Our national VALOR trip to Kentucky was certainly one to remember! For five days we traveled around the Bluegrass state and met many inspiring leaders while touring diverse agricultural operations.
We started in Lexington where we learned the ins and outs of the horse racing industry at Keeneland, Hallway Feeds, and Three Chimneys Farm. I never realized just how big horse racing is with competitors and investors from all over the globe. One common theme we heard over and over was that the best horses are raised in Kentucky. Is it something in the water? Maybe, maybe not? According to several people we heard from it is actually attributed to the limestone that is abundant in the area! It is certainly a shame that the abundant limestone here in the Shenandoah Valley does not promote the same champion characteristics as one horse we saw, Gun Runner, who brought in a gross income of over $40,000,000 last year.
We also had the opportunity to take a glimpse into the bourbon industry. First, we toured Peterson Farms in Loretto, Kentucky, a massive grain operation spanning over 100 miles. The Petersons are a family operation that raise all sorts of cash crops which includes wheat that they sell to Maker’s Mark to make bourbon. Then, we toured Maker’s Mark and saw exactly how all of that wheat is turned into good, ole Kentucky Bourbon. I think one of the things I found most interesting here was how different wood staves are put into barrels to “finish” the whiskey and can make many complex flavor profiles.
The stops that hit home to me the most were in Bowling Green. We toured another grain operation ran by Jake Hunt. Directly after, we toured a farm to table dairy operation managed by his wife, Dore Hunt. I found this particularly interesting because both of them are full-time farmers on separate family operations. Being in a similar relationship myself, hearing how they manage that was intriguing.
Wherever we went one term that we heard repeatedly throughout our trip was “urban sprawl.” It was apparent that Kentucky is a rapidly growing state. On multiple occasions, I heard that land values were over $30,000 per acre in certain areas, which is devastating for agricultural operations wishing to start or expand. I do not know a lot about manufacturing, but we drove past a massive electric vehicle battery plant being built that spanned several hundred acres. Unfinished, it was an ugly monstrosity and looking at it you could not help but wonder how something that has created so much bare soil could ever be considered “green.” As a farmer, I certainly want to save all the farmland we can. But, I also realize that as a society there is a huge demand for such things and they have to be built somewhere.
One lesson that stands out from the many I learned came from a conversation over dinner. I am not sure where in Kentucky it was planned, but there was a new slaughterhouse project proposed that had a fairly large capacity. This plant would have been huge for the beef industry in Kentucky and the surrounding states. Over the years of debate, the locals ended up getting this project shut down. Now, the land that was proposed for that slaughterhouse is going to be used for an electric vehicle battery recycling plant. It sounds like the locals may have traded a lesser evil for a worse one. This was certainly an example of be careful what you wish or fight for and always be aware of the unintended consequences of that fight.
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