‘Easier, not harder’
Greene County cattleman and retired teacher Bud Tucker has used TAEP funds for more than a decade
By Mark Johnson Photos by Glen Liford
At 69, Greene County cattleman Dale “Bud” Tucker admits that he isn’t above looking for ways to make his daily farm tasks more efficient, cost effective, and above all, safe.
“I’m all about making things easier, not harder,” Tucker says with a laugh. “At my age, I’m not interested in getting run over by a bunch of cattle.” To that end, Tucker began using the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) in 2012 to upgrade and streamline his 300-acre, 90-head Angus beef operation. Since its creation in 2005, TAEP has provided around $300 million in cost-share dollars for the purpose of making long-term investments in Tennessee farms and communities. According to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, each TAEP dollar generates $6.55 in local economies.
“Oh, I wish I’d have started using it several years earlier,” Tucker says. “It’s one of the best programs our state government has ever created, in my opinion.”
A retired high school ag teacher, Tucker is a fixture in the Woodlawn community. While teaching at nearby high schools, he ran a dairy operation for some 30 years before switching to beef cattle in the late 2010s on the family farm purchased by his great-grandfather in 1868. His father, Bruce, began milking Holsteins in 1956 upon learning that his wife was pregnant with twins — Tucker and his sister, Gail.
“I asked my dad once why he started milking cows,” Tucker recalls. “He said, ‘Well, when your mama started having them two at a time, I had to come up with a way to make more money!’”
He followed his father’s career path after earning a degree in agriculture from nearby Walters State Community College in the early ‘70s, but combined it with ag education, teaching for 30 years. Today, Tucker runs his beef operation with his son-in-law, Anthony Shelton. He says his farm has been “profoundly impacted” by TAEP cost-share funding.
The Quonset hut-style metal building to the lower right of the picture above is used to store hay and is another TAEP purchase.
“Honestly, I don’t know where I’d be without it,” says Tucker, a longtime board member of Greene Farmers Cooperative. “I missed out on five or six years of it because I didn’t think it applied to dairy producers — which, of course, it does. After switching to beef, it finally dawned on me that I should be participating in TAEP, so I went and got my [Tennessee] Master Beef Producer certification to access a higher level of funding. Between the two of them — TAEP and Master Beef — there’s been a double benefit for me, because I’ve learned a great deal from the TMBP certification and have become a better producer.”
Tucker says that, since 2012, he has purchased equipment nearly every year through the TAEP program, including Preifert head gates and chutes, fence-line feeders, a grain drill and Brock 9-ton feed bin, four round-bale feeders, three Co-op mineral feeders, and two 80-foot J-bunk feeders.
“The efficiency, safety, and ease-of-use have made all the difference in the world,” Tucker points out. “For example, with the fence-line system, I can easily feed without getting in the pasture and putting myself in harm’s way. I’m not out in the rain and snow, and I keep my pastures in much better shape. As far as working the cattle, we used to use a rope and a post — not a good plan! Today’s squeeze chutes and head gates make things much easier and, above all, safer, especially for older fellas like me.” Tucker advises his peers who don’t currently use TAEP “not to wait any longer.”
“It’s the simplest thing in the world to sign up for,” he says. “Sure, you have to keep good records and there’s a little paperwork involved, but that’s something most anybody can do.”
A board member of Farm Credit of Mid-America, Tucker says his fellow directors from other states are “always amazed” by his stories about TAEP.
“These guys are frothing at the mouth, wishing they had something this good,” he says with a chuckle. “They just can’t believe what we’ve got here in Tennessee; they’re just eaten up with it. After 20 years of TAEP, I think it’s sometimes easy to take it for granted, and that would be a mistake. Every time I see my state representative, I always try to thank them for TAEP funding and remind them to keep it going.”
To learn more about TAEP, visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/farms/taep or chat with the professionals at your local Co-op.
The Tucker family farm has a rich agricultural history and is designated a Tennessee Department of Agriculture Century Farm.
Bud Shelton and grandson, Tucker, share a love for agriculture, and Bud says he may be the next generation to farm the family property.
The TAEP-funded grain bin and attached auger have been useful updates to the set-up, allowing Bud to more easily feed his animals.
The family operated a dairy at the Greene County farm for many years and still utilize structures like this barn for the beef cattle operation.
By Mark Johnson,
Contact mark@bigharvestcreative.com