s General Store fills a need for consumers in fast-growing Chapel Hill.

Round two Second group of Agriculture Enterprise Fund recipients announced.

No-till tribute UTIA to celebrate major milestone for nationally recognized Milan field day.

Changing dreams The genesis of Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park is rooted in farming.

TenneScene 4 Snapshots There’s power in a handwritten thank you.

5 Our Country Churches Rutherford County Baptist Church in Rutherford County.

13 New at Co-op Learn about two new products.

14 Neighborly Advice Forage quality impacts animal performance.

15 Neighborly Advice Legislature adjourns, some new laws passed.

30 What’s Cookin’? No-bake desserts.

34 Every Farmer Has A Story Veronica Steer, a fifth-generation farmer, follows in her father’s footsteps managing her family’s Henry County dairy operation.

In every issue

News and features

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With his overalls and John Deere tractor, Levi Kidd is ready for some field work! Levi, who celebrated his 1st birthday in April, lives with parents Megan and David on the family’s farm in Campbell County, Wholesome Acres, where the Claiborne Farmers Co-op customers raise beef cattle, corn, and hay. His grandmother, Sandra Kidd, reports that little Levi “already knows how to bid at the cattle auction.” — Photo submitted by Megan Kidd

Cover StoryJune 2018

contents Jason Taylor and son Eli, 3, give a “thumbs up” to express their feelings about

their family’s dairy operation, TTT Dairy in Fayetteville. Jason and brother Brent are the third generation of Taylors to make dairying a career, following in the footsteps of their father, Kenny, uncle, Kerry, and grandfather, Edward, who began the operation in 1967.

On the cover: The Taylors gather in front of TTT Dairy’s heifer barn that was completed last year. Brent, kneeling, is joined by, left to right, Kerry, Edward, Kenny, and Jason. — Photo by Chris Villines

18 Taylor-made tenacity

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4 June 2018

Thank you notes are a common act of courtesy both in personal and professional settings. In this day of texts, tweets, and email messages, the sentiment seems more sincere when expressed in a handwritten note.

Tennessee Farmers Cooperative livestock specialist Rick Syler recently shared a story that illustrates the power of this simple gesture.

Rick and son Eason were on a trip to Florida in 2005 to pick up a minivan that the family had purchased via a contact through the Internet when they passed by the headquarters of the duPont REGISTRY in St. Petersburg. The duPont REGISTRY specializes in sales of exotic supercars from marquees like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Maserati, and others.

Ten-year-old Eason was a fan of the company’s magazine, which features detailed pictures and descriptions of its offerings, and spent hours poring over the magazines in his local library while dreaming of the magnificent machines. Rick has always been a “car guy,” owning several classic and muscle cars over the years, and Eason shares his dad’s enthusiasm.

Eason asked to stop and go inside, and Rick agreed. The father and son went up to the door, peering inside at the high-dollar cars on display. Receptionist Gwen Cheramie noticed the pair and invited young Eason inside to take a closer look, even allowing him to sit in several of the special automobiles.

“I remember sitting in a rare Mercedes McClaren, a few Porsches, and a Dodge Viper that was owned by the wrestler Hulk Hogan,” recalls Eason.

Before the Sylers went on their way, Gwen made sure that Eason had plenty of magazines and some posters from which to remember his visit.

“She was very kind to let us come in and let Eason sit in the cars,” says Rick. “We really appreciated her hospitality.”

Upon returning home, Eason wrote his new friend a personal thank you note and included his own drawing of a supercar adorned with the duPont REGISTRY logo.

The visit left an impression on the youngster. While searching for job opportunities last year, Eason’s thoughts returned to the duPont REGISTRY. Now 23, he submitted a résumé and query about what he thought might be a dream job.

A few months later, Rick and wife Sally received a call from the company, which wanted to invite Eason back to Florida for a surprise visit during a Cars & Coffee gathering for automotive enthusiasts at the company’s headquarters. Eason’s résumé had coincidentally arrived around the same time that Gwen had found Eason’s earlier note and drawing and shared them with the duPont REGISTRY’s leadership. They recognized his name and wanted to do something special for him.

On Saturday, April 21, Rick, Sally, and Eason traveled to the Cars & Coffee function where Eason was presented with his thank you note and drawing framed, matted, and personally signed by the company’s owner, Thomas duPont. The company also offered Eason a job, though he respectfully declined as he is now working as a realtor in Lebanon.

“I was just as tickled to be there at 23 as I was at 10,” says Eason. “I was very surprised. I never expected anything from that note. But it sure was nice of them.”

The Cooperator is distributed free to patrons of member Co-ops. Since each Co-op maintains its own mailing list,

requests for subscriptions must be made through the local Co-op. When

reporting an address change, please include the mailing label from a past

issue and send to the following address:

The CooperatorP.O. Box 3003

LaVergne, TN 37086 Phone: (615) 793-8339

E-mail: [email protected]

Guest Subscriptions:Guest subscriptions are available for $12.95 per year by sending a check

or money order to Tennessee Farmers Cooperative at the above address.

Editor: Glen [email protected]

Assistant Editor: Chris [email protected]

Communications Specialist: Sarah [email protected]

Senior Graphic Designer: Shane [email protected]

Graphic Designer: Jason [email protected]

Layout & Production Coordinator:Travis Merriman

[email protected] Assistant: Polly Campbell

[email protected] Information: Jason Barns615-793-8316, [email protected]

NOTICE: This publication is for informational purposes only. Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, its affiliates, subsidiaries, and member Co-ops are not responsible for any damages or claims

that may result from a reader’s use of this information, including but not limited to

actual, punitive, consequential, or economic damages. Tennessee Farmers Cooperative

makes no warranties or representations, either express or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness of any product/

material for a particular purpose. Each article, document, advertisement, or other information

is provided “AS IS” and without warranty of any kind. Tennessee Farmers Cooperative

reserves the right to alter, correct, or otherwise change any part or portion of this publication, including articles and advertisements, without detriment to Tennessee Farmers Cooperative,

its affiliates, subsidiaries, or member cooperatives. Unless otherwise noted, stock

images courtesy of gettyimages.com.

TFC Board of Directors:Chairman — Mark Thompson,

Cumberland Gap, Zone 3Vice Chairman — David Sarten,

Sevierville, Zone 3Keith Fowler, Martin, Zone 1Amos Huey, Kenton, Zone 1

Tim Luckey, Humboldt, Zone 1Benjie Daniel, Charlotte, Zone 2

Donald Jernigan, Christiana, Zone 2Stephen Philpott, Shelbyville, Zone 2

Johnny Brady, Riceville, Zone 3Chief Executive Officer — Bart Krisle

Published by Tennessee Farmers Cooperative in the interest of better

farming through cooperation and improved technology, and to connect the Co-op

community through shared experiences, common values, and rural heritage.

TFC’s website: www.ourcoop.com

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June 2018Volume 59, Number 6

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Snapshots

Glen Liford

Editor

A simple gesture

Eason Syler shows off the thank you note and artwork that he sent to Gwen Cheramie, receptionist at DuPont REGISTRY in St. Petersburg, Fla., in 2005. The company found the letter and artwork this spring and invited Eason and his parents, Rick and Sally Syler, to a Cars & Coffee gathering at the headquarters on April 21. Company owner Thomas duPont presented Eason with the framed note and personally autographed it.

There’s power in a handwritten thank you

June 2018 5

Story and photos by Glen Liford

More than 250 farmers from all over Ten-nessee came to Knox

Farmers Cooperative’s main store at Halls on Tax Day, April 17, to hear remarks from United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and relay their pointed concerns to the secretary.

Tennessee Farmers Coop-erative Customer Relations Officer Terry Kelley opened the session by outlining many of the disruptions Tennessee farmers have experienced this spring.

“There are lots of things going on in agriculture and lots of concerns in the state of Tennessee,” explained Kelley. “We’ve lost tobacco markets in recent weeks. We’ve lost dairy markets. We have continued problems with trucking issues across the state. But one of

the bright spots in our indus-try is the change in the tax code.”

As Tennessee Farm Bureau President Jeff Aiken intro-duced Secretary Perdue, he likewise acknowledged the state was reeling from recent industry developments, but he reminded the group of their common strength.

“To be a farmer, I think you have to be an eternal opti-mist,” said Aiken. “We are also realists, and we understand that we have some challenges we have to deal with. Profit-ability is at the top of that list. So while we are waiting for commodity prices to get back where they need to be, if we can save a little bit of what we do have, hopefully this tax reform will be good for agri-culture in the future.”

Aiken noted that this stop was the fourth Perdue had made in Tennessee over the

last year, and that, he said, demonstrates the secretary’s concern and desire to be a voice for agriculture in Wash-ington, D.C.

As a diversified row crop farmer, dairyman, and former Georgia governor, Perdue said he felt comfortable on the loading dock of the Co-op.

“I’m right at home here at this kind of facility among people like you,” he said. “Because I do consider myself one of you. I’m fortunate to have the opportuni-ty to be the first veterinarian and really a bona fide farmer in the

(See Perdue, page 6)

Input opportunity

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue takes a selfie with FFA members at Knox Farmers Co-op while Lee Maddox, left, director of communications for Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, films.

Our Country Churches

Rutherford County Baptist Church has been ministering to the people of Smyrna and surrounding areas since 2000, and Pastor Paul Chisgar has led the church since its inception. The church is located at 5742 Seminary Road in Smyrna. Join them for Sunday School at 9:45 a.m., Sunday worship at 10:45 a.m., Sunday night service at 6 p.m., and Wednesday night service at 7 p.m. The church will host a Men’s Retreat July 20-21. For more information, call 615-962-5104.

Rutherford County Baptist Church in Rutherford County

273rd in a series to show where our rural Co-op friends worship

Secretary Perdue stops to speak, listen at Tax Day event at Knox Farmers Co-op

6 June 2018

office of Secretary of Agriculture. I can not only sympathize, but I can also empathize with what is going on now with low commod-ity prices, particularly with the [developments] in the dairy and tobacco markets. I can take that empathy and relay those fears and concerns to the president and let him hear firsthand what is going on.”

Trade issues were among the topics at the forefront for the concerned crowd. Perdue assured the group, however, that President Trump “has the farmers’ backs.”

“The president has assured me that he will not let [farm-ers] be the only soldiers in this battle,” said Perdue of the trade and tariffs discus-sion with China. “The presi-dent negotiates in a pretty tough way, and I think he has China’s attention. That’s good because farmers don’t like cheaters, they don’t like steal-ers, and they don’t like people who don’t play by the rules.”

Perdue said he believes that when all is said and done, the “saber rattling” concerning tariff retaliation may not come into play, and the U.S. could end up with more equitable trade practices with China, Canada, and other countries.

When the discussion turned to the current market dilemma for dairy farmers and tobacco producers, Perdue admitted the situation was complex with no easy solutions.

“We have an oversupply of milk in the dairy industry,” he said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a magic bullet at USDA.

But we are looking at ways we can help producers.”

Opening up international markets for exports of both commodities is one option, he cited. Another would be to get 1-percent or 2-percent flavored milk back into the schools.

This would help demand, said Perdue, “by getting kids to understand and appreciate

the value of good wholesome milk for their health, their nutrition, and their taste.”

Bright spots included the recent overhaul of the tax code and President Trump’s emphasis on deregulation.

“We have layered so many regulations on top of [farmers] and on the American econo-my,” he said, noting that Presi-dent Trump is challenging the USDA to remove those regula-tions that impede productivity.

The changes in the tax code, Perdue said, should grow the economy, and agriculture will benefit from that growth.

“When the economy hums, agriculture will come along with it,” he said.

Before concluding, Perdue took questions and comments from the crowd. Some of the farmers, like Jim Riddle, a vegetable grower from May-nardville, offered the secre-tary praise for “value-added grant programs” that have been invaluable to his farming

operation and related busi-ness success.

“Without that kind of sup-port, we certainly wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all we have been able to do,” he said.

Jefferson County FFA Chap-ter Vice President John Ryan Scarlett shared the difficulties his family has experienced with their dairy operation due to the industry’s market chal-lenges. Loudon County dairy-man Steve Harrison expressed similar sentiments.

Perdue promised to take those concerns and all the comments back to Washing-ton and share with the presi-dent to help shape his under-standing of the importance of the farm bill and provide grass roots input on how policy impacts the farmers’ business.

“I’ve never met a good farmer who didn’t want a good crop at a fair price, rath-er than a government check,” he said. “That’s our goal.”

(continued from page 5)Perdue

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue stopped by Knox Farmers Cooperative’s main store in Halls on Tax Day for a town hall-style gathering to discuss a number of issues affecting Tennessee farmers. More than 250 farmers and agriculture industry representatives were on hand at the event that was jointly organized by Co-op and Tennessee Farm Bureau.

Steve Harrison, a dairyman from Loudon County, asks U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue what might be done about the recent developments in the dairy industry that have had such a devastating effect on a number of Tennessee dairy producers.

June 2018 7

8 June 2018

Excessive rainfall and unseasonably cool tem-peratures kept Tennessee

producers out of the fields for most of April. According the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)’s end-of-month crop progress report, only 1.9 days in April were suitable for fieldwork in the state.

How will this spring weather affect the year’s crop production?

The Cooperator sat down with member farmers, member Co-op managers, and a Univer-sity of Tennessee crops specialist during the first week of May to learn the answer.

“I’ve been around 43 years,” says Stan Anderson, assistant manager with Tipton Farmers Cooperative. “And I think this spring ranks in the top five for how challenging it has been to get crop in and with any kind of consistency. Not being able to plant in April means that not only is the farmer behind in planting, but we’re behind with fertil-izer applications, too.”

However, as April exited and May entered, so did a much-needed window of opportunity with a predicted several days of little to no precipitation and temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

“We’re happy the weather has changed but being behind means lots of long days and high stress for not only farmers

but also our employees,” says Mike Clayton, sales manager for First Farmers Cooperative. “We’re all working daylight to dark; store hours go out the window this time of year. And that puts stress on the staff and the equipment.”

Both Mike and Stan point out that modern farming equipment allows producers to catch up quickly.

“With a good week of run-ning, everyone can catch up,” says Mike.

“Our producers have quite a bit of equipment so they can cover a lot of ground in a hurry,” adds Stan. “This translates into a tremendous challenge for us to react with the services they need.”

With the target planting completion date of mid-April for corn, one of the biggest concerns with this year’s crops is the effect of planting corn in May. According to the NASS report, the state is vastly be-hind last year’s stats, with only

36 percent of the crop planted as of April 30, compared to 63 percent on that date last year.

One concern, says Mike, is that the later corn is planted, the more likely the yield will be reduced.

“Farmers can still make good yields with corn planted in May,” says Mike. “But they may need to adjust their man-agement plan in-season to try and make up for it.”

Some industry experts predicted corn acres would

Planting in Tennessee was put on hold during April due to excessive rainfall and unseasonably cool temperatures. However, many of the state’s farmers, like Somerville’s Alex Armour, above, who raises 2,100 acres of row crops with his father, Harris, were able to get back in the fields the first week of May.

Story and photos by Sarah Geyer

John Pattat, a fifth-generation farmer in Fayette County and member of Mid-South Farmers Cooperative, decided this year to dedicate all 1,800 acres of his cropland to soybeans. He says he would have preferred to begin planting his beans in mid-April, but, without corn in the mix, his stress level isn’t as high as other farmers. – Photo by Brandon Sheridan

June 2018 9

be reduced and replaced with soybeans as a result of the late-planting season.

“Corn acres are not down as much due to weather as we expected,” says Stan. “Acreage is down this year with other factors such as price, but corn acreage in this area is prob-ably going to turn out better than we thought it would go-ing into the spring.”

Another concern, says Tyson Raper, cotton and small grains specialist with UT, is that planting corn in May can delay getting cotton into the ground and ultimately reduce the state’s planned cotton acres.

“On April 25, I was very concerned that we might not be able to get all of planned cotton acres planted,” says Ty-son. “That’s changed with the forecast we have over the next 10 days. At the moment, our soil temperatures are warming up very quickly. It looks like we may have a good window here the first couple of weeks of May to get quite a few of the acres of cotton that we hoped planted.”

As for this year’s soybean crop, Stan says that even though the typical start date for planting is passed, “there’s still plenty of hope there for farmers to have a good year with beans.”

For Somerville producers Har-ris and Alex Armour, the fifth- and sixth-generation row crop farmers managed to plant their 300 acres of corn between April 11 and 21, along with 60 acres of soybeans.

The father-son team raises a total of 2,100 acres, including 1,200 of beans and 600 of cot-ton. They hoped to begin plant-ing their early beans the second week in May.

“We’ll plant as much of the early beans as we can before May 10, and then we’ll plant our cotton crop and finish planting our beans,” says Alex. “Last year, I didn’t plant any beans until after cotton, and they all did just fine. ”

The Armours say the timing for planting cotton is more sensi-tive than that for beans.

“It’s not really a good idea to plant cotton in June just due to the risk for potential freezes in fall,” says Alex. “Although, we have planted as

late as June 15 and it ended up being okay. It wasn’t the best.”

The farming duo also points out that not being able to plant until May has affected their grass control efforts.

“We burned down fields with herbicide in April, and now grass is coming back be-fore we’ve been able to plant,” says Alex. “That means we may have to spray one more time than usual.”

“And,” adds Harris, “it may mean that you need to use another chemistry. So it’s go-ing to cost more, whether it’s another trip or a more expen-sive chemical.”

On the other side of Fayette County, row crop and cow/calf producer John Pattat isn’t feeling as anxious to get in the fields like the Armours and so many other farmers.

“This year, I made the deci-sion to go 100 percent with soybeans,” says John, adding that over the last few years, he’s tapered his mix down from cotton, corn, soybeans, and wheat to grain, corn, and soybeans. “On a typical year, I would have [planted beans] the third week in April. The earlier you start, usually the better you’ll do. But if I can get in the field by the second week in May, for soybeans, that’s not bad.”

Losing a month during plant-ing season might normally both-er John, but he says that since he is planting only soybeans, what he’s feeling this year is “more of a sense of urgency.”

“We know that when the time comes to get in the field that it’s going to be non-stop,” he says. “That’s why we’re going back over the equipment to do every-thing we can to be ready to go.”

The fifth-generation farmer raises 1,800 acres of row crops and about 50 head of beef cat-tle with the help of a full-time employee and assistance from his 16-year-old son, Connor, and his grandfather, Harold S. Pattat, Sr.

“If we can get it planted in May, I’ll be happy,” says John. “With my big planter, we can plant about 100 acres a day, and we’re going to run our grain drill alongside it, with plans to hit it hard from the start. It’s going to be some

long hours when we get going. That’s just part of it I suppose.”

As for burndown, John says he’s waited to apply the chemicals for the last few years and believes it’s saved him some money.

“Since there’s not a wait-ing period to plant soybeans after chemicals, this year’s last-minute burndown might just save residual application,” says John. “Also, I’m planting Dicamba-resistant soybeans

for the first time this year, and I’m hoping that will cut out another application.”

Overall, farmers have been optimistic throughout this year’s rainy and cool spring, says Mike Clayton.

“They’ve had a good attitude for the last month,” he says. “I think because they knew a window of opportunity would eventually present itself, and they were ready to take advan-tage of it when it did.”

Sixth-generation row crop producer Alex Armour, member of Mid-South Farmers Co-op, was able to plant all 300 acres of his corn crop and 60 acres of early variety soybeans in April. On May 3, while his father and farming partner Harris spread fertilizer on another field, Alex began what is sure to be one of many long days of planting.

UpdateAs The Cooperator headed to the printer on May 16, NASS

reports that Tennessee farmers have been able to take advantage of May’s warmer temperatures and drier conditions. In their weekly crop progress for the state, NASS cited on May 14 that 86 percent of corn has been planted; 26 percent of soybeans have been planted; and 49 percent of cotton is in the ground.

10 June 2018

June 2018 11

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12 June 2018

The 42nd Lions Super-pull of the South Truck and Tractor Pull will be

held July 20-21 in Chapel Hill. Sponsored by the Chapel Hill Lions Club, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, and Lyons Chev-rolet-Buick-GMC, this event has been voted the No. 1 truck and tractor pull in the United States and Canada in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2010!

Some 18,000 to 20,000 people from all over the U.S. and Canada are expected to attend the gathering that organizers call the “Granddaddy” of truck and tractor pulling. Activities will begin at 7 p.m. each night at the Lions Memorial Sportsplex, lo-cated in downtown Chapel Hill.

This National Tractor Pull-ers Association-sanctioned invitational event draws the top names in Diesel Super Stock Tractors, 4-Wheel Drive Trucks, Unlimited (multi-engine) Trac-tors, and Mid-Rod Classes. The excitement never stops as these horsepower monsters roar down the track, chasing their share of over $100,000 in prize money and bragging rights for a year as the “Chapel Hill Champ.”

After expenses are paid, 100 percent of the money raised is used by the Chapel Hill Lions Club to fund local and state community projects. More than $100,000 is typi-cally returned to the Chapel Hill, Marshall County, and Middle Tennessee areas from the event. Since the pull was established in 1976, more than $1 million in donations have been provided to the local economy.

Recipients have included the Chapel Hill Senior Citizens

Center, Forrest High School, Chapel Hill Elementary and Middle Schools, the local volun-teer fire department, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, and many other youth organizations within the community, as well as the Monroe Carrell, Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the International Lions Club eye-sight program.

More information about ticket purchase is available at http://www.lionssuperpull.com or by calling 931-364-2236.

42nd Lions Superpull of the South

On July 20-21 at 7 p.m., the popular Lions Superpull of the South returns to Chapel Hill’s Lions Memorial Sportsplex.

All proceeds from the Lions Superpull fund local and state community projects. More than $1 million has been raised since 1976.

June 2018 13

PetSafe Lawn Protector Water Pucks (#1999333) are the best way to prevent unpleasant grass damage caused by pet urine. Place one pouch in your pet’s water bowl to filter out impurities that can cause pet urine to wreak havoc on your lawn. It is quick and easy to use, and one pouch lasts up to 30 days.• Safely prevents urine-burned yellow patches in your grass• Puck placed in your dog’s dish purifies water• Neutralizes minerals that cause nitrogen production• 100% natural and safe for all pets• Sits flat in the bowl so pets can’t get it out• Each puck lasts one month• 2 pucks included per pack• Made in the USA

Petsafe®

Lawn Protector Water Pucks Coop Controls™ Automatic Door OpenerCoop Controls Automatic Door Opener (#1798842) has a built-in photo sensor that automatically alerts the patent-pending intelligent system to close the coop door at dusk by measuring the available solar energy. The patent-pending intelligent system constantly measures the available solar energy, both visible and invisible, and continues to work even when it is raining, snowing, or cloudy outside. The proprietary software is typically accu-rate to within 20 minutes of the published sunset time for your location. You can always adjust the closing time by adding a delay to make the coop door close up to 60 minutes later than the system would automatically close it. Coop Controls’ team added this flexibility into the system so that any straggling birds are not left out at night.

New at Co-op

14 June 2018

Neighborly AdviceAnimal Health

Good qual-ity

forages are essential to aid in optimizing animal per-formance. While hav-ing the best

possible forage for dairy cattle ultimately saves feed costs, qual-ity is a term not clearly defined or commonly understood. Forage quality relates to digestibility and utilization of the nutrients ob-tained. Whether utilizing forage as silage, baled hay, green-chop, or pasture, consider these factors in determining the potential for producing the best quality and digestible forage possible:

• Plant maturity – Plant development probably affects forage quality most. The pres-ence of seed heads/flowers/seed pods can indicate greater plant maturity at harvesting. Remem-ber, forage is persistently grow-ing, and change occurs as the plant matures. Lignin accumu-

lates and has negative effects on digestibility. As forage matures, digestibility can decline every two or three days.

• Color – Color is not a good indicator of nutrient content; however, a brighter green color suggests minimal oxidation or sun bleaching, possibly affecting vitamin content.

• Foreign objects – Look for mold, weeds, or poisonous plants. Notice other objects such as wire.

• Environment - Rainfall, temperature, and amount of sunlight directly impact forage quality. If inclement weather de-lays harvesting, allowing the crop to mature more, expect lower forage quality. High temperature will increase lignin accumulation and lower digestibility.

Silage is a vibrant feedstuff. A delicate balance of microbial action based on oxygen expo-sure, carbohydrates for energy, and crop acidity is required to produce good, digestible for-age. Slight changes in these conditions can rapidly affect the nutritional value.

Limited oxygen exposure can facilitate yeast growth, which converts plant sugars to waste material resulting in pH rise that allows bacteria and molds to expand. Quality is subsequently reduced due to digestibility and energy losses, increasing tem-perature, and potential mold presence.

Smell and color help indi-cate silage quality; however, it’s wise to obtain forage assay to determine dry matter (DM), pH, and fermentation acid profile. “Normal” silage with optimal fermentation has light green/green-brown color with slightly sweet smell of lactic acid. Rancid odors with darker brown color and slimy texture are likely pres-ent when clostridial fermenta-tion has occurred. Moisture content at harvest can impact forage quality. Drier silage reduces overall DM digestibility and feed intake, and typically results in lower-quality material. However, excessive moisture can alter fermentation producing low pH (more acid) and potentially reducing sugar content.

Forage quality impacts animal performanceSince a bunker silo’s face is

constantly exposed to air, mini-mize the exposed surface area by removing silage evenly for the entire face forming a smooth, vertical surface perpendicular to the side of the silo and floor. This will maximize protection. Scrape from the top down if utilizing front-end loader.

Ensure silage is fresh in the bunk by removing refused feed, especially during warmer months, to prevent unwanted mold growth. It helps to “push up” the TMR several times daily if utilizing a flat bunk feeding area to encourage feed intake.

Regardless of physical/visual evaluations, always have forages tested to provide the best possi-ble rations. Evaluate total forage needs/requirements and select the crop, variety, and appropri-ate acreage that best meet the animals’ needs. It comes down to economics — better-quality for-age produces greater responses for the animal. Contact your local Feed and Animal Health Specialist to determine forage needs and quality.

Todd Steen

TFC Nutritionist

June 2018 15

Legislative Update

When the Ten-

nessee legislature adjourned on April 25, a number of elected officials had already announced

they would not return in 2019. Among the more than 30 members who won’t be return-ing is Speaker of the House Beth Harwell, who is continu-ing her bid for governor along with Randy Boyd, Diane Black, Bill Lee, Craig Fitzhugh, and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. The session had a some-what unfamiliar backdrop given the legislature’s recent move to the newly renovated Cordell Hull building.

Agriculture remains one of the most respected and influ-ential groups in Nashville. This session was a good one for Ten-nessee agriculture supporters. There were a fair number of

hurdles, but policies affecting agriculture in our state were improved. Co-op monitored hundreds of pieces of legis-lation that could negatively impact costs for our system and members in order to maintain or improve a positive business atmosphere for our cooperative structure. Here are some key pieces of legislation monitored throughout the session:

Corn Check-Off, Passed — Authorizes the creation of a corn promotion board and an assessment of one-cent per bushel sold if approved by corn producers in a referendum conducted by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The producer referendum will be conducted similarly to how the vote on whether to enable a Tennessee beef check-off was conducted in 2011.

Tennessee Milk Labeling, Passed — Gives the legal ability to label milk as local Tennessee milk or use a statement that in-dicates the milk was produced within the state. Methods may only be used as long as the milk

contains only milk produced in Tennessee. This legislation arose after lawmakers debated efforts to increase awareness of the Tennessee dairy industry following February’s termina-tions of some dairy contracts.

Feed/Hemp Regulation, Passed — Original legislation allowed hemp to be used as a feed ingredient as long as it was grown under appropriate regulatory structures set forth by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. After being amended, the legislation stipu-lates that hemp may only be fed as long as it is not blended with other ingredients and is done so individually. This new portion of state law amends the Tennessee Commercial Feed Law originally enacted in 1972. There was some concern that the product has not been fully deregulated at the federal level.

Budget – Agricultural En-hancement, Passed — The Ten-nessee Agricultural Enhance-ment Program (TAEP) has again been funded at a level of $21 million. The program has been

Legislature adjourns, some new laws passedsustained at this level for the past several years since experi-encing cuts during difficult bud-getary conditions for the state. The Department of Agriculture will be releasing 2019 programs in the coming months.

Daylight Savings, Failed — The bill did not receive enough votes to advance past its com-mittee in the house; however, it has its passionate supporters. Technically speaking, it would have made a request to the federal government to recognize Tennessee as having year-round Daylight Savings Time. Stay tuned — we may not have heard the last of this one.

Now that the session has adjourned, campaign floodgates have been opened and sum-mer will be filled with political banter and endless campaign materials. Make sure you and your family are registered to vote, educated on the can-didates, and engaged in the election process. Never miss an opportunity to tell candidates what is important to you and your operation.

Ryan King

TFC Marketing and Events Coordinator

16 June 2018

June 2018 17

Co-op leader and farmer Dan Smith, age 87 of Greenwood, died at Ten-

nova Healthcare in Lebanon on April 10.

Mr. Smith was a charter member of Wilson Farmers Co-operative and began serving as a director in 1953. He served for 42 years. In 1972, he was elected to the board of Ten-nessee Farmers Cooperative, serving nine years, and in 2007 received the James B. Walker Cooperative Spirit Award, TFC’s highest honor.

Mr. Smith served his com-munity in leadership roles with a variety of organizations including Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corpora-tion, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Wilson County’s Young Farmers and Homemakers organization, and was a founding member and 17-year president of the Wilson County Farm Bureau. In all, he had more than 200 years of service on community boards. He was also a member of Bethel Church of Christ and a gradu-ate of Lebanon High School.

For the majority of his life, Mr. Smith lived and farmed in Wilson County. In 1942, his family moved to a farm in the Greenwood community a few miles southeast of Lebanon. He continued to farm there until his death, raising cattle along with hay and permanent

pasture on 360 acres. Mr. Smith was once among Wil-son County’s leading burley tobacco producers and at one time raised Tennessee walking horses and several champion steers.

He is survived by his wife of over 55 years, Vondie Tar-

pley Smith; two sisters, Julia (Larry) Strange and Dorothy (Doug) Waters; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Jean Smith and Ro-berta Tarpley Bailey; brother-in-law, J. T. Robinson; numer-ous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews; and a great-great nephew.

Former TFC Director Dan Smith dies at 87

Long-time Co-op leader Dan Smith began serving as a director in 1953. He was an incorporating member of Wilson Farmers Cooperative and served on the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative board for nine years.

18 June 2018

June 2018 19

Kenny Taylor says that in the mid-1970s, there were some 100

dairies in Lincoln County.Today, there are three. The dairy was started by

Kenny’s father, Edward, and mother, Vicky, in 1967 is one of the last standing. Fay-etteville’s TTT Dairy, which includes Kenny, his brother, Kerry, and Kenny’s sons Jason, 37, and Brent, 31, is surviving and thriving at a time of great uncertainty in the industry.

“My wife and I started out milking about 10 or 12 cows,” says Edward, 83, who still lives on the farm with Vicky but is retired from the dairy. “The boys came in and we built up some. I told them to ‘go for it.’ I enjoyed every minute of it but I’ve done my time. They’ve been really dedi-cated, and I’ve never seen so many dang cows in one place in all my life!”

And therein lies the key to the present and future suc-cess of TTT Dairy. Yes, there are still 140 head of Holstein cows milked twice daily on the farm, but custom dairy heifer development is where the Taylors see the most growth potential in their operation, which encompasses some 1,000 owned and leased acres.

“We’ve always raised a lot of heifers and sold fresh 2-year-olds for the past 20-25 years, but over the last few years we’ve started into cus-tom heifer development,” says Kenny, who is the older of the two Taylor brothers by three years. “We bred 301 heifers in the month of March alone. There are three or four dairies that we are growing heifers for, and we also work with some other folks who help us raise heifers, too.”

TTT’s reputation for high-quality heifer development extends beyond Tennessee’s borders, Kenny says.

“We’re working with a dairy in Ohio where the heifers will come in here and we’ll straight-en them out and get vaccina-tions in them,” he explains. “There’s a dairyman in Georgia who, anytime he’s ready to expand his operation, will buy up a bunch of heifers and send them to us to grow them.”

At any given time, there are around 800 head of Holsteins at the farm, some of which are housed in a 150-by-200-foot heifer barn the longtime Lincoln Farmers Cooperative

members completed in Janu-ary of last year.

“It’s a numbers game,” says Kerry. “You’ve got to have a lot [of heifers] on hand to make it in this business nowadays.”

One local dairy that the Taylors help with heifer devel-opment is Dickson County’s Daniels Dairy, started by the late Johnny Daniel and run today by his son Benjie, a Tennessee Farmers Cooperative director.

“About a month before breed-ing, we will get a group of heif-ers from them, then breed and grow them until they are about 30 days from calving,” Kenny says. “We’ve probably got 70 or 80 head of Benjie’s heifers that we are breeding right now.”

Benjie says the Taylors’ reputation for stellar heifer

lFayetteville

(See TTT Dairy, page 20)

Determination, diversification keep TTT Dairy going strong

Story and photos by Chris Villines

Taylor-made tenacity

At TTT Farms in Lincoln County, a group of dairy heifers feeds on silage in the 150-by-200-foot barn built to help manage the large heifer population.

20 June 2018

development made working with them an easy decision. There was also the added bonus of familiarity, as Johnny Daniel served several years with Kenny on the board of Select Sires.

“We had bought heifers from [TTT Dairy] in the past and they have always been in good shape,” says Benjie. “When we started not having enough manpower to get our heifers bred, we started send-ing them to the Taylors. They can feed them as inexpensively as we can. They’re balancing the Jack Daniel’s distiller’s mash in their ration, allowing for good development which in turn translates into good milk production later on.

“They’re good people, and we’re happy to work with them.”

TTT has a relationship with Jack Daniel’s that dates back to 1991, when Edward began pur-chasing dried distiller’s grain from the legendary company. In 2007, the dairy also started getting Jack Daniel’s distiller’s mash as a feedstuff for heifers.

“We have a tanker that goes to Jack Daniel’s at least once a day,” says Kenny. “A lot of people mistakenly think we’re hauling a load of milk.”

Jason says that bringing in a group of heifers from another operation requires an adjustment period for the animals feed-wise.

“Most people wouldn’t think about it being that difficult,” says Jason, an avid hunter who operates a Montana-based outfitting business, Bear Paw Hunts, as a side venture. “But when the heifers have been accustomed to eating hay and grain, you’ve got to transition them into eating silage. It’s a two-to-three-week process that can be very challenging.”

Another key partner in their operation, the Taylors each contend, is their local Co-op.

“There aren’t too many days when either we go by there or they are delivering out here,” says Kerry. “They custom-make our Cow Balancer and we get all of our mineral,

seed, fertilizer, and diesel fuel through the Co-op. You can buy products at a lot of places, but the service we get from Co-op is what we rely on most. We always receive excel-lent customer service.”

Kenny adds that like Co-op, TTT Dairy has succeeded through attention to detail.

“We learned a long time ago from Dad to always be particular with details when it comes to what we’re feeding these cows,” he says. “Ev-erything has to be just right. When we mix up a batch of feed, it’s exactly the way it’s supposed to be. When we get through chopping a field of wheat, rye, or corn, we don’t leave anything behind. We

manage our silage pits so that none of the silage ruins.”

Tennessee Farmers Cooper-ative Feed Specialist Rick Sy-ler, who balances the rations for TTT’s milking herd, agrees and says the Taylors “have the best managed silage pits I’ve seen anywhere.”

“We’ve had nutritionists come here and take photos of our silage pits,” Kenny adds.

There’s another picture the Taylors have a clear vision of — the future of TTT Dairy.

“I think our future here is going to be custom-raising heifers,” says Kenny, who recently hired a local woman, Bailey Howell, to help full-time with that side of the business. “I don’t think it will

(continued from page 19)TTT Dairy

Rick Syler, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative feed specialist, second from right, and Lincoln Farmers Co-op’s David Posey, discuss the dairy’s nutritional program with three generations of the Taylor family — from left, Brent, Edward, Kerry, Kenny, and Jason — inside the heifer barn. Edward began the family’s dairy venture in 1967.

Kenny says TTT Dairy also has a base of repeat customers purchasing dairy heifers because “they know we have top genetics. We’ve sold heifers to folks from Michigan all the way down to Florida and all over the eastern half of the U.S.”

June 2018 21

be milking cows, and that won’t be a choice of our own. It’s just the way the world is changing. And if you don’t adapt to that change, you’ll get left behind.”

Simply put, the family is intent on carrying on the tra-

Eli, Jason’s 3-year-old son, could potentially become generation No. 4 to run TTT Dairy, but for now his father says one of the youngster’s favorite things is “to sing Conway Twitty and Led Zeppelin.”

dition of farming excellence Edward started more than 50 years ago.

“This is all any of us have ever wanted to do,” Kenny says. “We’re going to work to-gether to succeed for as long as we can.”

Support Tennessee dairy farmersNow more than ever, it is critical to support local dairy farmers. One way

to do that is to buy Tennessee dairy products. On April 19, Governor Bill Haslam signed a bill into law authorizing labeling of any milk sold in the state as “Local Tennessee Milk.”

“Processors can use the Pick Tennessee Products logo to show consumers they use Tennessee milk,” says Will Freeman of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. “Also, they will soon be able to use the ‘100 Percent Tennessee Milk’ and ‘Tennessee Prime’ logos.”

There are many tools, such as the dairy code, to help determine if the dairy product came from Tennessee. First, locate the dairy identification code on the carton or container, which is usually printed near the top of the con-tainer, on the lid, or right on the label. Codes never have colons, only dashes. The first two numbers represent the state identification. Tennessee’s code will always begin with 47. Numbers following the dash identify the processing plant and more details about your dairy product. For information and to see the breakdown of the latter part of the code, visit www.whereismymilk-from.com to find out where your milk originated.

So, the next time you grab a gallon of milk or any dairy product, do a quick code check to make sure you are supporting Tennessee’s dairy industry.

47-90

47-005

22 June 2018

Story and photo by Chris Villines

L ike much of the 40-mile perimeter around Nashville, Chapel Hill is

experiencing explosive growth. Builders either constructed or broke ground on more than 1,000 homes in the past 12 months, with many more devel-opments on the planning table.

This influx of consumers in a retail-starved market created a need. Marshall Farmers Cooper-ative has stepped up to the plate and made a significant invest-ment to fill that void with its new endeavor, The General Store, which opened on March 30. The Co-op held Grand Opening festivities on April 20.

The store, which has 22 full- and part-time employees, is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., closing at a lat-er time in order to accommodate

those in the community who work traditional office hours, mostly in surrounding cities.

Once home to a Walmart Neighborhood Market, the new store at 4718 Nashville High-way means there are now two Co-op locations in the town. The existing Chapel Hill branch store at 2304 Unionville Road will re-main open as a farm center and car care center.

“We opened The General Store as a way to increase our presence in a rapidly growing marketplace where the major-ity of people moving in are not involved in farming,” says Brian Ladd, general manager of Marshall Farmers Cooperative. “The General Store helps us to service homeowners, gardeners,

beekeepers, handymen, contrac-tors, and others who were buying products out of town because it wasn’t offered here in much capacity.

“Through our research and the input we received, the

Chapel Hill community was asking for a business like this. It’s an investment on our part that we believe will pay off rather quickly.”

With an attractive marquee promoting “Hardware•Sport-

lChapel Hill

Marshall Farmers Cooperative celebrated the grand opening of its new concept, The General Store, on April 20 in Chapel Hill. First opened to customers on March 30, The General Store is targeted to meet the demands of a growing non-farm consumer market in the area.

At The General Store’s garden center, local resident Marcie Marks and son Jacob, 4, admire the colorful flowers and plants on display.

Asking for the businessMarshall Farmers Cooperative’s General Store fills a need for consumers in fast-growing Chapel Hill

June 2018 23

ing•Garden•Pet•Farm,” the 10,000-square-foot facility came together in lightning-fast fash-ion. Marshall Farmers closed on the property March 12 and it was open for business just 18 days later to serve customers getting started on their spring projects.

“I cannot speak highly enough about the drive and dedication of the people who helped get this place open,” says Rebecca Clayton, who, along with Chapel Hill native Will Bowman, was selected to manage The General Store. “It took a team working 12- to 13-hour days every day for almost three weeks to make it happen. And every day since we’ve opened, at least one person stops me and says, ‘We’re so glad you’re here. We’ve needed this for a long time, and now it saves me from driving 25 miles to get what I want.’”

Housed inside The Gen-eral Store are a diverse mix of neatly displayed products, such as plumbing supplies, fishing, hunting, and camping gear, hardware, paint, apparel and footwear, pet food and supplies, garden seed and plants, and much more. Those perusing the aisles at the Grand Opening celebration were encouraged by what they saw and grateful to have a nearby shopping option in their hometown.

“I’m so glad to see a store like this here,” said Diane Curtis, a Chapel Hill resident who was ac-companied by her husband, Ron-nie. “There’s a good variety of everything, and if they don’t have

it they’ll get it for you. That’s the way it’s always been at the other Co-op store in town. Both places have friendly folks who are eager to help you in any way they can. That keeps me coming back.”

The Curtises’ Chapel Hill neighbors, Monica and Joe Sedlak, demonstrated their satisfaction with The General Store through their well-stocked shopping cart.

“This store is something that has long been needed in the area,” said Joe. “It’s follow-ing right in the footsteps of the Co-op that’s been here for years. Good customer service makes all the difference.”

As shoppers browsed, the tempting aroma of freshly prepared baked goods and other food items wafted through the air of The General Store’s café. This area, unique among Co-op locations and housed at the front of the store, is open from 6-10 a.m. for breakfast and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch.

Other “quick stop” features available at the new location include 24-hour gas pumps, and soft drink coolers plus numerous candy/snack options near the checkout counters.

“The reality is that Chapel Hill is growing houses instead of corn now, so The General Store is our Co-op’s way of transi-tioning the business model to capture this market,” says Sam Smith, board chairman of Marshall Farmers Coopera-tive. “As there are fewer full-time farmers in the county, our hope is that this location

will be profitable and can help subsidize some things for those who do still farm full time. For example, this store can help us pay for services like our bulk fuel delivery that we want to be able to provide to our farmer members, who are still the core of our business.”

Early returns are encouraging, says Ladd. The General Store is steadily increasing daily sales, and a soon-to-be-installed road sign will increase the businesses’ visibility even more.

“We feel that it will be a highly successful store,” Ladd says. “We’re excited about how well it’s been received by the community. They wanted this, so it made perfect sense to do it.”

And, he stresses, the plan is to keep both Co-op locations operating.

“We don’t see that chang-ing for the foreseeable future,” says Ladd. “As certain items

are phased out at the existing Co-op, we’ll transition them to The General Store, like bulk mulch, garden plants, and bagged soils. This is a way to positively reinvest in the area and expand our operations, and the community’s support has been tremendous.”

LEFT: The neatly displayed, clearly identifiable aisles at The General Store are designed to make it easy for customers to find just the right products they are looking for. Amazingly, from the time the Co-op purchased the store, it took only three weeks to have it ready for opening. RIGHT: Diane Curtis and husband Ronnie of Chapel Hill browse the wide selection of items inside The General Store.

Store employees, from left, Briana Mays, Shelby Hopkins, and Brooke Daly display a staple of all Co-ops — service with a smile.

Melba McDaniel, left, and Charlotte Anderson make tasty treats in The General Store’s café.

24 June 2018

June 2018 25

Story and photos by Chris Villines

As a rare, light mid-April snow fell outside, nine Tennessee businesses

were warmed by news they’re the latest grant recipients of the Tennessee Department of Agri-culture’s Agriculture Enterprise Fund (AEF).

At an April 16 press confer-ence held at one of the recipi-ents’ facilities, G.F. Hardwoods in Clay County, Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Jai Templeton announced the second group in the program to receive funding. The nine businesses brings this year’s total funding up to more than $767,000 of the $1 million set aside for the AEF.

AgCentral Farmers Coopera-tive was among the six enter-prises to receive funding during the first round of the AEF, using the grant money toward im-provements to the Co-op’s grain facility at Greenback and feed mill operation in Athens.

“Today, we are congratulat-ing and awarding these nine recipients with over $313,000 for a total economic impact of $4.5 million in counties and on farms and forests that greatly need the economic advantage that [the AEF] is creating,” said Commissioner Templeton in

his remarks to the audience. “We want to focus on rural counties, and that’s why we are making this announcement in Clay County today. It’s rural communities that these dollars are impacting.”

In addition to G.F. Hard-woods, which will use the grant funding to improve delivery efficiency for hardwood lumber, among the other grant recipients and projects announced were:

• Anderson Meats and Pro-cessing, Smith County, building a new meat processing facility.

• Back Country Harvesters, Bledsoe, new business for fire-wood and bulk shavings.

• Blankenship Sawmill, Bled-soe, performing upgrades to its facilites.

• Circle S Farms, Wilson, expanding its meat processing facility.

• Frank’s Cedar Log & Lum-ber, Hardin, creating a new shav-ings product.

• Potts Processing, Bedford, expanding a meat processing facility.

• Villa Nove Vineyard, John-son, adding a farm winery and selling direct to the public.

A product of the Governor’s Rural Task Force, the AEF is an incentive program that supports Governor Bill Haslam’s priority of job creation and economic de-

velopment by facilitating agricul-tural development in Tennessee.

“We place a great emphasis on spurring economic growth in rural areas of our state and help-ing our most vulnerable coun-ties succeed,” said Bob Rolfe, Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community De-velopment (TNECD). “In 2017, 45 percent of TNECD’s projects were located in rural Tennessee, and we want to continue our work to provide business devel-opment opportunities as well as promote community and agricul-tural development throughout the state.”

Steve Anderson of Anderson Meats and Processing was in attendance at the event with

wife Maria. Steve, president of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s As-sociation, was pleased to learn he would be receiving an AEF grant for completion of his new 11,000-square-foot USDA-in-spected meat processing facility near Carthage.

“We only had 14 federally inspected processors in the state when I started this facility, and since then two of them have closed,” said Steve, a member of both Smith and Wilson Farm-ers Cooperatives. “There’s only so much 12 processors can do. When competitors are begging you to hurry up and complete your project, you know you’re in an industry that’s going to be very positive for you and the people you’re serving.

“This grant will really help us offset some costs and look better on our balance sheet. We want to have enough space to where we can hang our customers’ meat long enough for it to dry age. As it dry ages, the more flavorful and tender it becomes.”

April Patterson of G.F. Hardwoods said her company was “extremely blessed” to be an AEF recipient for 2018. G.F. is located on the same property as sister companies Moss Sawmills and Honest Abe Log Homes.

“Forestry is an incredibly important part of our state and local economies,” said April, whose father, the late Doug Smith, founded G.F. Hardwoods in 1979. “We are thrilled and humbled to see state support for agricultural activities and busi-nesses like ours.”

For more information, visit https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/aef.html or contact Laura Vaught at [email protected] or 615-927-6290.

Second group of Agriculture Enterprise Fund recipients announcedRound two

G.F. Hardwoods will use its Agriculture Enterprise Fund grant to improve delivery efficiency for hardwood lumber. Flanked by state and local officials to accept the grant for G.F. Hardwoods were, beginning fourth from left, President Quentin Moss, Nick Patterson (holding sign), and April Patterson.

At an April 16 event in Clay County, Steve Anderson of Anderson Meats and Processing expresses appreciation to Tennessee Department of Agriculture officials for assistance to his business through the Agriculture Enterprise Fund.

26 June 2018

On Thursday, July 26, the University of Ten-nessee Institute of Ag-

riculture will host its 30th Milan No-Till Field Day. Considered one of the South’s premier farm shows, the event will be held at the AgResearch and Education Center in Milan.

The “father of Tennessee no-till” Tom McCutchen, the first superintendent of Milan’s research center, created the field day in 1981, after nearly three decades of research dedicated to the farming practice.

“At one time, Tennessee led the nation in tons of soil lost per acre through erosion. We were losing 14.1 tons per acre per year,” says Blake Brown, the center’s current direc-tor. “Tom was convinced that there had to be a way to plant a crop and fight weeds with-out disturbing the land.”

In the early 1960s, Tom put together a research team and began experimenting with no-till methods. Early on, the team struggled with lackluster results. However, Tom remained steadfast, and the group dedicated the next two decades to extensive research and on-the-farm trials. When the data began showing improvement in soil and crop yields, Tom wanted

to share his research finding with farmers and, in 1981, he hosted the first field day dedicated to no-till.

“Tom had no idea what kind of turnout he’d get, and I think he expected the event to be a one-time thing,” recalls Blake, who was a teenager working at the center that summer. “We were shocked when 1,700 people showed up, which was unheard of for a field day at that time. People were inter-ested and wanted to see [how the research team had found] success with no-till.”

The overwhelming response left no doubt that the field day needed to continue, and the following year a tradeshow was added. Unfortunately, that event was the last no-till field day Tom would plan. He passed away unexpectedly in 1983 at the age of 53. Blake’s father, Jim, the superintendent of the UT West Tennessee Experiment Station at Jackson, served as the interim director at Milan and planned the third field day. That fall, John Brad-ley was named the center’s new superintendent and under his guidance, Milan’s No-Till Field Day gained national prominence.

“I always credit Tom with starting it and John with promot-

ing it,” says Blake. “John took the one-day event and built it into a week-long celebration. He trav-eled all over the country promot-ing the field day and no-till, and he did both a lot of good.”

Over the next decade, the event grew to include cotton fashion shows, skeet shoots, golf tournaments, antique tractor exhibits, and high-profile coun-try music concerts. John also created the VIP “Who’s Who of Tennessee Agriculture” breakfast for the state’s mayors, congress-men, senators, and governors. In 1996, then Vice President Al Gore attended the event.

“The Milan Experiment Sta-tion’s field day each year grew into so much more than just an opportunity to showcase research results and the latest farming technologies,” Bradley told Delta Farm Press in 2017. “The experiment station was an agricultural magnet that at-tracted thousands of farmers and non-farmers alike.”

The event’s popularity peaked in 1995, with more than 11,000 attendees from 78 Tennessee counties, 37 states, and 13 for-eign countries.

After John Bradley left UT in 1997 to pursue an opportunity with Monsanto, the Univer-sity of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture recruited a familiar

face — Blake Brown — to serve as the new superintendent. When Blake began, no-till in Tennessee was becoming a conventional farming practice. Largely due to the efforts of UT researchers and Milan’s field day, the state ranked among the top in the nation in 2002, with 55 percent of Tennessee farmers planting their crops using no-till, compared with the nationwide average of 37 percent. Today, nearly 76 per-cent of Tennessee crop acres are planted no-till.

“Once any technology ma-tures and becomes accepted as standard, it is common for the rate of innovation to level off,” says Blake. “And with that slow down, it was becoming more and more difficult to put together a program each year that was fresh and new. That’s the main reason why we changed the frequency of the Milan Field Day after 2002 to a biennial event.”

The extra year between events has also allowed Blake and his staff to focus on their research projects, which ultimately create more infor-mation to share with farmers at the field day. In fact, when the event returned in 2004, organizers offered a record number of topics for farmers, with 15 tours that featured 55

This year, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture will host its 30th Milan No-Till Field Day, one of the largest and most prestigious farm shows in the South, on July 26 on the grounds of the AgResearch and Education Center in Milan. The event was created by “the father of Tennessee no-till” Tom McCutchen, the center’s first superintendent, expanded in the 1980s by John Bradley, and organized since 1998 by the current superintendent Blake Brown. – Photo provided by UTIA

By Sarah Geyer

June 2018 27

sessions presented by nearly 90 university researchers and industry leaders. In addition to the traditional tours of test plots of no-till corn, soybeans, and cotton, the revamped field day presentations also in-cluded agritourism, livestock forages, wildlife habitats, and a demonstration on farm safety. “Although we’ve diver-sified the field day program, our goal remains the same as the first No-Till Field Day – says Blake – to provide farm-ers with in-depth information that will help them maximize productivity and exercise stewardship, says Blake. “The agriculture industry is con-stantly changing, especially with the demands of a grow-ing world population. That’s why agricultural research and educational field days are so valuable.”

Sixteen tours are planned for this year’s event with topics that include strategies for no-till pro-duction, resistance management, beef cattle production, nutrient management, cover crops, preci-sion agriculture, fragipans, and forestry. Attendees can also view

demonstrations on crop variety and an outdoor forestry sawmill and even help the community by assembling meals for local food banks at the “Farmers vs. Hunger” tour.

Each tour includes three or four 20-minute research-based presentations related to the same topic. Typically 60 to 80 minutes in length, the tours run continuously beginning at 7 a.m. through 2 p.m. Visitors can also enjoy a large tradeshow or a walk through the West Tennes-see Agricultural Museum, which features an extensive collection of agricultural artifacts.

“The No-Till field day is a great example of the Land Grant University working as it was designed — recognizing needs, researching alterna-tives, and providing solutions to improve lives,” says Dr. Tim Cross, chancellor of the Uni-versity of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture. “The impact of the field day is hard to precisely measure, but it’s clear that no-till technologies have resulted in significant reductions in soil loss while improving crop productivity, and the Milan No-

Till field day is without a doubt the premier venue for learning about all these technologies and how to adopt them profit-ably and successfully.”

For more information, includ-ing a complete list of this year’s tours and directions to the field day site, visit the website: http://milan.tennessee.edu. You can also check out the Milan No-Till page on Facebook for the latest updates or call 731-686-7362.

The AgResearch and Educa-

tion Center at Milan is one of 10 research facilities operated by the UT Institute of Agriculture. In addition to its agricultural re-search programs, UTIA — which is celebrating its 50th anniver-sary this year — also provides instruction research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT Col-lege of Veterinary Medicine, and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.

The 2018 No-Till Day event will feature 16 tours, where participants, like those above, are transported to an area for several presentations pertaining to the tour’s topic.

28 June 2018

Looking out over his East Tennessee farm, now known as Foxfire Mountain Adven-

ture Park, Marc Postlewaite sees throngs of smiling visitors where Hereford cattle once roamed. The tourists come for the thrill-ing zip lines, the challenging aer-ial ropes courses, and leisurely woodland hikes. But essentially, they are attracted to the property for much the same reasons that Marc made the decision to buy the farm: the sweeping moun-tain views and tranquil settings are therapy for the soul.

“I never envisioned anything like this when I first started,” says Marc. “But like the old Beatles song says, ‘Life is what

happens to you when you are making other plans.’”

After a successful career in the newspaper business and later as an entrepreneur and leader of a technology company, Marc and wife Marion felt the tug of their Tennessee roots.

Both had grown up in the shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains — Marc in Gatlin-burg and Marion a little farther away in Knoxville. The couple met when Marion was doing her student teaching at Gatlinburg Pittman High School. Marc was working for his father who owned both the Gatlinburg Press and the Sevier County News Record.

“It was big news when the school got 12 new student teachers at Gatlinburg-Pittman High, Pi Beta Phi Elementary, and Sevier County High,” says Marc with a sly smile. “I was a young guy, and I thought I need-ed to go interview those student teachers. It was just an excuse. I was smitten.”

The couple married in 1969 and raised four sons, who Marc says are “scattered from Boise to Boston, to Raleigh to Charleston.” During the next nearly 30 years, Marc’s career led him away from the moun-tains he loved, and he ended up in Florida. But the draw of the mountains remained. In fact, he and Marion had owned a small farm in the area once before, but had sold it years earlier.

So in 1998, Marc sold his business and the couple set their sights on a new plot of land that was comprised of many of the features that lure visitors to the region each year — rugged terrain, lush woodland, clear rushing waters, and spectacular views of the nearby mist-covered mountains — and returned to the area that held such fond memories. Marc had sold his

portion of the technology com-pany and purchased the 100 acres of picturesque property in Sevier County with the goal of a slightly slower pace and a different sort of lifestyle. Still, he was — and is — a successful businessman driven by goals and plans, and was determined to make the venture a success. He wanted to populate the pastures with Hereford cattle.

“I like the Herefords be-cause they are pretty,” Marc says. “They’re cute when they’re young, and they’re pretty gentle and easy to handle. I bought some really nice cattle from a vet in Newport and began raising them for breed stock.”

He began purchasing inputs for the business from Sevier Farmers Cooperative to get the operation running smoothly and profitably. The appearance of the cattle suited the scenic nature of the property, and Marc’s vision had him tending a beautiful herd of the white-faced cattle surrounded by the serenity of the setting.

“I wasn’t making any money, but I was having fun,” he says. “I was semi-retired, playing with cows, driving my tractor around, and life couldn’t get a whole lot better.”

Then reality intruded. A severe drought struck the area,

lSevierville

By Glen Liford

Existing buildings on Marc and Marion Postlewaite’s Sevier County farm were repurposed when the idea for the Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park became a reality. The Postlewaites converted their cattle farm to an adventure attraction after experiencing difficulties with their herd of Hereford cattle.

Soaring through the air above the canopy of the trees, visitors to Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park will enjoy amazing views of the nearby Great Smoky Mountains. – Photo courtesy of Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park

June 2018 29

and over the course of a few years, operating conditions be-came challenging for many local beef producers in the area, and Marc’s fledgling business was no exception. Cattle prices declined and expenses soared. Hay that was once $25 a bale became a $100 a roll, if you could find any, says Marc. Neighbors were buy-ing hay out of state and hauling it in, adding to the cost.

“My cattle were getting hun-gry,” says Marc. “It was just get-ting too expensive to feed them, so I sold them.”

Disgusted and discouraged, Marc and Marion decided to put the farm up for sale in 2009, placing the property in the hands of a realtor with the intention of downsizing to a condo in town. They set off on an Alaskan cruise to get away from their problems for a while and contemplate their next moves.

It was on that trip that Marc took another “leap of faith” and rode a zip line for the first time.

“I didn’t want to do it because it was scary,” says Marc. “But once I did, I fell in love with it. When I was back on the ground, I told Marion, ‘I know what I’m going to do with the farm.’”

He called the realtor that day and took the farm off the market. On the way home from Alaska, the couple stopped in Vancou-ver, British Columbia, and went across the Capilano Suspen-sion Bridge. The visit inspired an accompanying feature to the zip line project. It seemed as if almost overnight, the idea for Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park was born.

In the years since that trip, the farm converted to a family-oriented adventure park has evolved with expanded features

and an additional 50 acres have been added to the property. The attraction is located a short 12 miles outside the city limits of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge and is surrounded on three sides by Bear Wallow Mountain, Prosperity Moutain, and Foxfire Mountain. The East Prong of the Little Pigeon River cradles the farm in a distinctive u-shaped bend. The pastoral setting has been a hit with visi-tors seeking both adventure and serenity, says Marc.

An assortment of zip lines, hiking trails, and other adven-ture outings ensure visitors can return again and again to experi-ence the attraction in different ways, he adds. Among the attrac-tions of the park are:

• The Waterfall Canopy Tour, which allows visitors to slip over valleys, creeks, and a 70-foot wa-terfall as they glide among seven tree platforms over the course of the two-hour tour;

• The Goliath Zip Line Tour, a two-hour excursion opened in 2015 that encompasses five extreme zip lines, including the longest, highest, and fastest in the Great Smoky Mountains;

• A stroll across the 330-foot long Bridge to Prosperity, which crosses 70 feet above the Little Pigeon River to Prosper-ity Mountain. The bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the United States; and

• Bear Crawler Adventure Tours on special Argo eight-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicles that travel along rugged off-road trails, across the river, and to the top of the mountain.

There is also a 12-element aerial challenge course, a five-lane, 60-foot climbing wall, a kids’ obstacle course, and play

area. The park’s proprietary, delicious Zippin’ Pig Barbecue is smoked daily in season on location.

The latest expansion of the farm is the Wylie Cider House, where hand-crafted hard and soft ciders are made from scratch and sold in the Foxfire Mountain Gift Shop. Some 19 flavors of hard cider and two of the soft are offered.

“The road out here is a really pretty drive, and it’s not very long,” says Marc. “When people come here, they are just amazed because many of them hadn’t been on a farm.”

The visitors also get an up-close look at the terrain that makes the region so special and that natives often take for granted, says Marc.

“If you are from a different part of the nation or the world and don’t have these features, it’s a ‘wow’ moment,” he says. “It fills me with happiness to see people leaving the property saying, ‘Wow, this has been a fantastic experience.’”

Reservations for groups are suggested. Contact the park at 865-446-5148 for specific information, or visit their website to make arrangements online at foxfiremountain.com. The aerial ropes course, climbing wall, and Zippin’ Pig barbecue are seasonal from Memorial Day through Labor Day, while the zip lines, bear crawler, and America’s longest swinging bridge are open all year long. Foxfire Adventure Park is located at 3757 Thomas Lane, Sevierville, TN 37876.

Marc and Marion Postlewaite stand on the suspension bridge high above the stream running through their property. The bridge was conceived after Marc visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was inspired to construct his own version at his Sevier County property.

The latest addition to the attraction is the Wylie Cider Barn where some 19 flavors of hard cider and two versions of soft cider are handmade.

30 June 2018

What’s Cookin’?

Clip, save, and serve

Layers of fresh raspberries, crushed graham crackers, and cheesecake filling make up Nolan Harris’ “No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake Pots,” which are the perfect way to cap off a summertime meal. The recipe earns Nolan our “Cook of the Month” honors for June.

The last thing anyone wants to do dur-ing the summer heat is turn on their oven, but no celebration is complete

without a sweet treat to top it off. That makes no-bake desserts a no-brainer for these sum-mer months. When the temperature heats up outside, it’s the ideal time for a cool and creamy dessert.

These recipes are simple to make, easy to enjoy, and totally oven-free! Whether you prefer no-bake cookies, cheesecakes, or pies, our Cooperator readers have you covered with deli-ciously easy recipes of all kinds to satisfy your sweet tooth. Thanks to these recipes, you can put your baking cookbooks away for the next three months and grab your Cooperator for the perfect dessert creations.

“No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake Pots” from this month’s “Cook of the Month,” Nolan Harris, are perfect for a summer night on the porch swing.

Enjoy!

What you will need:

Directions:

June 2018 winning recipeNo-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake Pots

Nolan Harris, Jamestown, Fentress Farmers Cooperative

Filling:• 11⁄2 packages (8 ounce) cream cheese, at

room temperature• 3 tablespoons sugar• 1 cup heavy cream• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juiceOther ingredients:• 8 graham crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)• 12 ounces fresh raspberries• 1⁄2 cup raspberry jam• 8 half-pint jars

peaks form, about 2 minutes, then add lemon juice, mixing well. Spoon crushed graham crackers into jars, alternately with cheesecake filling, fresh raspberries, and raspberry jam. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Makes 8 servings. Delicious!

Blend cream cheese and sugar using an elec-tric mixer until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the heavy cream. Beat until stiff

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

24 peanut butter sandwich cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)

5 tablespoons butter, melted1 (8 ounce) package cream

cheese, softened1 cup creamy peanut butter 3⁄4 cup sugar1 tablespoon vanilla1 (8 ounce) tub whipped

topping, thawed, dividedMix cookie crumbs and

butter; press onto bottom and upside of 9-inch pie plate.

Beat next 4 ingredients in medium bowl with mixer until well blended. Stir in 11⁄2 cups whipped topping; spoon into crust.

Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 30 min-utes before serving. Let stand

Ditch the oven mitts for the these decadent sweets

No-bake desserts

June 2018 31

What’s Cookin’?

One-pot recipes in August!One pan, pot, skillet, or a slow

cooker is all you need to prepare these no-fuss family dinners. As school starts back and life’s pace picks up again, every family needs a go-to stack of little mess recipes. From simple and easy slow cooker recipes to hearty casseroles, these one-pot dinners help get supper on the table without the hassle and stress of a big clean up.

Send us your favorite one-pot recipes— soup, pot roast, chili, casserole, or other delicious ideas. The person submitting the recipe judged best will be named “Cook of the Month” for the August Cooperator and receive $10. Others sending recipes chosen for publication will receive $5, and each winner will also receive a special “What’s Cookin’?” certificate.

Monday, July 9, is the deadline for your one-pot recipes.Don’t forget: Only recipes with complete, easy-to-follow instruc-

tions will be considered for publication. Several recipes are disqualified each month because they do not contain all the information needed to prepare the dishes successfully. Recipes featured in “What’s Cookin’?” are not independently tested, so we must depend on the accuracy of the cooks sending them. Always use safe food-handling, preparation, and cooking procedures.

Send entries to: Recipes, The Cooperator, P.O. Box 3003, LaVergne, TN 37086. You can submit more than one recipe in the same envelope. You can also e-mail them to: [email protected]. Be sure to in-clude your name, address, telephone number, and the Co-op with which you do business. Recipes that appear in the “What’s Cookin’?” column will also be published on our website at www.ourcoop.com.

at room temperature to soften slightly. Top with remaining whipped topping.

You may substitute a ready-to-use graham cracker crumb crust (6 ounce) for the home-made crumbs crust.

Jeana OwensCumberland Gap

Claiborne Farmers Cooperative

TCoconut Balls

1⁄2 cup almond butter 1⁄3 cup maple syrup1⁄4 cup light carob powder1 teaspoon vanilla1 cup dried coconutMix all ingredients together

in a bowl and roll into balls. Have a small bowl of cold water handy so you can keep your hands damp for rolling pur-poses.

Place coconut balls on a metal tray lined with wax paper and put in freezer.

Once they’re hard, transfer them to an airtight container. For best results, serve them straight from the freezer, not the refriger-ator, as they are best served hard.

Judy C. NorrisJamestown

Fentress Farmers Cooperative

TMocha Marble

Dessert

1 pound Oreos, crushed1⁄2 cup butter, melted1 (8 ounce) package cream

cheese, softened1 (14 ounce) can Eagle

brand milk1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups whipped cream11⁄2 tablespoons instant

coffee1 tablespoon hot water1⁄2 cup chocolate syrupMix Oreos and melted but-

ter. Press into a 9x13-inch pan, reserving 11⁄4 cup for topping.

Dissolve coffee in water.Beat cream cheese until

light. Add milk and vanilla; mix well. Fold in whipped cream, coffee, and chocolate syrup. Pour in pan. Drizzle additional chocolate syrup over the top using a knife; swirl to give a marble effect. Sprinkle re-served crumbs around the edge. Freeze.

Rebecca KanagyGuthrie, Ky.

Montgomery Farmers Cooperative

TCoconut

Caramel Pie

Makes 2 pies1⁄4 cup butter1 (7 ounce) package flaked

coconut1/2 cup chopped pecans1 (8 ounce) package cream

cheese, softened1 can sweetened condensed

milk1 (16 ounce) container

whipped topping2 baked 9-inch pie shells1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice

cream topping, chilledMelt butter in large skillet.

Add coconut and pecans. Cook until golden brown, stirring fre-quently. Set aside. Combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Layer 1⁄4 cream cheese mixture in each pie shell. Drizzle 1⁄4 caramel topping on each pie. Sprinkle 1⁄4 of the coconut and pecans on each pie. Repeat layers. Cover and freeze until firm. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before slicing.

Sheryl BreedenMartin

Weakley Farmers Cooperative

TStrawberry

Cheesecake Lush

1 (36 cookies) package Golden Oreos

6 tablespoons butter, melted1 (8 ounce) package cream

cheese, softened1 cup powdered sugar1 (16 ounce) container

whipped topping, divided2 (3.4 ounce) packages in-

stant cheesecake pudding mix

3 cups milk31⁄2 cups sliced strawberriesCrush the entire package of

Oreos. When the cookies are fine crumbs, transfer them to a large bowl and mix in melted butter. Press the cookie mixture into a 9x13-inch pan and refrigerate while preparing the remaining layers.

Next, beat together powdered sugar, cream cheese, and 1 cup of whipped topping. Spread over cookie layer.

For the next layer, mix together the pudding mix, milk, and anoth-er cup of whipped topping. Spread over the cream cheese layer.

Layer the sliced strawberries on top and spread the remain-ing whipped topping on top.

Debbie SnodgrassJonesborough

Washington Farmers Cooperative

TKool-Aid Pie

1 (8 ounce) carton whipped topping

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 packages grape flavored Kool-Aid

1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust

Mix the whipped topping and milk together, stirring until mixed well; add Kool-Aid, stir-ring in contents well. Pour into pie crust; refrigerate until ready to serve. This is a very easy, cool dessert to make, especially in the summer! You can also use orange-flavored Kool-Aid, giving it a “creamsicle” flavor.

Tricia BratcherSmithville

Warren Farmers Cooperative

TSnickers Pie

1 pint vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened in the microwave for 1 minute on high

1⁄4 cup chunky peanut butter1 package chocolate pud-

ding mix1 (8 ounce) container

whipped toppingGraham cracker crust, if

desiredIn a large bowl, combine

all the ingredients. Mix well and pour into an 8-inch glass plate or into a graham cracker crust. Freeze until set. Before serving, drizzle 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup over the entire pie in swirling motion. Serves 8.

Norma ReaJackson

Gibson Farmers Cooperative

Facebook exclusive!We receive so many great recipes each month, we can’t print them all! But visit us on Facebook for more recipes available only to fans of our page. Visit www.facebook.com/TennesseeFarmersCooperative and click on “Notes” to get the recipes.

32 June 2018

June 2018 33

The 2018 Tennessee Valley Livestock Conference will be held Saturday, June 30, at the Walters State Expo Center located at 1615 Pavilion Drive in White Pine.

Sponsored by Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, this event serves as the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association’s (TCA) 2nd Annual Summer Conference.

Kicking off the conference will be headline speaker Johnny Rog-ers, the Amazing Grazing Coordinator from North Carolina State Extension. Other programs will include a live cattle grading demon-stration, a low-stress cattle handling demo on foot and horseback, and an animal health demonstration from the UT Animal Science Extension Specialists.

A special Tennessee Farmers Cooperative-sponsored session will include a presentation by TFC nutritionist Royce Towns titled “Mak-ing the Most of Summer Fescue.”

Producers can preregister for the event for $25 per person until June 20, after which the cost will be $35 per person. Fees can be paid via credit card by calling 615-896-2333 and faxing the registra-tion form to 615-896-0244, or by mailing the registration form and payment to the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association, 530 Brandies Circle, Ste. B, Murfreesboro, TN 37128.

Registration will begin at 7:15 a.m. and the conference will kick off at 7:30 a.m. with the TFC–sponsored biscuit breakfast. Lunch and supper will also be provided with registration.

TCA has secured a block of rooms for the conference. They are available at the Hampton Inn at 5368 Winners Circle in Morristown, 423-839-1920. Mention the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association to take advantage of the convention rate.

Registration forms, hotel information, and full agenda can be found on the TCA website, www.tncattle.org.

Register for 2018 Tennessee Valley Livestock Conference

34 June 2018

Jersey girlEvery Farmer Has A Story Veronica Steer

After considering farms in several southern states, the fam-ily found a 190-acre property in Henry County and in December 1995, two years after leaving South Carolina, they started their own dairy, Sunbow Jerseys.

As a teenager, Veronica’s love for dairy farming had morphed into a passion, and she shared with her parents her aspiration to not just help out on a dairy but to one day manage an entire operation.

“I never considered that I shouldn’t follow in my dad’s footsteps because I was a girl,” says Veronica, who attributes that mindset to her parents. “While I was growing up, they

always said ‘you can do whatev-er you want,’ and they meant it. So when I told them that one day I wanted to run the farm, they believed I could do it and fully supported me.”

However, the support she re-ceived at home was not mirrored at school, and she says that she never felt like she truly “fit in” during her high school years.

“Things are different now, but in the late ’90s it was unusual for a girl to be interested in agricul-ture,” says Veronica. “I think a lot of my classmates thought I was a little weird because I was so obsessed with our dairy farm.”

However, she found ac-ceptance among like-minded students as a dairy science major

Fifth-generation farmer follows in her father’s footsteps managing her family’s Henry County dairy operation

Story and photos by Sarah Geyer

W hen Charles Steer, a fourth-generation dairyman, decided

to semi-retire 12 years ago, he knew who he wanted to carry on management duties for the fam-ily’s Sunbow Jerseys operation in Paris — his daughter, Veronica.

Although according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s 2012 census, only five percent of the nation’s dair-ies have a woman at the helm, the Steers knew that the 24-year-old was the perfect choice for such responsibilities. She’d been preparing for the role since she was a toddler and has been inte-grated in the business practically her whole life.

The preparation began on her grandparents’ dairy farm in South Carolina, where Charles and his wife, Carol, helped with the family’s regis-tered Jersey operation. During those early years, Veronica, the only girl and oldest of three children, tagged along with her father as he worked on the farm and, like him, developed a deep love for the animals and the land.

“My dad would tell me stories about the cows and the farm,” she recalls. “He made it such a magical place for me. I loved being on the farm so much that I would cry when school started every year.”

In the mid-1990s, the Steers made the decision to own and operate their own dairy business. They packed up the family — 13-year-old Veronica and her two younger brothers, Eric and Alex — along with a small herd of the family’s prized Jerseys. They moved to East Texas and set up shop on a rented dairy farm for a year and a half while they looked for land to purchase.

at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Va.

“College life was a lot of fun for me,” she says. “I was really active in the dairy club, where I made so many lifelong friends. There were many other kids there who loved farming, and we spent a lot of time talking about cows and our personal farming experiences.”

However, as graduation neared for the Class of 2003, Veronica grew more and more unsure about her future.

“I knew that I needed experi-ence outside of our farm,” she explains. “But I was pretty naïve and narrow minded because I only wanted to work on a farm

similar to ours in size with regis-tered cows and the same breed-ing philosophies and mating decisions.”

When that opportunity didn’t materialize, Veronica stepped out of her comfort zone and secured an internship at Disney World, where she worked seven months as a tour guide at the Orlando resort. Then she returned to Blacksburg to work for a dairy and beef cattle embryo transfer company.

Veronica was completing her second year there when Charles mentioned semi-retirement.

“My parents and I have always said that I would come back to the farm as the manager, not just as an employee,” says Veronica.

“It had to be at a time when my dad was ready to take a step back, and he was.”

Charles continues to provide guidance and is a part of the operation’s decision-making pro-cess. He also helps out with the milking every day, working a few hours at 4 a.m. and then again at 4 p.m.

“Dad brings the cows up in the morning, feeds them, and gets the milking started,” she says. “Then I arrive at 6 a.m. to help finish up.”

They also have two part-time employees to help with milking, and Veronica’s mother handles the farm’s finances and helps feed the calves.

Veronica has adopted her dad’s philosophy of hiring cus-tom operators instead of invest-ing in a lot of equipment. She outsources the planting, input applications, and harvesting and works with two mechanics who service the tractors and other essential pieces of farm equip-ment.

“Over the past 12 years, I have found a great team,” says Veronica. “And with their help, we now have a system that al-lows my parents to take vaca-tions and makes room for a little bit of a social life for me.”

Since her return to Henry County, Veronica says she’s de-veloped many close friendships through her involvement with her community and industry organizations.

She also serves as a board member of the American Jersey Cattle Association and was a delegate for Dairy Farmers of America. Even with these com-mitments, the 36-year-old makes time for a monthly girls’ night out and her favorite hobbies: gardening and photography.

“I know it’s a lot to juggle, but I want to do it,” she says. “I love my job, but I would get burned out if all I did was stay on the farm. It’s about finding a balance.”

l Pairs

Veronica and Justin Chilcutt, assistant manager with Henry Farmers Cooperative, where the Steers are members, discuss the dairy farmer’s recently chopped ryegrass that will be used for silage.

June 2018 35

Every Farmer Has A Story

Since childhood, Veronica Steer says she knew she wanted to run a dairy farm. Twelve years ago, her parents, Charles and Carol, offered the fifth-generation farmer the opportunity to take over management of the family operation. The 36-year-old says that watching this two-day-old calf and her other calves grow and have babies of their own is one of her greatest pleasures.

36 June 2018

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