Episode 36 Clark County Fair

Join our summer intern, Weston Wolf, at the Clark County Fair in Winchester, Ky. Weston was able to catch up with a few members of the Clark County Cattlemens Association as well as KDA, and the Clark County NRCS. 

Clark County Conservation District

Kentucky Department of Ag

Central Kentucky Ag Credit

Transcript

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[00:00:01.280] 

Welcome to Beyond Agriculture, the podcast that takes you beyond the scope of ag and into the real life. Stories, conversations, and events taking place in our community. Who we are and what we do is beyond agriculture.

[00:00:18.720] - Weston Wolf

This is Weston Wolfe. I'm here with Central Kentucky Ag Credit, and we're here interviewing Ethan Taulbee and Clay Willis. You both work for the Cattlemen's Association, Clark County.

[00:00:30.730] - Ethan Taulbee

Yes. Yep. I currently serve as the president and Clay sits on our board here and has played many roles throughout the years.

[00:00:39.770] - Clay Willis

Yes, I have. I've been at since the start of it here.

[00:00:42.650] - Weston Wolf

Alrighty, what would you say Yalls roles here are at the fair?

[00:00:48.010] - Clay Willis

Well, at the fair, our main thing is to sell ribeye steaks and to promote beef. You know, we know where the beef is and it's here. So we sell ribeyes and we also sell pork tenderloins and hot dogs and hamburgers, and it all goes to the Cattlemen's association, and we have several projects that we undertake with that money.

[00:01:06.770] - Weston Wolf

Alrighty. And then, other than working with the Cattlemen's Association, what do y' all do for a living?

[00:01:13.170] - Ethan Taulbee

I farm myself. We have a hauling business. We do some trucking out some local distilleries, but for the most part, we run some mama cows and background a few loads of steers a year.

[00:01:25.490] - Clay Willis

And I'm a farmer now. I used to be a vocational agriculture teacher for 32 years, but now I've retired to farming and I have a cow calf program and it's all I can stand to take care of it. It's just like work, you know?

[00:01:37.890] - Weston Wolf

Very cool. Very cool. So what do you guys think your. How do you think your career is affected the ag industry as a whole, at least in the county level?

[00:01:47.030] - Clay Willis

Well, hopefully in a positive way. You know, when I was an ag teacher, I got to meet a lot of young people who are just. I'm glad I met them. They're good. They know there's a future in agriculture, and that's what we're trying to show that, you know, for beef cattle, there's a teacher out there to raise cattle and to make it good. Right now, cattle prices are high, which is pretty daggone good.

[00:02:09.360] - Weston Wolf

Yep. I've heard that from a lot of folks. They're real excited about it. Yeah. Yeah. What would you say is the most rewarding part of Yalls careers?

[00:02:20.720] - Ethan Taulbee

The. I would say just the ability to get up and see God's creation every day. I mean, be able to just go out and work at your own pace and know that it all is up to you on whether you make it or break it.

[00:02:35.710] - Clay Willis

Yeah, yeah, same thing. Except, you know, I'm a little bit older and it's kind of neat getting out. And I enjoy being by myself now, after being a schoolteacher, I can see where I've been. When I'm mowing a hay field or feeding cattle, you can tell where you've been. Sometimes when you teach students, you don't know if you've connected or not. So it's quite rewarding. And you can. You can live with land and you can be by yourself, and it's pretty good.

[00:03:00.590] - Weston Wolf

Yeah. And then how did y' all get involved in the ag industry?

[00:03:05.930] - Ethan Taulbee

I was raised in it. My whole family has farmed, and I grew up farming. And it was just as much as they tried to steer me away from it by sending me to school and college and whatnot, I ended up right in it. I guess it was kind of just. bred into me.

[00:03:24.650] - Clay Willis

Im the same way. I was raised on a farm all my life. My family's been farming since before the Civil War on the same land. And my grandfather and father farm. We've raised sheep and cattle and mules and tobacco. At one time we quit that, of course, but then I got involved in teaching agriculture, so involved in that, promoting agriculture any way I can.

[00:03:48.480] - Weston Wolf

Yeah, I'm right there with y' all. Born and raised in ag and yep, my dad pushed us all to go to college. And here I am still in the industry. I'm right there with you. So working with the Cattlemen's Association, I imagine you guys have worked here at the Clark County Fair a lot. How many years have you guys been helping out here?

[00:04:08.040] - Clay Willis

Well, we've been helping. When it was first formed, the Cattlemen were formed about 15 years ago. It used to be the. Used to be Forage Council and Cattlemen's. But here, about 15 years ago, we formed the actual Cattlemen's association here. We're part of a bigger system here in Kentucky. We rank 15th as far as our total numbers are. We have over 210 people as members here in Clark County. Barron county has most members of about 450. And it's a way to get involved in the community and give back to the community.

[00:04:39.440] - Ethan Taulbee

Yeah, I've been here. I'm the newbie. I've been here four years.

[00:04:43.320] - Weston Wolf

Yeah. So y' all have seen a lot of different fairs go by. What do you guys think that Clark County Fair does different in comparison to other fairs? What really differentiates it from other Fairs,

[00:04:53.810] - Clay Willis

It's more hometown. You know, I talked to a guy a couple days ago where he'd been to a county fair out in California. It was thousands of animals showing and stuff like that. We're more hometown and people love to come out here and see the cattle show, the sheep show, the hog show, the goat show, riding donkeys and they love the demolition derby and that's I will work the concession stand on demolition derby. And we get a lot of people there and it's wild. We do a lot of good things in Cattleman's. We support a lot of causes in Clark county, like disaster relief of money we make from concession stands. We give scholarships away to people in high school that are going to major in agriculture. We have field days to help educate farmers on new innovations in agriculture, better marketing, you know, having a value added product by vaccinating your cattle and castrating them and stuff. We work with the high school kids too. We have a junior version of our cattlemen association, which they come out and work here too. And just a lot of different things we do.

[00:06:01.510] - Weston Wolf

Alrighty. Well, to wrap us up, I know the ag industry has shaped my life as a whole. And by the way you guys are talking, it sounds like it's done that for you all as well. But what would you say? How much has the ag industry impacted your life as a whole?

[00:06:15.760] - Ethan Taulbee

It's pretty much determined my life. I mean, it's put me on hopefully a good path going forward and gives me a purpose to, you know, get out and help the community and help the land and just be the best steward I can of it.

[00:06:31.120] - Clay Willis

Yeah, just like Ethan being a good steward, taking care of land, not seeing it wash away. You know, back in the 30s and 40s, people didn't know about soil conservation and running the right animals in the right area and overgrazing. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I can go back on the back of my farm, watch the sun go down, everything's peaceful, you can't hear any cars or any trucks. So it probably helps keep me mentally healthy.

[00:06:55.820] - Weston Wolf

Yeah. Yeah. Well, the county fairs, going to county fairs back and forth my entire life is what shaped me and pushed me into the person I am today. And it's people like you guys who volunteer and keep it all going that really shape these kids future. And I couldn't appreciate you all enough for coming out here and talking to us and answering just a few of these questions we got for you. But thank you guys so much.

[00:07:17.490] - Ethan Taulbee

Thank you, thank you.

[00:07:18.930] - Weston Wolf

I'm here with Ag Credit once again and we're here talking with John Chisholm. John, what is it exactly that you do?

[00:07:25.970] - John Chism

Well, presently I work at the Department of Agriculture. I'm the Director of the Livestock Division there. And then of course have a family farm here in Clark County.

[00:07:35.260] - Weston Wolf

Alrighty. So have you always worked there or.

[00:07:38.780] - John Chism

We got some over 15 years of service in there.

[00:07:41.900] - Weston Wolf

Yeah.

[00:07:42.260] - John Chism

And we've worked with the kids in regards to the junior shows and stuff like that. And. And then also we cover the stockyards as far as reporting the market reports that everyone sees that. That comes through my division there at the department.

[00:07:57.030] - Weston Wolf

All right, I gotcha. And so how does your career affect the ag industry in your county?

[00:08:02.470] - John Chism

Well, the market reports in regards to getting out the prices that cattle are bringing at the sale barns probably has the most impact from the standpoint. Producers plan their marketing plans as a result of what shows up on those reports, knowing what the cattle are going to be worth and what the expectations are. So I'd say that would be as far as gait impact. That would have the most gait impact of anything I do.

[00:08:30.630] - Weston Wolf

Yeah, for sure, for sure. What is the most rewarding part of your career?

[00:08:35.510] - John Chism

Well, I think I've always been an advocate of involving young people in the livestock shows and in agriculture. So I think probably that would be one of the most rewarding things to have had an opportunity to work with numerous kids all over the United States and trying to, you know, ensure that we've got those people, that those young people are going to grow up and be our leaders and keep moving our industry forward.

[00:09:03.990] - Weston Wolf

Yeah, it's definitely people like you that volunteer to be in positions like that, to work with the youth. That shaped me to even be where I'm at now. Yeah, I was born and raised in the ag industry and yeah, everybody who helps out has gotten me where I am today. And I can't thank people like you enough. How did you get involved in the ag industry?

[00:09:24.480] - John Chism

Well, I guess you'd say it was tradition or heritage or whatever. I mean, we still own a sixth generation family farm. And you know, I've always thought of our operation as being a traditional family farm. I mean, you know, even back in the day when we raised tobacco and so on, it was still a family enterprise. It wasn't like we had outside laborers and stuff like that.

[00:09:48.840] - Weston Wolf

What would you say has been the biggest change in the ag industry?

[00:09:52.440] - John Chism

Oh, gosh, the list could get really, really long. I mean, just the technology that we now have in regards to in this part of the world in regards to, like, the technology we have on round balers where you can actually check the moisture of the hay as you're baling. And then, of course, the computerized wrapping or tying of the bales and so on is a big infect. And then you go to the producers that raise the grain, corn and soybeans. It's just unbelievable what they have from the cab of a combine. That relates right back over next spring during planting season. And so I would say the technology has changed a bunch in the livestock industry. We gotta think also, you know, the technology that's went along with them as far as EIDs and identification and traceability.

[00:10:46.550] - Weston Wolf

Yeah, yeah. Now, growing up, I was raised on 80 series tractors and coming to UK, I go to UK and it's a culture shock when you see some of the equipment that they're running down there. So, yeah, I definitely agree with you. That's technology has been crazy. So you've been involved for the fair for a long time. How many years have you been volunteering here at Clark County Fair?

[00:11:08.000] - John Chism

Well, we volunteer when we can, but I guess as much as anything, we go back to showing livestock. I mean, that was. That's what we've done. My two sons now are both adults and got their own careers, so we don't do any showing now. But all along they both showed cattle here. And so it's been. It's been a long haul.

[00:11:30.170] - Weston Wolf

Yeah. And I mean, you've been so involved in the Clark County Fair. What do you think differentiates this fair from other county fairs?

[00:11:39.370] - John Chism

Local support. I mean, I think there's a lot of local support here that, you know, Winchester is still, contrary to what some people think, Winchester is still a small town and it's got ag roots and rural roots and, you know, people. A lot of people support the fair as a result of just the way it's always been.

[00:12:01.860] - Weston Wolf

Yeah, yeah. Well, to wrap this up, could you tell us just how much the ag industry has impacted your life as a whole?

[00:12:09.540] - John Chism

Well, I guess it'd be pretty major because that's what I do every day. So, you know, and I was just telling some of them, I was at a livestock sale last night in Smith's Grove, and, you know, I'm somewhere like that every day in my work, and then I go home and do it too.

[00:12:27.950] - Weston Wolf

Yeah, yeah. Well, like I said before, it's people like you who are volunteering and working with the youth that push them to do better and is what's built the ag Industry to what it is today. And like I said, we can't thank you enough. And thank you for stopping in and talking to us for a little bit. We really appreciate having you.

[00:12:44.780] - John Chism

No problem. Enjoyed talking with you guys.

[00:12:47.180] - Weston Wolf

Thank you. We are interviewing Adam Jones with NRCS as a grazing specialist. I got a few questions for you. What role are you playing here at the fair?

[00:12:59.860] - Adam Jones

Tonight i'm here to talk to you all and as a parent of an FFA student.

[00:13:04.060] - Weston Wolf

Okay. All right. So how does your career affect the ag industry and your career?

[00:13:12.210] - Adam Jones

In my county, I'm a farm owner, so I'm intimately involved in looking at where farming is, where farming is going, looking at the national scene. Because what we've learned is farming is very much interlinked. It's not just, you know, at your home level. It's how livestock are marketed and how they're fed out and eventually sent on to processing. So if you're only looking at your home county, you're probably missing out on some opportunities on the bigger scale to set yourself up for a bigger piece of the pie in the production scheme.

[00:13:47.000] - Weston Wolf

Yeah.

[00:13:48.120] - Weston Wolf

All right. How does your. What is the most rewarding part of your career?

[00:13:54.200] - Adam Jones

The future, as a parent of an FFA student, as a farm owner, you're looking at what we're doing now to set, you know, my child up for success in the future, to build a legacy, to create a farm that's sustainable for future generations.

[00:14:14.690] - Weston Wolf

How long have you been in the ag industry?

[00:14:17.650] - Adam Jones

On and off all my life. I grew up in a different state, and my family farms there. Beef, cattle, hogs, hay. So really, I haven't known a point in my life that I wasn't involved in agriculture. And then when I was able to take a job in this state and move, I purchased my own farm. And we're trying to we're doing things a little bit differently than at home, but we're trying to continue a farming legacy.

[00:14:47.740] - Weston Wolf

Yeah. Yeah. What would you say has been the biggest change in the ag industry?

[00:14:55.990] - Adam Jones

Some of it's technology. A small family or an individual can farm more acres today with the benefit of technology. Whether it's grid soil sampling to reduce your fertilizer costs, whether it's auto steer on a tractor that can allow you to farm more acres more efficiently and have less overlap hay collectors that you can, you know, one person can do horse hay, square bale, small square bale, horse hay, and do it efficiently as one person instead of having an entire family baling and putting it on a wagon and putting it in the barn. So technology is changing the way we farm. And in my viewpoint, it's for the better.

[00:15:40.630] - Weston Wolf

Yeah, yeah, it is, it is. It's really extremely helpful for the farmers, all the improvements technology has made. So how many years would you say you've been coming to the Clark county fair?

[00:15:54.470] - Adam Jones

At least 20.

[00:15:55.430] - Weston Wolf

At least 20. So you've been around for a while, you've seen many fairs come and go. What would you say differentiates this fair from other county fairs?

[00:16:05.350] - Adam Jones

I think Clark county offers something for everyone. If you're not interested in the ag side, which is hard for me to understand, but if you're not, you can come out and get some delicious food. You can ride rides, you can watch musical performances, you can watch pageants and not have anything to do with ag. And then if your passion is in ag, whether it's a horse show, a cattle show, sheep show, hog show, rabbit show, tonight is old-fashioned fair games. So you can bring your kids or your grandkids and come out and do things such as watermelon seed spitting and hay bale toss and sack races that tie you back to the agricultural history. So Clark county has something for everyone.

[00:16:45.900] - Weston Wolf

Yeah. So to wrap us up, could you tell us just how much the ag industry has impacted your life as a whole?

[00:16:53.740] - Adam Jones

Well, since it's on radio, you can't see my girth, but I do enjoy food.

[00:17:00.140] - Adam Jones

But more importantly, it's tied me to family. And I can joke about the food and what I eat and things like that, but it's always been tied to family, whether it was putting up hay with grandparents, parents, cousins. You know, to this day, if I need something. Case in point, Saturday. We were mowing, mowing pastures. And my dad is with my son working on the mower and getting parts. My brother and I split the farm in half and he went weed, eat a fence one direction, I weeded fence the other direction. So, you know, it's just that tie to family. Yeah, yeah.

[00:17:41.110] - Weston Wolf

Well, I know you were joking about the food, but I'm right there with you. I love to eat. But in all seriousness, like you said, I'm all there with you about family and building. And I was born and raised in the ag industry, and it has shaped me to be the person I am today. And I couldn't agree with you more. And I bet you if my dad were here, he'd be saying the same thing. I was out there on the mower while we were doing hay and everything. But. Yeah, well, that's all the questions we had for you. I really appreciate you racing over here and answering some questions with us.

[00:18:16.240] - Adam Jones

I'm happy to.

[00:18:17.280] - Weston Wolf

Yeah. Thank you.

[00:18:18.200] - Adam Jones

So I wish you all the best.

[00:18:22.400] 

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