Harris-Jones Greasy Branch Farm honored as Century Farm of the Year
The Harris-Jones Greasy Branch Farm was honored as the Century Farm of the Year in Maury County by Maury County Chamber & Economic Alliance at its annual early morning Farm City Breakfast April 28, drawing almost 200 farmers and business professionals.
Harris-Jones Greasy Branch Farm, established in 1915, has been in continual operation for over 100 years by the Harris and Jones families, today run by owners, husband and wife team, Melissa and Randy Jones in Culleoka, Tennessee.
The farm's namesake, Greasy Branch Farm on Greasy Branch Road, dates back to the 1800s when, according to legend, German settlers once cooled slaughtered pork in the nearby creek that runs along the property when the weather suddenly turned warm.
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"We are proud and blessed to be this year's century farm honoree and prays the farm stays in the family for many more generations," Melissa Jones said.
The Joneses are passionate about carrying on the family legacy and preserving the family's history, through stories passed down as well as historic documentation.
"The life of a farmer is not without setbacks," Melissa said her father used to say. Her great grandfather lost his leg while milking cows and her father suffered from a broken back and crushed eye socket when a hay bale fell on him and later suffered a broken leg from a bull. Despite the hardships, he never stopped farming operations.
More: Maury County century farmer preserves family farmland in fight to sustain rural life in Tennessee
Preserving farmland for next generation
"The majestic hills and vibrant green grass look much like you would imagine 100 years ago," Melissa Jones said.
She emphasized that community leaders and legislators have to find a way to protect the lands, such as giving tax breaks to farmers.
"Century farms and farms that date back five, six and seven generations, are not only a heritage to those who live on them but are a huge blessing to the community. We as farmers and community leaders and legislators have to find a way to protect these lands from the ever increasing taxes."
She said if current trends in land value continue, the market might easily see $100,000 per acre of land in this decade.
"If you can give tax incentives to industry to move into this area to promote jobs and growth, then we can certainly give tax incentives to century farms and those who produce agricultural products to keep them in this area," Melissa Jones said.
About the farm
The 160-acre property was originally formed from a circa 1830s land grant, but some deeds of ownership are unclear until the 1900s.
In 1915, Melissa Jones' maternal grandparents Byron F. Harris and Mary Lou Dillehay Harris purchased the land tracks where the Joneses now farm cattle. Later, Melissa's father and mother, William (Bill) Harris and Elaine (Eddlemon) Harris, married in 1956 after being lifelong neighbors, became stewards of the farm in 1973.
Bill Harris, serving as the state Future Farmers of American secretary and earning the 2013 Gold Star Farmer Award, farmed for the majority of his 91 years, passing away in 2019.
The land was eventually passed down to their daughters Melissa and Cindy Baker.
Melissa and husband Randy Jones, once her father's "right hand man" on the farm, have been farming the land ever since.
UT Ag Extension: State faces problem of land loss
Kevin Ferguson, University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension Specialist for the UT Center for Farm Management, addressed the alarming rate of farmland loss across the state, a trend that is also happening around the nation.
Although current statistics vary, his department, which was just added under the UT umbrella last summer, is in the process of evaluating and collecting the rate of farmland loss in Tennessee.
Currently according to American Farmland Trust, from 2001 to 2016, Tennessee lost 277,300 acres of highly productive land, Ferguson said.
Tennessee also rates as the third (among the top 12) most threatened state in farmland loss, joining other states like Texas, North Carolina and New Jersey, according to American Farmland Trust. Ferguson said the state moved from fourth to third place after Ford auto's BlueOval City was announced in Haywood County in West Tennessee, bringing up tp 5,000 new workers, who will require residential development.
The trust projects that from 2016 to 2040, if the current rate of land loss continues, Tennessee could lose a million additional acres of farmland, or 8% of farmland.
Ferguson also shared the statistic that 40% of America's agricultural land will be "in transition" over the next 15 years, meaning land will either change ownership, or change uses such as becoming residential, commercial or industrial development.
In Tennessee, there is approximately 4.5 million acres of nationally significant land.
Farm Bureau has also been addressing the issue and raising awareness about the issue.
Previous statistics show that Tennessee loses approximately 60,000 acres of farmland every year, according to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. In Maury County, farmland decreased by 6% between 2012 and 2017, according to the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture.
UT Ag Extension agent Darrell Ailshie, who gave opening remarks at the breakfast, stressed that preserving farmland is vital to the state and Maury County.
"People come to Maury County for the greenspace. It's an asset to Maury County," he said.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Harris-Jones Greasy Branch Farm honored ad Century Farm of the Year
