Scott and Shea Lowe named Kentucky Farm Bureau's 2015 Outstanding Young Farm Family
Posted on Dec 4, 2015Louisville, KY (December 4, 2015) – Scott & Shea Lowe of Calloway County were honored as Kentucky Farm Bureau’s (KFB) 2015 “Outstanding Young Farm Family” during the organization’s 96th annual meeting in Louisville. Each year KFB awards this distinction to a couple, under the age of 35, who has exhibited the strongest farm management skills, most consistent financial growth and highest level of involvement in both Farm Bureau and the community.
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Scott Lowe is a first-generation farmer who took his boyhood fascination with farming and turned it into a reality. Leasing his first two acres of land from a neighbor in 2000, he split a crop of dark-fired tobacco 50/50 with that neighbor and used the profits to begin his journey into the world of farming.
“My whole life, I have always dreamed of farming. I’ve always had a passion for agriculture,” said Scott. “I was fortunate enough through middle school, high school and college to have a neighbor that allowed me to work for him during the summer on his farm.”
Newly married to Shea, also a first-generation farmer, and partnering with her to make a bigger commitment to farming as a family, they launched Lowe Farms in 2002. Through incremental expansion of crop acreage and the acquisition of additional equipment and barns, Scott’s dream of becoming a full-time farmer came true.
Upon graduation, he began pursuing this reality on his own land. Today the Lowes operate on an 845-acre farm, growing corn, soybeans and dark-fired tobacco, and tend a small herd of beef cattle. Over the past several years, they have also implemented several new farming practices, added various pieces of equipment and installed facilities to assist with cost efficiencies, improve conservation efforts and expand their employee base.
While Scott is in charge of the row crops, it is Shea who oversees the tobacco, which is their number one cash crop.
“I love raising our kids on the farm. We are first-generation farmers and we know the opposite of what farm life is; it’s a good life but I think this is a grand life,” said Shea. “We’re putting our kids in an atmosphere that very few on this earth have the opportunity to take advantage of.”
Scott and Shea are both active on the Calloway County Farm Bureau board of directors where Scott serves as the Chair of its Young Farmer Committee. They have both served on KFB’s State Young Farmer Committee, Scott as its Vice Chair, and he is currently a member of KFB’s Dark Tobacco Advisory Committee. The Lowes also regularly contribute their time in leadership roles to several other industry- and community-focused groups.
In addition to receiving statewide recognition as the newest “Outstanding Young Farm Family,” the Lowes won a Case IH Scout courtesy of KFB Insurance and Case IH, an Apple iPad from Republic Bank & Trust, $1,000 cash from Premier Crop Insurance, a $750 Dyna-Gro Seed voucher from Crop Production Services, a $500 voucher from Southern States Cooperative, and a voucher for 12 bags of seed corn from Pioneer Seed.
They also received an expense-paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) national young farmer contest next month in Orlando, Fl.
Winners of the AFBF national contest will take home their choice of either a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado or a 2016 GMC Sierra, courtesy of General Motors, and a paid registration to the 2016 Young Farmer & Rancher Leadership Conference in Kansas City, MO., in February, 2016.
Outstanding Young Farm Family Finalists
Brad & Karen Hines
Growing up on his family’s dairy and tobacco farm in Hart County, Brad Hines worked as a diesel technician at Jacobi Sales and ran his own diesel truck and farm equipment repair business after graduating college. Knowing he wanted to return to his agricultural roots full-time, Hines purchased his first 113-acre farm at an auction in 2005. Today he manages a 1,350-acre operation where he raises beef cattle and grows alfalfa, corn, soybean, tobacco and wheat. His wife, Karen, who was also raised on a farm and actively involved in FFA, 4-H and livestock clubs throughout her youth, works as a nurse at a regional hospital in addition to assisting with the farm’s management and office work. In addition to farming their own land, Brad has also created additional income over the years through his diesel repair business and by providing custom planting and harvesting services on approximately 500 acres of land belonging to neighboring farmers. As the couple also continues to learn and implement more effective agriculture management practices, employ single-season calving and new breeding techniques for their cattle, and gain newer and larger facilities and equipment, their productivity has steadily increased each year.
Brad and Karen have both been members of Hart County Farm Bureau since 2001, are active members of the County, Kentucky and National Cattlemen Associations and participate in many other local industry and community-focused activities.
The Hines’ second place finish earned them 250 hours free use of a Kubota tractor, an Apple iPad from Republic Bank & Trust, $750 cash from Premier Crop Insurance, a $500 Dyna-Gro Seed voucher from Crop Production Services, a $300 voucher from Southern States Cooperative, and a voucher for 8 bags of seed corn from Pioneer Seed.
Wesley & Jennifer Poole Beginning with just 20 acres and a small home right after high school, Wesley Poole, and now his wife, Jennifer, have worked diligently over the past 11 years to build their Daviess County farm into its current 625-acre size. Working mostly independently, Wesley has expanded the farm to grow corn, soybeans and tobacco as well as raise cattle and a large number of turkeys. The couple has continued to increase their on-farm efficiencies by utilizing land that wasn’t suitable for crops as space for new turkey housing. Additional structures – tobacco barns, an equipment storage shed, workshop and a bunkhouse for hired laborers – and other equipment acquisitions have also been acquired to increase efficiencies and keep costs low.
The Pooles are active members of the Daviess County Farm Bureau and Kentucky Young Farmer Association.
For their third place finish, the Pooles won 100 hours free use of a New Holland tractor, an Apple iPad from Republic Bank & Trust, $500 cash from Premier Crop Insurance, a $250 Dyna-Gro Seed voucher from Crop Production Services, and a $200 voucher from Southern States Cooperative, and a voucher for 6 bags of seed corn from Pioneer Seed.
Tagged Post Topics Include: Award, Brad Hines, Calloway County, Contest, Daviess County, Hart County, Jennifer Poole, Karen Hines, Outstanding Young Farm Family, Scott Lowe, Wesley Poole
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