Submitted by Chrissy Henderson
Leadership 2023-2024 is getting off to a wiz/bang start. After such an exciting opening weekend at Adventure Works, the class as a whole was looking forward to our first topic-specific day together. We began our day with the host with the most, Ronnie Barron at the UT Extension Office and an appetizing breakfast prepared by Mrs. Lisa Barron. Ronnie went over the many things that his office is tasked with, as well as an overview of days’ events to come.
After we loaded up the van, chauffeured by Leadership alumni, Jody Vann, our first stop was at the KLD All Natural Beef Farm on Turnipseed Road. Mr. Ken Drinnon and his daughter, Christie welcomed us to their 64 acre farm. We learned about the rotation of the cattle business from purchasing young cattle to their lucrative business of selling their own processed beef, as well as chicken, pork, eggs, honey and hopefully in the future, zinnia flowers and arrangements to honor of Mrs. Drinnon’s life-ending battle with dementia.
The next stop led us to Sugar Camp Organic Vegetable Farm, a five acre farm located on Bandy Road. Owner/operator Lizzie Wright welcomed us and gave us a brief history of the farm, as well as a very informative guided tour of the farm. We learned of the havoc recent tornadoes wreaked on the farm and the rebuilding phases of their greenhouses as a result. Sugar Camp grows various organic vegetables such as fennel, kale, cabbage, onions and specialized small tomatoes sold mostly to chefs in and around Nashville. Lizzie and her husband, Jesse have the cleanest, neatest gardens! We felt like we were in a real life version of Farmville! We were able to see the process from plant flats in greenhouses, in beautifully planted garden rows, to planting fields
of cover-plants with thought-processed vegetation planted to replenish the soil what it needs to for vibrant, healthy crops in the future.
Our next farm to visit was the nearly 115 acre tobacco farm of Dale “Bubba” Palmore. Bubba is one of a few full-time tobacco farmers left in the county. Bubba currently has seven barns for firing his tobacco, a large size stripping room as well as living quarters for the (currently 16) field helpers that are contracted from Mexico every year and Bubba’s son, Jeremy, helps him with the business. Our Leadership group was able to witness the workers climbing up in the top tiers of a barn to hang the tobacco (on the sticks) in preparation for firing, tour a couple of barns that were already full of this years’ crop hanging and fired, as well as visit the stripping room
that is utilized after the tobacco has been fired to get it prepped for sale. The nature of Bubba’s business is a dying art. It is hard, dirty, physical work and truly a labor of love that has been passed from generation to generation.
Our morning passed quickly and lunch time was upon us! We traveled to Owen Farms in Cheap Hill where Stephen, Beth and Jackson Carr grilled and served us hamburgers and brats, from KLD All-Natural Beef Farms, for our lunch. We all agreed that was some of the best beef and brats we have ever tasted! After lunch we learned a little about Owen Farm from Ronnie Barron and his past visits/talks with Trace and Anessa Owen and the family. We learned of the late Tommy Owen’s love for this gorgeous farm. Owen Farms is now primarily a wedding venue. We walked and explored various parts of the farm and got to experience the breath-taking view
over Sycamore Creek. Rain began to set in and so we were off to our final destination.
We arrived at HBR Lumber, LLC, a sawmill on Highway 12, Henrietta, Tennessee. We met owners John and Kristy Dowlen as well as two of the three children, who’s first initials make up the “HBR” name. HBR is very much a family owned and operated business. We completely toured the facility. No one place was off limits. One would think, with the nature of the business, that there would be off limit, dangerous areas that were not available to the public and that just was not the case. Our Leadership group got to witness first hand how the sawmill handles each aspect from huge chunks/trees, down to the wood chips shipped off to make cardboard.
There is little to no waste. HBR Lumber LLC is a state of the art sawmill!
To conclude our day, we returned to the UT Extension office to expound on our day together. We learned a lot and experienced even more. Thank you Ronnie Barron and all those involved in planning.
Leadership Cheatham County 