Graves farmer a finalist for Farmer of the Year. BY CARRIE DILLARD Keith Lowry, owner of Lowry Farms in Graves County, is one of three finalists for the 2014 Kentucky Farm Bureau Farmer of the Year award. Running a 9,000-acre farm and managing both a small trucking company and excavating business keep him pretty busy, but the phone has been ringing with media outlets requesting interviews after he was named one of three finalists for the 2014 Kentucky Farm Bureau Farmer of the Year award. I wasnt prepared, he said. Lowry said hes honored to be among the top three but feels he cant take all the credit for getting there. Im the one who was chosen, but really, there are a lot more people that need to be recognized, he said. If it wasnt for my family, my granddad (the late B.G. Lowry), my dad (the late Jimmy Lowry), my sons and employees, I wouldnt be here today. The multigenerational farm is truly a family affair, and always has been, Lowry said. It goes back six generations, he said. I started in 1976, and in 99 took it over from my dad. Lowry grew the farm from 250 acres to 9,200 acres of corn, soybean and wheat. Currently, they are harvesting the rest of the 3,500-acre seed bean crop, which is grown for Monsanto. He said his sons, Vincent and Patrick, and both their wives, Brooke and Stefanie, are instrumental in running the family farm. His wife, Rita, who also works at a local bank, helps out, too. And he doesnt forget to mention the other eight full-time workers that he employs. Kentucky Farm Bureau began the Farmer of the Year program as a way to recognize its members who are committed to efficiency in farming practices, sound financial management and their county Farm Bureau, in addition to demonstrating service and leadership on and off the farm. In a press release naming its finalists, KFB noted that Lowry had adopted new precision agriculture practices, installed higher efficiency grain dryers and incorporated center pivots to better use water resources and manage drought issues to improve his farms productivity. The bureau added that he further diversified his efforts by acquiring a fleet of trucks to haul fertilizer and seed beans, and also purchased equipment to run a small excavating business. Lowry said he has been blessed the past few years with good crops and good prices, and has tried to find ways to give back to the community by sponsoring an annual Christmas party for local families in need and hosting a Wounded Warrior spring turkey hunt for three consecutive years. Its important to give back, Lowry said. If everybody would just give a little bit, wed make the world a better place. Lowry has served on the Graves County Farm Bureau board of directors for 20 years, including 10 years as its secretary and treasurer. This year, Lowry also received the local Rotary Clubs Humanitarian Award and was declared a Master Conservationist in 2002. Lowry said he learned to be a part of the community from his late grandfather, B.G., who was a longtime Farm Bureau member. He said it is important for farmers to support the Farm Bureau, which can be their voice to the legislature. Farm Bureau is very active in the farming community. They keep up with the issues that affect farmers here, he said. Lowry was encouraged by others on the Graves County Farm Bureau board of directors to apply for the award. Joining Lowry as 2014 finalists are Ronnie Cooper of Lincoln County and Jack Trumbo of Shelby County. These are all good candidates, he said. Whether I win or lose, Im honored to be in the top three. Judges met in late September to conduct interviews with the finalists and visit the farms. Kentucky Farm Bureau will name the winner on Dec. 5 at its annual state meeting in Louisville. The winner will receive $1,000 from the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation, and all three will be given a Kentucky Farm Bureau jacket. Runners-up will each receive $250. The winner will go on to represent the state in the Swisher/Sunbelt Ag Expo Southern Farmer of the Year contest in Moultrie, Georgia, in October 2015, where the top prize has a value of $15,000.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 16:49:04 +0000
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