For many farmers across the state, the 2022 harvest season served as a stark reminder that nothing should be taken for granted. Despite numerous challenges within the farming community, however, these three Tennessee growers say that their love of the profession has not been weakened and that they remain hopeful for the future.  

Philip Moore — West Tennessee

Philip Moore’s family farming business faced challenges this season as drought and high temperatures ravaged the Western portion of the state. After working the land in Westport for over 30 years, Philip is no stranger to the ups and downs of the farming lifestyle. However, his sons, Trevor and Colton, experienced the challenges of drought for the first time.

“I’ve heard my dad talk about droughts that have hit our farm in years past,” says Trevor, Philip’s youngest son. “This is the first time I’ve experienced one for myself, but that doesn’t change that farming is in my blood — it’s what I’ve grown up doing, and it’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

The Moores currently farm corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat on over 6,000 acres in Carroll and Henderson counties. Although their corn was most severely affected by the drought, Colton, Philip’s firstborn, says that the diversity of their family’s crop investments saved their bottom line. 

“No doubt, the drought hurt our corn and early soybeans the most,” says Colton. “Our late beans and cotton came up good, though, and we’re already looking forward to next year with those same crop splits.”

Philip, who has served on the Carroll Farmers Co-op board for many terms over the course of his farming career, says that he and his sons rely on the Co-op for recommendations and inputs, especially when growing conditions are not ideal. 

“This past year, Corren Tippitt at Carroll Farmers helped us assess our crop damage and gave us some recommendations for recovering those crops,” says Philip. “We’ve always relied on the Co-op for our fertilizer, chemical, and seed, but it’s also nice to have local agronomists who I can trust for advice.” 

He says it is this support system that allows him to sustain his business when faced with challenging conditions. 

“I couldn’t do what I do without the help of my sons, father, and everyone else who has a hand in this business,” says Philip. “It’s been a difficult year for sure, but we’ve grown closer because of it.”

Jon Bone and Ed Morgan — Middle Tennessee As the 10th harvest of a long-term 

farming partnership wrapped up last month, Jon Bone and Ed Morgan of Maury County compared their farm’s crop outcome to their expectations earlier in the year. 

“We knew input prices were going to be much higher this year, but we never would have guessed how dry the weather would be,” says Morgan. 

Bone and Morgan farm 412 acres of corn, all of which were severely affected by the lack of rain. From May to August, Bone says that his fields only received eight-tenths of precipitation — not enough to produce a desirable yield. 

“I’ve been farming full-time since 2007, but our 2022 corn harvest was the worst I’ve ever experienced,” says Bone. “With no rain and 100-degree days throughout the pollination period, yields were only a third of what I usually make.”

Despite a challenging year for corn, soybean production in Tennessee was down only 2% from 2021 according to the October 12 United States Department of Agriculture’s Tennessee Crop Production Forecast. Bone says he is thankful for their late-planted beans, which produced fair yields despite having a lower test weight. 

“Even though our corn really suffered this year, we have about 380 acres of late soybeans that helped to offset the loss,” says Bone. 

Bone and Morgan are proud members of the Columbia location of United Farm and Home Co-op, where they purchase practically all their farm supplies. 

“The support of the Co-op and the mentorship I received from Jon and other farmers in the area were very important to me when I first started farming in this area,” says Morgan. “Especially when times are tough, it’s amazing to see farmers rallying together.” 

Bone agrees and says that no matter the situation, he will continue his family’s farming legacy. 

“What gets me out of bed every morning, even when the conditions are challenging, is the gratification that I receive from farming,” says Bone. “I enjoy being able to set goals and accomplish them through hard work. If farming teaches you anything, it’s that you reap what you sow.”

Zalen Williams — East Tennessee

Grainger County nurseryman and produce farmer Zalen Williams says he is thankful that his flowers and vegetables were not victims of the drought and that, for the most part, he was able to keep his farmers markets well-stocked with home-grown produce.

“I’ve been selling at Rogersville Produce in Hawkins County for 41 years,” says Williams. “I also sell through Farm Fresh Produce in Knoxville, which my daughter runs, and several other local markets in East Tennessee and South Carolina. They are a huge part of our business, and we want to make sure our customers keep coming back year after year.”

Williams operates 25 greenhouses where he grows annuals and tomatoes, and in the fields, he produces cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, and cantaloupe. This year, he added several acres of sweet corn to his assortment, although he says that sales of corn and beans have been trending downward.  

“We feel like there’s a decline in demand likely due to the state of our economy,” says Williams. “Next year, we’re planning to scale back our business and focus on growing produce for fewer markets, and then we’ll re-evaluate a year or so later.”

Williams says that the biggest challenges he has faced this year are supply and labor shortages. With less interest in farming from the younger generation, finding reliable help has proven to be difficult as well.

“I’m hoping that in the future, we can begin to get more young people involved in agriculture,” says Williams, a longtime and devoted customer of Grainger Farmers Co-op. “The farming lifestyle isn’t easy, though, and you have to have a passion for it to get through bad years like this.”

Williams says he is thankful to have been a part of his family’s nursery from an early age and to have been able to carry on his parent’s farming legacy for the past 40 years.  

“When you’ve been doing it for so long, farming just becomes a part of life,” says Williams. “For me, I consider it a blessing from God that I can make a living doing what makes me happy.”