For the folks who’ve lived in Oldham County a long time, it’s easy to remember when orchardgrass seed, tobacco, and dairy were the top ag commodities in the county.  Horses, grain and forage crops, nurseries and greenhouses, and vegetables are now far more common sights on our farms.

With our proximity to Louisville, plus the number of young families with kids here, horses make perfect sense.  It also makes sense that farmers are positioned to capitalize on a big market for local foods.  We have so many successful producers here in the county to celebrate.  A few have been in the news recently, and you will enjoy their stories.  A thread of success they all share is the ability to identify and capture local markets for their products.  From supplying pumpkins to the zoo to establishing CSA’s and selling at farmers markets, these farmers have found ways to be successful while doing what they love – farming and preserving their land for future generations.    

Wes Husband of Oldham County recently sat down with Alan Watts of Kentucky Farm Bureau for an interview.  As a fourth generation farmer on his family’s centennial farm, Wes used this learning plus his networking and marketing skills to create markets for his farm products.  You can hear Wes’s interview at https://www.buzzsprout.com/953704/11101794-wes-husband-of-oldham-county.

Neither Ben Abell nor Bree Pearsall grew up on farms.  You wouldn’t guess it though, if you’ve ever been to Rootbound Farm.  They produce certified organic vegetables, chickens, eggs, and lamb for CSA customers at over 20 different pick-up locations in our area.  Ben and Bree were featured in an August issue of The Farmer’s Pride.  If you’d like to learn more about them, check out their website at https://www.rootboundfarm.com/

Although Jon Bednarski didn’t grow up on a farm, he showed cattle as a youth in Vermont.  When he decided to begin farming here in Oldham County, his background in sales and marketing were vital in successfully building a customer base for his beef.  Jon is also very active in conservation efforts.  This passion led to him recently becoming part of the Sand County Foundation’s beginning farmer mentor program.  Meet two of the farmers he’s working with at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V9JACJZy23k

I enjoy sharing farm stories, and it’s helpful for our community and other farmers to understand the variety of ag enterprises going on here.  If you’d like to share about an Oldham County farming operation, please contact me at traci.johnson@uky.edu.  And for those who aren’t farmers — don’t forget to thank the farmers in your life.