For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been involved within agriculture.  I am currently employed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a forester.  I remember from the age of three years old sitting on the turn row of my grandfather’s field while the grown ups picked okra.  I can vividly recollect sitting in the seat of my Papa’s John Deere 4630 making motor sounds and acting like I was putting my own crop in.  I also remember picking okra, digging sweet potatoes, picking peas, and helping my father fabricate an irrigation system to water his okra patch-in which we coined the “The Poor Man’s Irrigation System.” If you were to ask any of my classmates from elementary school, all I did was talk about tractors and farming.

Some of my fondest times were spent with a John Deere 4020 and a 4 bottom breaking plow with the smell of fresh turned dirt, the rural night sky in Lee County, AR and the hum of a 404 CUI Diesel engine.  I was only about ten or eleven years old, but I could drive that tractor all night long.  This can probably be contributed to my hearing loss today.  I remember sitting out late at night when my mom figured that I should’ve been at home listening to old heads listen to 103.5 Solid Gold Soul playing oldies at a random black farmer’s shop.  Some of my not so fond memories include picking 150-200 lbs. of okra every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Anyone who has done it, knows that vegetable growing is very labor intensive and not for the faint of heart. Not all will be able to relate, but these are some of the best memories of my childhood and were character defining moments.  A lot of people ask why I can tolerate heat and certain conditions, lol….this is my secret.  100 plus degree days don’t bother me and never will, because I haven’t experienced anything tougher than that okra patch.

Fast forward almost twenty years later, and a lot of those random black farmers have now passed on or out of business.  Agriculture and farming is definitely a dying profession amongst the youth, especially one’s of color. I’ve had several of my friends tell me that I am the only black farmer that they know.  And I am sure that it is a rarity that there is a twenty four year old and a thirty year old black farmer in their network.  I remember linking up with my little cousin Daniel Perry when he was fresh out of high school as we both shared the honor of being USDA 1890 Scholars for our respected universities. Shoutout to Alabama A&M University & The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.  As our bond grew closer we began to speak of a dream that I honestly never thought that would come to fruition.  We spoke of the good old days, the legacy of our family, and building a brand to pass on to future generations. I would just like the record to reflect that we have been talking about building generational wealth long before Jay Z’s 4:44 album. If there was a time put on it, I would have to say 1:30 lol.  But back to the blog at hand, we constantly brainstormed on what this dream farm would look like.  From what tractors we would buy, farm size,  what type of crop we would grow, and where we would see ourselves in five-ten years with it.  I very vividly remember talking to a fellow 1890 scholar who works for the Farm Service Agency back in November.  In about a 40 minute conversation, it gave me a little bit more confidence and surety about moving forward with our dream within the financial process. I had began to think that I wanted more in my life than working for USDA for thirty years and only ascertaining a pension that I may never even live to see honestly. I want that and more. Finally, I remember waking up one morning— December 2016 and seeing a FB post from one of my colleagues. I remember that status on her page stating “I am going to shoot my shot in 2017.”  That simple status ignited a wildfire that would cultivate what would soon become Double P Farms, A & D Farms, Perry Family Farms, —DAB Farms.  You would be surprised when you go to file your paperwork with the state and all your planned names are taken; what you will come up with.  But to be honest that name has stuck and I say it with pride.  With a business plan in hand and officially registered through the state our dream was becoming a reality, the foundation block had been laid.

The next chapter for us was to find the basic equipment and get it financed.  This is a major key. A lot of people jump out there and take every dime that is offered. We carefully planned what we would need and took a loan for exactly and just a little bit more.

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An iconic moment was the day that I found our tractor.  To spare the detail, as operations manager, I knew that I wanted a 2wd 200hp Deere, 15 speed Powershift tractor.  I looked at a 4850 locally, that was definitely not my cup of tea. There were too many smoke and mirrors with the seller.  The tractor was rode hard and put away wet to be honest.  We were vetting a closer 4850 in the neighboring state that fit the bill, but the guy didn’t really seem motivated to sell.  I remember scrolling Craigslist on my phone during my 15 min break and I saw that bitch lol.  A clean little 2wd Deere 4850 in Westport, TN. I remember forwarding it to my cousin and he instantly fell in love.  Within a week, My cousin Daniel was enroute to Westport, TN in the snow to give it a test drive.

Within another few weeks, I was enroute from Southern Mississippi to Westport, TN with my buddy Cordero France to test drive and see it for myself after receiving numerous videos and pics from Daniel’s visit.  To me this tractor fit our operation like a glove.  We had to have it.  I remember after test driving the tractor and being super excited talking to the previous owner about obstacles facing farmers in today’s era and about their operation.  We talked numbers and I called my cousin to ask what he thought of the price and he concurred with the figure.  I shook the previous owner’s hand on it, drank two Miller Lites, and committed to buy our first tractor.  I remember telling him that we would be back two-three weeks to pick it up and he laughed.  He stated that if you’re dealing with FSA, maybe you’ll be able to get it by May..lol…

We continued to scour weeds, classifieds, Craigslist, and even canvas retired farmers for other equipment that they were willing to part with.  You would be surprised what some people have sitting in their fence rows and boneyards that need minimal work just because they felt it was obsolete.  Implements in this category are good for beginning farmers who don’t want to start off in an astronomical amount of debt. Farm equipment is expensive, for example, a new R series Deere tractor will run you at least 200k, while an older low hour tractor is a fraction of the cost. And contrary to popular belief, newer equipment breaks too.  Now, I strongly recommend not to skimp on a tractor as this is the bread and butter of your operation, but there are good older tractors out here that are well taken care of.  Also rebuilding older implements is a lot cheaper than going out buying this stuff new.  It is also a cost-saver to do that labor yourself, and anyone who knows me, knows I do my own labor if I have time no matter what the job is. If one was to look for older equipment my best advice to one would be to find older equipment in great shape, but don’t be afraid of certain equipment that may need a little work if you’re actually a good mechanic and have the tools. Don’t be afraid to invest in technical manuals, tools, Youtube, and use the highly coveted google search button to obtain information.  With all this being previously said we were able to amass most of the equipment we needed.  Some of it is pictured below.

Now, I want to make it clear that in the process of obtaining our equipment, the individuals were very understanding of our situation and helped in more ways than they know.  They held on to equipment on their word and hand shakes. There are a lot of individuals who will leave you high and dry if you’re starting out and not be patient.  They were also very forthcoming with information and tips about shaping our operation.  This really meant a lot to us as we were still maneuvering the process of being financed and presently in the process of finding our niche.  I really want to give a special shoutout to those individuals.  

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After a brief wait period and mountain of paper work, we were able to secure the funds needed to acquire all of our equipment.  And, please let me reiterate that the mountain of paperwork only increases with time lol.  It was another monumental milestone in a dream that was once just talk on the phone and bullshitting over beers while listening  to good tunes.

To have the realization of your dream come to fruition is rewarding. I haven’t felt a joy like this in a long time. When we put that tractor in the field it just felt right. It felt natural.  A lot of people ask us did we quit our jobs with USDA, and I tell them hell no, because we love our careers, but we needed to also do something that satisfied our soul and core individual being. There’s also doubters and people who think that just because we have great careers, that we must be out of our damn mind for farming.  But me personally, I’ve always welcomed a challenge, and this is one that I feel is worth every ounce of effort for the reward.

To learn about our equipment and different practices is a great experience. For a person who seeks knowledge; it’s stimulating when you’re researching something that pertains to something that is apart of your core soul. In the last six months, I have appeased the STEM student within myself while furthering my knowledge of agricultural practices and applying it to knowledge that I’ve learned in college, my career, and past farm experience.

Just recently, I was able to sow seeds onto my great-grandmother’s land that she passed down to my mother and what will eventually be passed down to me.  Even though it was only a cover crop of Buckwheat to build organic matter and keep weeds down until the fall, it was rewarding to know I will be making my great-grandmother proud by farming her land.  There was something about that day, which just seemed to have a blessed feeling over it.  It rained starting out, but the sun came out to dry things out and it turned into a very pleasant day to sow those seeds.

 

Me and my cousin have agreed that we’re not interested in becoming mega farmers, but only to work a manageable/profitable amount of acreage that we can produce a quality respectable crop from.  It’s about the passion and the outlet to get away from it all sometime.  Me and my cousin speak constantly about people who are involved in ag and don’t truly hold a passion for it.  To farm you truly have to love this shit, because it’s definitely not a get rich quick scheme and things can go sour instantly.   But, if one was afraid of risk in life, then we would just sit in the house all day worrying about “What If.”

But, I’m going to encourage anyone who is reading this to follow your dreams.  Whether your dream is farming, basket weaving, or being a major conglomerate in the world-I encourage you to follow it. Stay true to yourself.  I also want to say don’t half ass your dream and be patient to let it evolve and grow.  It is also imperative that you don’t get caught up trying to keep up with the Joneses.  Find your niche.

I can’t give all the tidbits of the farming venture right now, as I want to have more to talk about in the future, but stay tuned because we have some major things in the works.