Agriculture FA M I L I E S
SECOND QUARTER 2020
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Agriculture FA M I L I E S
EDITOR Zirconia Alleyne zalleyne@kentuckynewera.com ADVERTISING 270-887-3270 DESIGNER Maegan Saalwaechter CONTRIBUTORS Zirconia Alleyne Dr. Todd D. Davis Sarah Elliott Tonya S. Grace Toni Riley CDC photo
COVID-19 AND H2A WORK ARRANGEMENTS WRITER: SARAH ELLIOTT
Jon Russelburg Jason Travis Michele Vowell CONTACT US www.kentuckynewera.com 713 S. Main Street Hopkinsville, KY 42240 270-886-4444 webmaster@kentuckynewera.com
The pandemic of coronavirus, also called COVID19, has closed schools, government buildings, restaurants, bars, salons, gyms and many other businesses across the country. These closures have prompted people to buy out grocery stores and stockpile food and paper products. Some local farmers had var ying thoughts about the impact of this pandemic on agriculture in Trigg County and surrounding areas. Brandon Oliver, one of the owners of Blackhawk Beef, said they will likely feel the impact for months or possibly years to come. “We sell our beef to restaurants,” Oliver said. “It isn’t a matter of if, but when, this will affect us. Our sales will drop while restaurants are closed. I don’t know when that will pick back up again.” Oliver said his operation tried to be prepared with feed and fertilizer to last through July so they are not in danger of running out of supplies right now. “Grain and fuel prices have dropped really low,” Oliver said. “That has really helped us with stocking up and making sure that we have what we need to get by until this is all over.” Alana Dunn, with Riverbend Farms in Trigg Coun-
ty, said they are not worried about the supply needs going down. “Grocer y stores will need to continue being stocked through this,” Dunn said. “Farming and agriculture will not stop, and we will continue to grow crops and raise livestock to stock those shelves.” Kentucky Congressman James Comer expressed his concern for farmers across the state and the country with the public buying in bulk and new regulations coming in that will affect migrant workers coming to the United States this year. “The Mexican Consulate has closed applications for H2A workers to come to the United States,” Comer said. “This will have a huge impact on our farmers and those workers.” Comer said officials are looking for ways to help get these applications processed and to get the workers here. “We are working every day to help those affected by closures in the United States,” Comer said. “We are looking at relief programs for people who have been laid off or their business shut down. We will get through all of this together; we just have to be patient and work together.”
ABOUT US Agriculture Families is a quarterly magazine serving those whose livelihood grows from the ground up in the southern Pennyrile. Inside you’ll find new and useful agricultural information, ideas for cultivating great things on your farm and a host of other fun activities for everyone in your family. Agriculture Families also seeks to educate readers about the role agriculture plays in the local economy.
Second Quarter 2020 Agriculture Families 1
QUARLES RESPONDS TO COVID-19 WRITER: JON RUSSELBURG
On Mar ch 23, Kentucky Agricul ture Commissioner Ryan Quarles’ of fice announced that he was joining three farm credit system lenders to assist farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders of Central Kentucky Ag Credit, River Valley Ag Credit and Farm Credit Mid-America told the Kentucky Department of Agriculture that they recognize the stress the pandemic has put on farmers as buyers have dried up. “Many Kentucky farm families are concerned about their financial situation given the coronavirus pandemic,” Quarles said. “I applaud the farm credit associations in Kentucky for being proactive in working with producers during this time. “While it is early in this pandemic and each case is different, any producer who is concerned about their financial obligations should contact their lender and start conversations early.” According to Quarles’ office, farm credit associations are using the flexibilities afforded by their cooperative structure to extend the terms of loan repayments, restructure borrower’s debt obligations and working with each customer to understand their situation and find solutions that best fit each individual need. As schools began to close due to the pandemic, Quarles’ office also began to set up procedures to generate ag education opportunities for students in Kentucky. “The KDA is announcing two ways that students can learn about agriculture at home during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Quarles said. “We are extending our poster and essay contest deadline to March 30 to allow more
Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles assists in distributing meals to students affected by school closures due to the coronavirus outbreak. photo provided
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“
We are moving heaven and earth to make sure that federal programs operated by the KDA protect our employees, food bank volunteers, and our hungry citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ryan Quarles, ag commissioner
time for students to complete their creative entries. Fur ther, the KDA is launching a series of online videos with Miss Kentucky Alex Francke, the official spokesperson for Kentucky Proud, to educate schoolchildren about the Kentucky Proud program, science in agriculture and the importance of supporting Kentucky farm families.” On top of extending ag oppur tunites, Quarles’ office has also assisted in distributing meals to families while schools and non-essential businesses are closed. His office has streamlined federal food assistance programs to offer drive-through models. According to a news release, the two programs af fected by the policy change are The Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. TEFAP is a federally funded program that provides food to low-income individuals who meet income guidelines established by U.S. Department of Agriculture. CSFP is a federally funded program for low-income persons at least 60 years of age and above. Previously, residents who received food assistance had to physically enter food pantries and complete paperwork. The new process allows food pantries to verbally verify that clients meet the federal requirements. After clients are verified, a food bank volunteer signs for the client as a proxy, and then a box of food is placed in the trunk of the vehicle. “We are moving heaven and ear th to make sure that federal programs operated by the KDA protect our employees, food bank volunteers, and our hungr y citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Quarles said.
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e r u t a N o t s id K g in t c e n Con Nature is a great teacher! Try this outdoor activity – it’s safe, fun, and educational. Project Learning Tree® activities build children’s creative and critical thinking skills while they learn what the environment needs to remain healthy and sustainable.
Name that Tree
Literature Connection
Download one of these free mobile apps to make identifying trees and the products they give us fun and educational for children and teens! • LeafSnap – available only for iPhone • vTree – available for Android and iPhone Then, go outside and find an area with trees – it could be in your backyard, in a park, or along a street. Ask “What characteristics can we use to identify trees?” Pick two different trees and have children observe the differences between the two. Here are some features of trees you could discuss: leaf type, tips and bottom shape, texture; twigs; fruits, flowers and seeds; bark and the overall tree shape.
If you don’t have a smartphone, use a free online tree identification guide, such as the one provided by the Arbor Day Foundation. Or, use a printed tree identification guide, for example: What Tree Is That? A Guide to the More Common Trees Found in North America ISBN: 9780963465757
Next, open the selected app and follow its instructions. LeafSnap: Snap a picture of a leaf using your smartphone. The app will provide a list of possible tree species with accompanying photos to help you select the best match. vTree: Provide your location and answer a few questions about the tree you want to identify. The app will provide a list of possible tree species and accompanying photos to help you identify the tree. Write down the names and characteristics of the trees in the chart below. Once back inside, search the internet for the tree name and the keyword “common uses” to find products or benefits provided by these trees, for example, fruits and nuts, medicinal products, and wood, and complete the last column of the chart.
Tree Identification Chart Common Tree Name
Characteristics
Make Learning Fun! Encourage your child’s school to incorporate learning outdoors. For more activity ideas and materials: • Attend a PLT workshop, www.plt.org/state-network/ • Visit shop.plt.org
Products and Benefits
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is an initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
www.plt.org
Copyright 2018 © Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. Adapted from Activity 1: Tree Benefits and Identification from Project Learning Tree’s Teaching with i-Tree unit.
S D I K R O F S E I T I V AG ACTI Trigg County 4-H agent Shelley Crawford has worked to provide information for parents while schools are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The activities are focused on agriculture and outdoor learning to get parents and children out of the house and learning in nature. The first series of activities comes from Project Learning Tree and lets parents and children learn about different types of trees, their importance to humans and other animals, different parts of a tree, and the life cycle of trees. Crawford also distributed information on starting your own garden from the University of Kentucky. It gives information on where to place your garden, what plants grow best in different areas, and how to care for your garden once it has been planted. The Kentucky 4-H club will host daily live streams on its Facebook page and share hands-on activities to do with students while they are out of school.
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BROADCASTER WATTS TO BE A PART OF NEW AG NETWORK, PROGRAM WRITER: TONYA S. GRACE
From strawberry patches to country stores, radio man Alan Watts wants to go beyond the stories of agriculture in the Bluegrass and delve into the lives of the people who are a part of agriculture in the state. “Ag in my opinion is more than just row crops and farming,” said Watts, news and ag director at WKDZ/WHVO radio. “It’s the people.” The station’s second-longest tenured employee, Watts began hosting a new program in March for Edge Media Group, the Trigg County broadcast company that includes WKDZ/WHVO, WPKY in Princeton and YourSportsEdge.com, a sports website for area high schools. Watts notes that the new venture is a first for Edge Media. “We’ve never done anything like this before,” he said of the company’s Your Ag Edge Network that has debuted on radio stations across the state with its signature “Travelin’ the Bluegrass” program. The new network tells the stories of agriculture and rural life in Kentucky, and at least 21 stations have signed on to be a part of it. Listeners may also see the broadcasts by visiting youragedge. com, which will “be the website for everything,” according to Watts. His program is available as well on Facebook and Twitter. Watts said the network likely will replace the current Ag Edge, transitioning from that entity to the Ag Edge Network. As of now, the new offering has debuted with Watts’ ”Travelin’…” show in place. Watts isn’t sure what else might be a part of the network in the future; he said the focus right now is on getting his program launched. Tell Their Stories “I want to make it a way that farmers and folks in agriculture can tell their stories,” he said of the show. “People who listen will learn the struggles of farmers and (they’ll learn about) what they enjoy too.” He said he believes it will give people an insight into the lives of people who live in rural areas, and Watts said he also would like for the program to shed light on the impact of ag and where things come from, particularly for listeners who may not be as familiar with agriculture. “Chocolate milk doesn’t come from a brown cow,” he said, sharing an adage that has been used to illustrate people’s ignorance of farming. The new network and its signature program “is really about talking about the products in our state we are proud of,” he said. From the Bourbon Trail in Louisville to Casey Jones Distillery in Hopkinsville, he said there will be an emphasis on Kentucky products.
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Even the Babybel cheeses people find in their grocery stores have their origins in the Bluegrass, he said. They are made in Elizabethtown. Watts said the new network developed as a result of changes with “Across Kentucky,” a Kentucky Farm Bureau agriculture program for which he had served as host and producer since January of 2018. He was notified a few weeks ago that the Farm Bureau program was going to become a one-minute show broadcast three days a week. Watts will no longer be the host of “Across Kentucky” but will continue his weekly “The Farmer’s Voice” podcast for Farm Bureau. Additionally, he will continue to do his station’s Morning Ag Report and in his capacity as news and farm director for WKDZ/WHVO. Pikeville to Paducah The new network and its inaugural “Travelin’ the Bluegrass” program can be seen by anyone in Kentucky’s 120 counties from Pikeville to Paducah and anywhere in between. It has garnered attention across the state, with 21 stations expressing interest in the network just a day after the Edge Media Group announced its plans. Watts expects that number to grow quickly, and he said he believes listeners will also pick up his new show quickly, especially given that “Across Kentucky” was available for 25 years throughout the state. He encourages his listeners to let him know if they have an idea or know of a unique, Kentucky grown product they’d like him to focus on. Each day’s show will be posted as a podcast to the new network’s website; the entire conversation will be posted from time to time. “There is nothing out there like “Travelin’ the Bluegrass,” said Watts of a program focusing strictly on the story of agriculture in Kentucky. He mentions Farm Director Jeff Nalley of the Cromwell Ag Radio Network, but Nalley does programs for Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Watts noted that he will be traveling a little more in his capacity with the new network and “Travelin’ the Bluegrass,” but he was already traveling for his ag program on WKDZ, the Morning Ag Report. “I don’t mind,” he said. “I enjoy traveling.” He just wants to tell people’s stories. “This has been a lifelong passion of mine,” Watts said. “I grew up in ag. This gives me an opportunity to share and give back to the ag community that has given to me all my life.”
Alan Watts (left), host of the new “Travelin’ the Bluegrass” program, interviews Micah Lester, a farmer in Gracey.
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KENTUCKY HEMP WORKS ADVOCATES FOR LATEST HEMP BILL WRITER: ZIRCONIA ALLEYNE A local hemp processor is advocating for a bill that would remove the criminal charges for possession of hemp flower or leaf material as well as allow farmers to sell hemp floral material direct to market. Filed Feb. 27 by sponsors Rep. Mark Hart and Rep. Savannah Maddox, House Bill 506 seeks to exempt combustible hemp products from the definition of marijuana; allow a licensee to process, handle or market combustible hemp products, and exempt any person in possession, custody, or control of combustible hemp products from the penalties of Kentucky marijuana law. Katie Moyer Arzamastseva, owner of Kentucky Hemp Works in Crofton, said House Bill 506 would give farmers more outlets to sell their hemp and for more money. “The No. 1 reason would be the vast dif ference between what a farmer is going to be able to sell his crop to a processor for and what he could sell his crop to somebody for the smokable market,” Moyer said. “We’re looking at probably 10 times as much financial value per pound of hemp.” Moyer said most Kentucky farmers are currently selling their hemp for $20 to $30 a pound to processors but could be selling it for up to $300 per pound in the smokable or floral hemp market, depending on the quality of the crop. Smokable hemp, however, is illegal in Kentucky. That includes hemp cigarettes, cigars, chew or dip. The 2018 national Farm Bill removed hemp from the federal list of controlled substances; however, Kentucky law prohibits anyone without a growers, processors or handlers license from possessing whole hemp plants, flowers or buds. “There’s so much more that we can do with the floral material that doesn’t involve smoking it at all,” Moyer said. “That’s really where Kentucky Hemp Works has an interest in it. We’re ver y interested in making teas, potentially growing micro-greens, some construction projects we can do with the floral material after it’s been extracted and the possibilities of using it in animal feed.” Kentucky Hemp Works, which opened in 2016, currently processes and sells its own Kentucky Proud line of health and wellness hemp products, such as lip balm,
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protein powder, lotion and even fish attractant for fishermen. “It’s not about just smoking hemp,” she continued. “We’re not really trying to push smoking on anyone, but we are trying to free up a vast variety of markets and get our farmers paid.” When hemp processors like GenCanna file for bankruptcy, farmers are left wondering where to sell their crop before it goes bad, she noted. “The reason they can’t sell it in the current market is because they’re limited to only being allowed to sell it to processors,” she said. “Farmers are scrambling at the last minute to find a buyer because their processor bailed out on them. The reason that’s been worse this year is because we have so much hemp on the market and it’s too much for the good processors to pick it all up.” House Bill 506 is currently pending with the House Agriculture Committee. Moyer said a barrier to getting the bill passed could be law enforcement. “We don’t expect state police to love this idea, and that’s completely understandable,” she said. “We definitely have support in the legislature because we’ve been talking about this for years now and it’s getting traction.” Moyer said if the bill makes it through committee and ultimately gets passed, Kentucky Hemp Works has health food product ideas ready. “We’re always looking at improving people’s health through diet, and if the bill passed, we could immediately start production where people would be getting raw hemp flower in their diet,” she said. “There are researchers that are using hemp microgreens to fight kidney cancer right now, and you can just eat them in your salad every day.” From here, Moyer said she plans to continue educating lawmakers, law enforcement and the community about hemp and its benefits in all forms. “We’re going to try with the sheriff’s association to discuss the bill,” she said. “The sheriff’s association president said he’s waiting for someone to explain to him why (the bill) is needed, and I said well I might as well give it a try.”
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COMBINING CROP INSURANCE, FORWARD CONTRACTS TO REDUCE REVENUE RISK WRITER: DR. TODD D. DAVIS, EXTENSION GRAIN MARKETING SPECIALIST
Example game plans for 2020 wheat and double-crop soybeans This topic evaluates the potential risk protection provided by combining crop insurance with for ward contracts to manage revenue risk for wheat and double-crop soybeans. The examples assume managers only consider the cash costs with farming. For instance, the plan assumes managers want to cover 100% of wheat and double-crop soybean inputs budgeted at $307 and $238 per acre, respectively. Total cash overhead costs are budgeted at $15 per acre. The Kentucky Farm Business Management reports indicate the average grain farm owns 25% of their land base, so these examples assume that managers only pay cash rent of $185/acre on 75% of the land farmed that is rented. Total cash costs for the wheat and double-crop soybean enterprise is budgeted at $699 per acre. The risk management plan for wheat presented in Figure 1 assumes RP crop insurance was purchased at the 75% coverage level at the projected price of $4.86/bushel, assuming an APH yield of 85 bushels per acre. Because wheat prices have been better than typical, the
plan is to forward contract 65% of expected production at $5.52/bushel. The rest is stored for an expected storage gain of $0.25/bushel. The returns over budgeted costs in Figure 1 assumes a double-crop soybean yield of 50-bushels. Double-crop soybean revenues are included in the graph to demonstrate how soybean revenue reinforces wheat profitability. The soybean risk management plan assumes that RP insurance at the 75% coverage level is purchased. The projected price is $9.17 per bushel, and the APH yield is 50 bushels per acre. The marketing plan is to forward contract 25% over expected production at $8.34 per bushel. For the planned yield of 85-bushels, the wheat/double-crop soybeans enterprise is profitable with the minimum return of $81 per acre at a JUL 20 wheat price of $3.40/bushel at harvest. Even with a 10% yield loss for wheat (76.5 bushels/acre), the enterprise is profitable with the minimum return over total costs of $76/ acre at a JUL 20 wheat futures price of $3.89 per bushel (Figure 1).
Figure 2 shows the risk management plan applied to the double-crop soybean enterprise. Because of the lower cost structure for double-crop soybeans compared to full-season soybeans, figure 2 illustrates the benefit of locking in a large percentage of expected production at $8.34 per bushel in the spot market to buoy the profitability of the wheat double-crop soybean enterprise. At the planned yield of 50-bushels, the minimum return over budgeted costs is $33 per acre at a November 2020 futures price of $6.42 per bushel (Figure 2). If there is a 10% yield loss to 45-bushels, the minimum profitability is $21 per acre at a November 2020 futures price of $7.34 per bushel (Figure 2). For a 20% yield loss (40-bushels), the minimum return is -$1 per acre for a November 2020 futures price of $8.25 per bushel (Figure 2). While the futures market has been a roller-coaster ride for the last few weeks, managers should monitor for opportunities to remove revenue risk at price levels that cover budgeted costs.
Combining Crop Insurance and Forward Contracts to Reduce Example Game Plans for 2020 Wheat and Double-Crop Soybe By Dr. Todd D. Davis Extension Grain Marketing Specialist
This topic evaluates the potential risk protection provided by combin with forward contracts to manage revenue risk for wheat and double-c examples assume managers only consider the cash costs with farming. Fo assumes managers want to cover 100% of wheat and double-crop soybean $307 and $238 per acre, respectively. Total cash overhead costs are budget The Kentucky Farm Business Management reports indicate the average grain their land base, so these examples assume that managers only pay cash rent o of the land farmed that is rented. Total cash costs for the wheat and do enterprise is budgeted at $699 per acre. 2019 Wheat Returns over Budgeted Costs for a Double-Crop Soybean Yield of 50 $400 $350
93.5
$300
85
$250 76.5
$200 $150 $100 FIGURE 1 Return over total inputs, land, and cash overhead costs for 2020 Western Kentucky wheatDC soybeans for a double-crop soybean yield of 50 bushels/acre.
10
$50 $0 $2.43
$2.92
$3.40
$3.89 $4.37 $4.86 JUL Wheat Futures Harvest Price
$5.35
$5.83
$6.32
Figure 1. Return over Total Inputs, Land, and Cash Overhead Costs 20202020 Western Kentucky Wheat-DC Soybeans for a Double-Crop Agriculture Families Secondfor Quarter Soybean Yield of 50 bushels/acre.
At the planned yield of 50-bushels, the minimum return over budgeted c acre at a November 2020 futures price of $6.42 per bushel (Figure 2). If there is to 45-bushels, the minimum profitability is $21 per acre at a November 2020 fu $7.34 per bushel (Figure 2). For a 20% yield loss (40-bushels), the minimum re acre for a November 2020 futures price of $8.25 per bushel (Figure 2). While the futures market has been a roller-coaster ride for the last few w should monitor for opportunities to remove revenue risk at price levels that cove $180 50
$160 $140 45
$120 FIGURE 2 Return over total inputs, land, and cash overhead costs for 2020 Western Kentucky double-crop soybeans.
$100 $80 $60
40
$40 $20 $0 -$20 $4.59
$5.50
$6.42
$7.34 $8.25 $9.17 $10.09 NOV Soybeans Futures Harvest Price
$11.00
$11.92
Figure 2. Return over Total Inputs, Land, and Cash Overhead Costs for 2020 Western Kentucky Double-Crop Soybeans.
Second Quarter 2020 Agriculture Families 11
Virginia Gray COUNTRY GIRL MEETS CORPORATE WORLD WRITER: MICHELE VOWELL
Crofton native Virginia Bishop Gray admits she’s a country girl in a corporate world. When she’s not wearing suits to work at the Tennessee Valley Authority, Gray can be found with her husband, children, horses and dogs on her family’s Hopkinsville farm. The daughter of Barney and Carolyn Bishop of Crofton grew up the only child of an Army veteran father and mother who have been married 44 years. “My parents were always good about instilling in me a mission to ser ve,” she said. “I try to do that now. I’m very grateful for that. I always worked. I never did without, but what they gave me was a good foundation, a desire to work, and I think that’s where my work ethic came from.”
Virginia Gray smiles with her horse, Jewels, on the farm she shares with her husband and children in Hopkinsville.
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As a young teen, Gray learned the meaning of hard work by seeding tobacco trays, working on plot plans in tobacco fields and roguing wheat fields. “(Roguing wheat fields) is hot as hell in the summer,” she said. “If two varieties of seeds got mixed together, we had to literally walk through these wheat fields and snap off these heads of wheat that were not supposed to be in there.” At age 16, she worked two jobs, one as a cashier at Piggly Wiggly and her summer job in the wheat field. Later on she found a job at the IGA in Crofton instead of working at “The Pig.” Gray graduated from Christian County High School and Western Kentucky University. “I came back here for what was only supposed to be a small amount of time until I found a job elsewhere,” she said. Soon, she started working for the Kentucky New Era as a sales representative for the Fort Campbell Courier. “I got involved locally with the Republican party,” she said. “I did a lot of grassroots-type things and became interested in politics.” Gray applied for a field representative position with Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s office in 2003 and was hired. She stayed in the position until the end of his term in 2007. As her career path veered in new directions, her personal life changed too. “I had always known of Robert (Gray), knew who he was, but we never met until I came home from college,” she said. “Robert and I, really, had been friends.” The couple started dating and married in fall 2005. “He still continues to be my best friend,” Gray said. “He’s taught me a lot, which I think is important in a relationship. It’s more meaningful when that person on the other side is pushing you to do better and challenging you.” The Grays have three children Charlie, Georgia and Freeman. Robert owns and operates Gray Farms. They also have horses and two bloodhounds, Daisy and Duke. “I never saw myself as the person that got married and had children,” Gray said. “That wasn’t something I dreamed about ever. I thought I would be elsewhere doing something corporate. It’s funny how life throws things at you and dishes up something totally different than you ever imagined for yourself.” After working briefly for WKDZ, Gray worked for the Pennyroyal Center as a resource coordinator for the Trilogy Center for Women, a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Hopkinsville. “Working with Gov. Fletcher’s office I had been part and privileged to watch and understand how all of the Kentucky recovery facilities came about. So, I had some working knowledge of the background of some of those facilities,” Gray said. “I got to be with Trilogy from the beginning and had an understanding of its genesis. That was, honestly, one of the best experiences of my life. It gave me a lot of gratitude for various backgrounds of people and to always have the understanding that one thing about addiction is that it does not discriminate. It
14 Agriculture Families Second Quarter 2020
takes people from all walks of life. As an individual you have no idea what goes on in a person’s life. I think, for me, that was just extremely eye-opening.” The Trilogy Center for Women is not a 501(c)3 organization so Gray created The Trilogy Foundation as the fundraising arm of the center — where she still chairs the board. To raise money for the foundation, Gray hopes to bring back the farm-totable dinner and the 10th annual golf tournament this summer. Gray left Trilogy to become a state lobbyist for John Y. Brown III. “We lobbied transportation, nonprofits, alcohol, contract — anything you could imagine,” she said. Although she liked the work, the job required Gray to be in Frankfort often — away from Robert and their children. Gray knew she wanted to find work at or closer to Hopkinsville, but wondered if she would find employment with her unique skill set. A friend working at the Tennessee Valley Authority called Gray with a job opening for a manager of government relations in Kentucky. “I had actually been praying about that,” she said. “It was just like the light shown down.” For the past five years, she has been a liaison between TVA and local, state and staffs of congressional offices. “I try to be more active than just a liaison,” she said. “I keep them informed about issues — and there are many — that deal with the TVA. I try to help them with their messaging — both internal and external. I try to help them understand the issues, educate them about this intricate business and process of generating power and electricity and distribution.” Gray is also serving a six-year term on the Murray State University Board of Regents and is the first congressional representative on the Tennessee Valley Corridor Board of Directors. “I don’t like to serve on any board … unless I feel I like I can be an asset to whatever organization that is,” she said. “I feel like we, in general, could do a better job of using our networks to benefit our community. To me, what is the point of serving, if you’re not doing that?” While working full time through the week, Gray spends many weekends traveling the state- and nationally-sanctioned rodeo circuits with daughter, Georgia, and son, Freeman, while Charlie, 13, works on the farm with Robert. In the next 10 years, Gray said she is looking forward to watching her children grow up, graduate from high school and pursue careers or college. “I really want to be involved with my kids,” she said. “I don’t want to be so immersed in my career that I can’t be there for them.” Gray describes herself as a wife, mother, and a loyal and dedicated person, both personally and professionally, but said she never wants her life to be defined by a title. “I would much rather be known as an individual and not because I’m this or that,” she said. “I struggle because a lot of Virginia is not professional. Finding that balance is hard sometimes. I just try to be real.”
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16 Agriculture Families Second Quarter 2020
Insurance
from field to fork. Open Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Whether it’s row crop, livestock, equine, ag retail, co-op, crop insurance, implement dealers or food processors, Higgins Insurance is your hometown source for agribusiness insurance.
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270-886-3939
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Feeding the Future
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Generations of Farmers have trusted us with their greatest investments. Our name has changed but excellent customer care is still our top priority. At Nutrien Ag Solutions, we offer custom application, grid sampling and crop consulting. Our custom services and professional staff are available to serve you and allow you to reach your highest yield potential. Our fertilizer, seed, and chemicals are superior in quality and competitive across the market. Abve all, we provide excellent customer care backed with years of education and experience. Nutrien Ag Solutions is feeding the future.
Two Locations to Serve You:
3530 Eagle Way Bypass, Hopkinsville
221 Duffy St., Pembroke
Brian Fitzsimmons, Facility Manager Ben Moser, Crop Consultant Jimmy Waldrop, Crop Consultant Colby Chester, Crop Consultant Alex Walker, Precision Ag Specialist
Clint Morris, Facility Manager Rob Klueppell, Crop Consultant Ricky Luttrull, Crop Consultant Justin Grace, Crop Consultant Jack Lackey, Crop Consultant
270-887-0464
270-475-4245
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GET ON BOARD WRITER: TONI RILEY
Country View Creamery supplies area with 12 made-fresh cheeses from local dairy farms Nestled in farmland near the Chapel Hill community of southeast Christian County, a new but understated building is busy. It’s about 9 a.m. and an 8-foot-long stainless steel tray is full of cheese curds. Using a pristine white scoop shovel, a worker patiently turns the white chucks over and over until the curds reach the correct pH. Three hours earlier, Omar Stolzfus ran up to 260 gallons of locally sourced — actually only 4 miles away — whole milk into the cheese vat. It’s either Tuesday or Friday, and Countr y View Creamery is making cheese.
Located on the Christian and Todd County line at 1290 Watts Road in Trenton, this new value-added dairy company is in full production with a line of 12 different kinds of cheese and continually looking to add new ones. The company opened in mid-December after a threeyear planning process with one purpose — to have a revenue source for local small dairies. The creamer y came about through the efforts of surrounding Amish and Mennonite dair ymen, who recognized that small dairies were struggling. There are over 200 dairies in the four-county Christian, Todd, Logan and Trigg area; most of which milk 100 cows or less.
Second Quarter 2020 Agriculture Families 19
The creamery has a seven-member board of directors from its 80 investors, who — with help from the Kentucky Dairy Development Council and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture — planned and built the creamery. Stolzfus, himself a small dairyman, acknowledged he knew nothing about making cheese but wanted to be involved and gives Ricky Gulley of Bluegrass Dairy and Food credit for helping him learn the process. Stolzfus uses a high-temperature, short-time pasteurization method (HTST), which heats the milk to a higher temperature for a shorter time. The milk pasteurizes at 161 degrees for 18 seconds before being added to the cheese vat, which is a large stainless steel tank. As the milk stirs in the vat, he adds the bacteria, a different type for each type of cheese. He then adds the rennet, and through its chemical reaction, the bacteria-laced milk forms a vat-size curd. Stolzfus then reveres the direction of the stirring paddles, and they become knives, cutting the cheese into the plain curds. The curds, which range in size from 1/2 to 1 ½ inch, empty into the tray, and the stirring begins. Each scoop of curds weighs between 20 and 25 pounds, and as the worker remarked, “You have to eat your
20 Agriculture Families Second Quarter 2020
Wheaties” to stir the curds. After about 30 to 45 minutes of stirring, when the correct pH is reached, the whey is drained. Stolzfus started a second vat 30 minutes after the first. When the second vat empties into the tray, he begins a third batch. There is still more stirring and labor-intensive work as the curds break down into smaller and smaller pieces. Again the pH is checked, and the cheese is salted three times with 5 minutes of stirring after each salting. An 18-inch stainless steel cube is packed with curds and weighs 40 pounds when full. Pressure is applied to each cube, and the remaining whey drains out. The process will produce 10 pounds of cheese from every 100 pounds of milk, which means each 260-gallon vat should produce slightly over 200 pounds of cheese. The cheese is handmade, except for the initial vat processing. Two weeks of aging later, the cheese will appear in the retail area, adjacent to the production area and visible via a large window. Then, Daniel Stolzfus takes over. Daniel is in charge of the retail sector and talks proudly about the creamery. “The creamery isn’t for this generation but the next and the next,” he said, pointing out the philosophy behind the creamery. The attractive retail area offers not only the cheese in different weights, but a deli for sandwiches and a cooler with locally
sourced meats and eggs. Also available is Chaney’s ice cream by the dish, pint or quart. Even though the creamery opened Dec. 16 — which is not prime cheese or ice cream season — business has been brisk and steadily increasing. The 12 different cheeses include the standard Colby, cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack, and mozzarella, which are also available as smoked. New additions are spicy chipotle and Southern sun-dried tomato. For those wanting a poutine, there are cheese curds and smoked cheese curds. Those who have tried the cheese are incredibly complimentary, and two local eateries are going to be including the cheese in their offering. Amanda Huff-McClure, co-owner of The Corner Coffeehouse, said, “We are fans.” Huff-McClure is excited to begin offering a locally sourced pimento cheese using Countr y View Creamer y’s white and yellow cheddar. Likewise, The Mixer is planning to use the local cheese as their menu changes for spring. Countr y View Creamer y is open each weekday, except Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The creamery is closed on Wednesday and Sunday. For more information, call 270-466-0990.
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Second Quarter 2020 Agriculture Families 21
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