Stocking up for the future
Kyle Rice of White County beefs up operation with enhancement program
Story and photos by Page Haynes
Kyle Rice of Sparta is one of many beef cattle operators that took advantage of the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program to get a discount on farm equipment. He utilized the program to build a cattle barn and to purchase scales for his cattle-working system. Today he runs a successful cow-calf operation.
Taking advantage of opportunities offered is how Kyle Rice of Sparta says he got his personal feeder-calf business up and running.
He has been involved in running a successful cow-calf operation for years with his dad, Richard, and brother, Kaleb, but Kyle says he was ready to venture out with a little side business of his own. But what would it take to get the ball rolling? He looked no further than the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP), a cost-share program the trio and their neighbors have successfully utilized in previous years to get a noteworthy discount on farm and cattle-working equipment at their nearby Co-op.
“I really wanted a good spot to be able to work my calves and be able to do all of this by myself,” says Kyle, who, in addition to farming, is a lineman for Caney Fork Electric Cooperative. “I wanted a barn to start off with, and since all of our pastures are connected, I wanted it centrally located so my dad, brother, and I could all use it to work cattle.”
To be able to utilize the Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program, there’s lots of ways to meet basic applicant eligibility and Kyle took classes to earn a Master Beef Certification. In no time at all, he was ready to buy his barn. In 2024, he had a large 40x60 barn built through the program, which he uses to process and hold his feeder calves.
“It’s actually bigger than what I was originally planning on,” Kyle says. “I had a quote on a 30x40 barn and was getting ready to pull the trigger when I happened upon a FaceBook page mentioning a Spring Sale. So I called my representative, and he agreed to a bigger barn for the same price. I figured that it was going to be way too big, but it’s the perfect size for what I wanted to do.”
After taking classes to earn a Master Beef Certification, Kyle was able to fill out paperwork to apply for a discount through the TAEP. This 40x60 metal barn provides just the right space for four holding pens, an alleyway, scales, and a squeeze chute.
Kyle’s barn provides room for wide aisles, four holding pens, several gates, an alleyway, and key equipment like scales and a squeeze chute. Kyle says he purchased the scales through TAEP on his second go-around and the chute was purchased by his late friend and mentor, Ben Johnson, through the TAEP program. Now he is all set to work his feeder calves and even has additional room for expansion.
Kyle says his feeder-calf venture is doing well. He purchases about 30 to 40 feeder calves at a time that weigh around 400 to 500 pounds. He feeds them a 14% custom feed mix he purchases from White County Farmers Cooperative for 90 days. Then he sells them when they reach about 650 pounds, taking advantage of the strong cattle market in recent years.
“The calves are on grass all year, and in the wintertime, I feed them hay, but they get Co-op feed every day,” says Kyle. “Feeding them keeps them calm and used to me; that way, I can catch and work them a lot easier.”
In addition to the feeder calves, Kyle maintains about 15 to 20 breeding cows, coordinating with his father and brother who also have their own small herds of cattle. The trio work together to keep their breeding herds healthy, and all share the same bull for breeding purposes.
Kyle and his family have a strong network of support from neighboring farmers, like fulltime cattleman Stephen Gribble, a former White County Farmers Cooperative board member who also utilizes the TAEP, demonstrating the cooperative nature of the local agricultural community.
The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) 2025 application period will run from October 1-7, 2025, with new application materials available on the TN.gov website. The program provides cost-share dollars to Tennessee agricultural producers for investments in areas like livestock, hay equipment, row crops, and more. The 2025 application process is entirely online, so be sure to have a working email and internet access to apply on the designated dates.
The program supports various agricultural sectors, including cattle, dairy, sheep/goats, hay, poultry, row crops, and swine.
Kyle, right, and Ray Lyons, hardware sales specialist with White County Farmers Cooperative in Sparta, discuss the durability of his Priefert squeeze chute, previously purchased though the TAEP. They urge other producers to take advantage of the discounts offered by the ag enhancement program this year on all sorts of equipment and supplies offered to help farmers be more successful.
By Page Haynes,
Contact phaynes@ourcoop.com