Lawrence County 2024 Agriculture Guide

SCHEDULE of EVENTS

May 31/June 1 Rumble at the Crossroads Truck & Tractor Pull - Rotary Park

June 3 SAgE Estate Planning & QPR Meeting 6pm Southern TN Higher Education Center

June 4 Farmer Appreciation Breakfast 7:30am First Baptist Christian Life Center “Farm Family Health & Wellness” Agribusiness of the Year Century Farm Award

June 4 Hudson Farm Tour & Field Day 10am-Noon Hudson Farm

June 5 Farm City Day 9am-Noon Rotary Park

June 6

4-5pm SAgE Popcorn & A Movie - The Lakes Venue 6-8pm Farm to Table Dinner - The Lakes Venue

June 7 Youth Fishing Rodeo - Bobby Brewer Pond

4:30-6:30pm

UT/TSU Extension Office – Lawrence County

Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce

Calvin Bryant, Lawrence County ANR Agent and County Director

Tracy V. Hagan, Extension Agent III, 4-H Positive Youth Development

Stacy Clark, Extension Agent II, Consumer Science

Nancy Brewer, Lawrence County Government Holley’s Printing

TABLE

of CONTENTS

Agriculture Committee: Calvin Bryant, Nakia McFall, Damon Deese, Penny Lampley, Will Hudson, Chase Adkins, Savannah Gambel, Amber Staggs

FARM STRESS

A farm is made up of a lot of moving parts all of which are influenced by economic, social, and cultural factors. All of these create a multitude of stressors that impact farmers and their families. Some of the stressors are occupational demands, physical health and injury, familial, such as childcare, weather and climate, social isolation, rural depopulation, legal control over property, structural changes in agriculture increasing economic insecurity and market uncertainty. Finance plays a role in farm stress; a struggling farm operation can affect the operator’s mental health.

Everyone experiences stress differently and therefore react differently. Here are some signs of stress:

Physical Signs:

Emotional Signs:

Mental Signs:

Behavioral Signs:

headaches, exhaustion, trouble sleeping

irritability, anxiety, sadness

lack of concentration, memory loss

violence, increased farm accidents

Farmers and ranchers seeking resources to address these stressors may also face additional barriers such as stigma around mental health, lack of training for mental health providers regarding agriculture operation functions, distrust of medical and/or mental health professionals, prohibitive costs of mental health services, proximity and lack of access to mental health services, lack of time-off to seek care, distrust of public institutions and agencies, lack of access to the internet, lack of access to farmer mental

by Stacy Clark

• Curriculum and training for mental health and farm service providers

• Greater transparency and accountability in accessing federal programs, especially for socially disadvantaged farmers

Social support through crisis hotlines, cooperatives, and peer-to-peer networks provide resources to address stressors among farmers. In the case of cooperatives, studies have shown how they provide a basis for belonging, connecting farmers to resources, and providing a capacity for impacting policy.

Farm stress presents a complex issue with a multitude of stressors and barriers to address farmer and rancher mental health. Uncertainty due to changing economic conditions, changes in the structure of agriculture, climate change, and the restructuring of rural communities all impact farm enterprises and farm families Farms contribute significantly to the local and state economy, as well as provide for themselves and their workers. When farms thrive with the use of all the resources readily available to them, the harmful effects of stress can be mitigated.

Source: SAgE Network

SAgE Network encompasses 13 southern states and 2 Territories working together to address the stress related issues associated with farming, ranching, and other agriculturerelated occupations. All 13 states are working together to create a network that will become available to farmers that will provide them with resources to manage and deal with farmer stress. That includes helping farmers navigate financial challenges, labor shortages, succession planning, and land loss. All of which contribute to added stress.

Farmland Legacy

THE IMPORTANCE OF

ESTATE PLANNING

Agriculture is often thought of as an intergenerational venture that is handed down through the generations. A principal operator or a core group of family members often serve as the key decision makers and likely run or own the business. As these key family members age, dayto-day responsibilities may shift, but ownership often remains a much stickier situation. The 2022 Agriculture Census says that the average age of Lawrence County Farmers is 58.1 years and this has been on a steady rise in recent years. It is projected that 40 percent of the agricultural land in the United States will be in transition within the next 15 years and a majority of these farms do not have a confident succession plan.

Preparing for farm succession is often thought of as a daunting and overwhelming task. Because of this potential stressful situation, these very important decisions often get put off. Several studies have indicated that the majority of farmers do not have a plan for the transfer of their farm and most do not even have a will. A recent study (Caring.com, 2020 survey) suggested that while a majority of adults think it is important to have a will, 68 percent of adults in the United States do not have one. Although the intent may be to hand the family farm venture down from generation to generation, the devil is in the details. The situation becomes even more challenging if realizing your dream of ensuring your farm’s legacy is complicated by the lack of interested family members or those whose vision does not align with yours. In addition, many family farms are a

relatively complex mix of relationships, business structures and revenue streams that make planning and succession challenging, as well as precipitating a need for professional guidance.

Having an estate plan is an important investment in the future of your farm and family. Estate planning allows for the transition of ownership of property from one generation to the next. It can provide for the needs of all family members, even those who leave the operation. Proper estate planning can address the settlement problems that arise because land is not a liquid asset. An estate plan is more than a will. A will alone cannot guarantee a secure future for the farm family, land or business. The cost of not having an estate plan or of having a poorly devised transition plan is a cost that can be avoided with the proper steps.

UT-TSU Extension has a wealth of information to assist farm families get started in the succession and estate planning process. A workbook titled “Planning Today For Tomorrow’s Farms is a available online -- Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Farms | Tennessee Farmland Legacy. As a part of the “Farm Family Health and Wellness” theme of Salute to Agriculture Week the Lawrence County Extension Office will be hosting a SAgE Estate Planning & QPR Meeting on Monday, June 3rd beginning at 6pm at the Southern Middle Tennessee Higher Education Center. Special guest speakers including an attorney that specializes in estate planning will be discussing important estate planning topics.

As a Stress Reliever for Young People 4-H Camp

By Tracy V. Hagan, Extension Agent III, 4-H Positive Youth Development

Camp seems to be a win-win, in terms of stress-relief for families. Youth get a vacation from their families with a ton of new experiences and activities. Parents get a vacation from the youth, time to take a breath and deal with things on their plate with a smidgen fewer parenting responsibilities. Everyone seems very pleased to see each other at the return! Total win-win!

As an agent, I’ve had numerous alumni tell me how 4-H offered the opportunities for trips and “vacations” that they otherwise couldn’t take because of farm responsibilities. (In spite of what it might look like to non-farm peeps, it’s not a good idea to leave herds in a field without ANY supervision for days at a time.) Generally, these trips might be animal shows but often it was Junior 4-H Camp, which is for youngsters in the 4th through 6th grades. They have many fond memories. It was a break from farm work and responsibilities. Camp still offers that respite.

Now, there are MANY camps that youngsters can attend which cater to a wide variety of interests! In addition to Junior 4-H Camp, there is Junior High 4-H Camp-for 7th and 8th grades. Electric Camp is a shocking experience for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders! Just kidding-safety is our number 1 priority at ALL our camps. OWLS Camp is the 4-H Outdoor Wildlife Leadership & Service for kids who want to spend all day out in The Nature. Line and Design Camp is fun times for crafty kids and Culinary U is a camp for older 4-H members who want to learn about cooking. Four-H Target SMART Camp teaches shooting sports skills in a variety of disciplines.

If an area of great stress for your family is finances, we offer scholarships that will pay for half the fee. Close to 75% of our campers, will attend using scholarship funds this year. We agents work hard to find the money to help as many campers as we can. If you don’t have a youth to send, consider sponsoring a scholarship.

By the time Salute to Ag Week rolls around, the deadline for most of these camps will have passed for this year. But when you’re looking at your children or grandchildren and trying to think of a way to help relieve their stress, or give them an opportunity to just get away, remember 4-H and all our wonderful, well-supervised opportunities.

For more information or to donate please contact Tracy Hagan at thagan@tnstate.edu or Matt Adams at cadams11@utk.edu

HUDSON FARM LEGACY

Lawrence County 2024 Century Farm

Lawrence County’s 2024 Century Farm is the Hudson Farm, with fifth-generation owner Will Hudson in charge of its operation.

Young Milton (Y. M.) Hudson with his wife, Eliza (Pickens) Hudson bought 400 acres in 1860 for $1,300, or $3.25 an acre. He was 49 years old, and moved his family from Maury County to an area which was briefly called Hudson and what would become the community of Ethridge.

Y.M. expanded his holdings to County Farm Road. A few old cedar trees that he and his grandson Carl planted still line this road and fields. Y. M. gave land for a depot and railroad right-of-way with the understanding that the town would bear his name. One of the first steam trains to come through stopped near Y. M.’s home to fill-up with water at Hudson Spring. Both passengers and crew were confused by the names “Hudson,” and “Hudson Spring,” so the town was renamed for Emerson Ethridge, a prominent Tennessee politician.

In 1886 Y. M. gave 1.5 acres for the first school in Ethridge, then called Hudson Academy. Present-day Ethridge Elementary is on this site, and a plaque at the school honors its early benefactor.

continued to raise tobacco until 2018. Robert and his son continued to buy and sell land. In 1944 Carl and wife, Dena (Richardson) sold a 300-acre farm to Joe Yoder, who was then Lawrence County’s first Amish landowner. This marks the beginnings of a long and meaningful relationship with the Hudson family and the Amish community.

Carl Thomas (Tom) Hudson, Will’s father, made his first land purchase in 1954, before going to the University of TN in Knoxville. The landowner came to his father offering 160 acres on the Buffalo River for $35 an acre; Tom overheard the offer and took it himself. The story goes that the seller was a moonshiner who had been caught and needed quick cash.

Robert Milton Hudson, along with his wife Sally, continued the farming operation after his dad. Robert started another family tradition by holding a second full-time job serving as the Ethridge Postmaster. His son Carl Young Hudson also worked for the postal system serving as a rural mail carrier from 1926 to 1961.

Both men raised cattle and crops including corn, alfalfa, tobacco, and cotton. The Hudson farm

Tom relied on family to help raise tobacco and corn on the property while he was in school. He received a Bachelor’s in Soil Science and got a job at a Soil Conservation Service in Ripley, Tennessee. But, Tom soon learned that he would rather push dirt at his farm than papers. He and his wife Jo Carolyn (Sharp) soon returned to Ethridge. Tom continued the tradition of holding both full-time job and farming. He also served in the National Guard. Tom taught biology at LCHS, then began a long career with Lawrenceburg’s Commerce Union Bank. During his life, he continued to grow the farm to over 1,000 acres.

Will and his sisters Leah Remke and Carla Corum grew up on the family farm. Will went on to earn a Soil

Science degree at MTSU. He and his wife Linda (Doub), a nurse, moved with his job with Crop Production Services to Florida, Texas, and Idaho. Will continued to farm in other areas through these moves. He owned a 60-acre orange grove, and in Idaho, was a partner in a 160-acre potato farm.

On a visit home in 2005, Will and some Amish friends had their first conversation about creating a produce auction where they could sell their goods in large lots. The result was Plowboy Produce Auction on South Brace Road, a facility custom-made for Amish bringing loads of produce in wagons. Will sold this business a few years ago. The produce auction continues to be a great success for the Amish and enjoyed by many in Middle Tennessee.

The Hudson’s have always been friends and coworkers with their Amish neighbors. Will has an especially close friendship with the Hershberger family. The Hershbergers have worked closely on the farm with the Hudson family for generations.

Will and his family moved back to Ethridge in August 2006. His dad passed away that December. The Rose family at that time was growing row crops on Hudson land. Will immediately took on his dad’s cattle operation. In 2008, he started buying his own equipment and adding more acres to the farm. He now has a cattle

operation and raises row crops on 1,000+ acres.

Will still works full-time for the company that sent him to Florida, Texas, and Idaho, but under its new name, Nutrien Ag Solutions. The Hudson’s have three daughters: Emily, an elementary teacher in Wyoming; Elizabeth, a full-time mother in North Carolina; and Ella, who works at Lawrence County’s Farm Service Agency.

As with most 100 year-old farms, taking care of the land brings both joys and sorrows. The Hudson farm is no exception. After generations of farming, the family was devastated when Carla, and her husband Brad, lost their son, Hudson Corum, in a tragic accident while visiting in June of 2018.

The accident shook both the family and the entire community. Lawrence County continues to honor Hudson through the support of First Responders. Hudson Farms are strong advocates of ag safety in the farming community after suffering this heartbreaking loss.

Will’s son-in-law, Josh Wunner, is a Lawrenceburg Fireman and also works on the farm. Josh and Ella’s four-year-old son Beckett is growing up on The Hudson Farm and “loves it,” Will says. “Beckett will be a seventhgeneration farmer and will help launch Hudson Farm into the next century.”

DR. GARY HILL - LARGE ANIMAL VET

Lawrence County 2024 Agribusiness of the Year

Dr. Gary Hill began his Veterinary Practice in Lawrence County in 1982. In 1984 he and another local Veterinarian opened the Large Animal Clinic just west of Lawrenceburg on Shotwell Road. Dr. Hill is currently its sole owner and operator.

Dr. Hill limits his Veterinary Practice primarily to beef and dairy cattle. He is widely known for his expertise in cattle health and his customer base extends well beyond Lawrence County. He has customers who bring their cattle from as far away as Murfreesboro, Parsons, and Alabama. One important aspect of customer satisfaction is the fact that he has kept his prices low for livestock producers.

Dr. Hill is very supportive of the beef cattle industry and youth livestock programs like 4-H and FFA. He is one of the only vets in the area that performs health checks and paperwork free of charge for 4-H and FFA members who are participating in youth livestock shows. Dr. Hill has also been assisting with the Lawrenceburg Bull Test since 2010, performing BSE Tests on over 450 bulls at a very affordable rate.

In a time when there are fewer and fewer large animal veterinarians, Dr. Hill, a true cattlemen’s veterinarian, is a great blessing to beef and dairy cattle producers in Lawrence County and this region.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released the results of the 2022 Agriculture Census. The census is completed every 5 years and provides a comprehensive snapshot of the farms and ranches across the United States. NASS also conducts some annual county estimate reports on major commodities like corn and soybeans that demand more frequent reporting. The data from these reports comes directly from the information that is provided by the farmers and helps farmers, businesses, and governmental agencies see trends which aids them in their planning process.

What did we learn about Lawrence County Agriculture from the latest census? The general findings show huge increases in market values of commodities, farms and buildings. The market value of all Lawrence County farm products surpassed the 100 million mark and came in at $101,055,000 which was a 42% increase from the 2017 census. Both row crops and livestock made dramatic increases with market value of livestock increasing 50% and crops increasing 36%. The average value of farms and buildings jumped almost $350,000 to an average of $889,115 which was a 63% increase from 2017.

Lawrence County is a diversified agriculture county with almost an even split in the market value of crops and livestock. The market value of crops like corn, soybeans and wheat was reported at $53,747,000 while the market value of livestock like beef cattle, poultry and swine was reported at $47,307,000. Lawrence County ranks 5th in the state in beef cattle numbers and 2nd in the state in poultry numbers for layers and pullets for replacements.

Unlike the dramatic increases seen in market values of farms and farm products, Lawrence County lost 167 farms over the past 5 years which was a 12% reduction. The state reported a 10% reduction which matches up with what is taking place nationwide. The average size of farms increased by 29 acres which makes the 2022 average size of a Lawrence County Farm to be 194 acres. As the number of farms are in decline the remaining farms are larger, more specialized and more efficient. One example of this is shown with the Lawrence County Row Crop

Lawrence County

Agriculture Agriculture

Producers. The 2023 crop yields were some of the best we have ever experienced. Last year’s corn crop averaged just under 200 bushels per acre which is a county record. To put this into perspective, 40 years ago in 1982 the county average for corn production was 84 bushels per acre.

An alarming statistic that has been steadily increasing over the past several census reports is the aging population of farmers. The average age of Lawrence County farmers is now 58.1 years which is a slight increase from 58 years as was reported in 2017. At an age when lot of people are beginning to consider retirement, farmers are still going strong. A positive trend noted in Lawrence County is the number of young farmers. There are 194 farmers 35 years old and younger in Lawrence County which was a 64% increase over the last 5 years. This ranks Lawrence County 3rd in the state in number of young farmers which is a very positive trend signaling a bright future for Lawrence County Agriculture

Agriculture is an extremely important industry in Lawrence County. When you consider an industry of 1,227 small family owned businesses that producers over 100 million dollars of products annually in a rural community, the county economic impact is enormous. Lawrence County producers match up with the best farmers in the world. They stay on the cutting edge of technology and remain laser focused on production practices that allows them to do more with less and do it with a laser focus on safety and sustainability. The 2022 Census of Ag. report can be found at: https://www.nass. usda.gov/AgCensus/

to learn more about Lawrence County agriculture. I encourage you to enjoy the excitement of Friday and Saturday’s Truck and Tractor Pull, tour the Hudson farm which has existed 164 years, and enjoy local har vests at the Farm to Table Dinner.

Children can learn and have fun at the June 5 Farm City Day at Rotar y Park, and at the Youth Fishing Rodeo at the B obby Brewer Park pond.

To go along with the week’s theme, UT-TSU Extension Lawrence County is hosting an Estate event on Monday, June 3.

Many thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for recognizing the importance of our farming community and its tremendous impact on our economy, and choosing Farm Family Health & Wellness as this year ’ s theme.

Sincerely,

LAWRENCE COUNTY AWRENCE

LAWRENCE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

Ernie Jones, President 5231 Waynesboro Hwy Lawrenceburg, TN

Johnny Barksdale 3072 N. Mt. Ararat Rd. Ethridge, TN

Larry McAnally 481 Hudson Rd. Lawrenceburg, TN

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stan Threet, Vice President 195 Flatwoods Rd. Lawrenceburg, TN

Larry Niedergeses 4260 Gimlet Rd. Lawrenceburg, TN

Lewis Thomas 915 O’Henry Dr. Lawrenceburg, TN

Kenneth Powell, Treasurer 100 Crews Rd. Lawrenceburg, TN

Terri White 170 N. Hood Rd. Lawrenceburg, TN

Will Hudson 101 Armstrong Ave. Ethridge, TN