Growing with TAEP
Annual ag enhancement program is praised at Holt and Herndon Farms
Story and photos by Page Haynes
When Maynard Mullins joined Hawkins Farmers Co-op in February of 1971, he was simply a teenager looking for a part-time job.
That part-time job turned into a 55-year Co-op career that serves as a wonderful depiction of the “Drive to Serve” Co-op brand statement.
Through the years, Maynard has become a fixture at the Co-op in Rogersville and a favorite of fellow employees and customers.
Former manager Tom Henard elevated Mayard from a part-time to a full-time employee shortly after he assumed the managerial reins in 1972. He began his tenure driving the Co-op’s fertilizer delivery truck.
“Back then, we delivered the fertilizer in bags,” he says. “We had two or three guys that came in and loaded the fertilizer, and then we would take it out to the farms.”
That changed during an extra-busy day at the store when Assistant Manager Kyle Mathis came to get Maynard and asked him to work the sales counter.
“He just said, ‘Get inside,’” recalls Mayard. “I didn't know nothing about nothing. But Kyle helped me. He took me around and showed me what to do. He probably jumped on me more than anyone, but he was good to me. He just wanted me to learn.”
Kyle was instrumental in teaching Maynard all about the business and instilling the many aspects of providing exceptional customer service. But his influence didn’t end there, says Maynard.
“He taught me a lot about farming when I helped him cut his tobacco,” Maynard says, noting that Kyle also led him to attend West View Baptist Church.
Maynard eventually started a cattle herd of his own and kept them for many years until he finally decided to sell after he retired from the Co-op in 2016. That retirement was short-lived, however, and he was soon back to work at the Co-op.
“My wife, Ellen, was tickled to death when I sold the cattle,” says Maynard. “I was gone all the time taking care of them, and she said she would rather I be working part-time at the Co-op.”
A short time later, former manager Brian Julian invited Maynard to come back to work part-time, and he’s been working part-time ever since.
Dr. Levi Holt of Rickman, left, discusses with Co-op personnel Billy Maxwell, center, and Jack Christian the great advancements he has made to his farm since 2005 while utilizing the Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program (TAEP). Last October, he purchased this 50-by-58-foot WW Livestock System on the program.
Levi says he has relied on TAEP on both the farm and veterinary sides of his business for livestock-handling equipment, hay infrastructure, genetics, herd health supplies, laboratory equipment, calving equipment, and veterinary boxes. The cost-share assistance helps lower overhead costs, ultimately benefiting both his operation and his clients.
“We’ve applied for the program year after year for whatever we needed at the time,” says Levi. “It’s a great program because it helps us purchase equipment at a reduced expense. Anything we can do to reduce production costs helps us remain sustainable.”
The application process begins with the October application period, followed by December approval. Producers then purchase and install the equipment, submit required documentation and photographs, and receive reimbursement. Provisions are available for back-ordered items, and financing through local Co-ops is available when needed.
Billy stresses that participating in TAEP is much less intimidating than many producers expect. Local Extension offices offer educational classes, and Extension agents regularly assist producers — especially those who are less comfortable with computers — by helping them complete online applications and reimbursement paperwork.
“I could see how some people could be intimidated by applying for TAEP,” adds Levi. “But it’s a pretty easy process. If you have questions, Extension agents can help you complete the paperwork. I’m sure the people at the Co-op would help you, too. As a veterinarian, I complete the paperwork for clients requesting reimbursement for qualifying livestock genetic improvements. There are plenty of people willing to help if you’re confused about something or have trouble with the forms. Just reach out.” Herndon Farms in DeKalb County Matt Herndon, alongside his father, Jimmy, and brother, James, operates Herndon Farms in DeKalb County, where the family farms roughly 3,500 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat while also maintaining a cow-calf Angus herd.
Since TAEP launched in 2005, the Herndons have used the program to steadily expand and modernize their operation. Through the years, they have purchased a total mixed ration (TMR) mixer, hay barns, grain bins, transport augers, grain bin unloads, a commodity shed, and a grain elevator system by applying for assistance through both row crop and cattle-related categories.
“Ag Enhancement is a fantastic program and a great asset,” says Matt. “It certainly takes a lot of sting out of those big-ticket purchases. Itʼs especially helpful when youʼre investing in buildings or equipment. Once youʼre approved, you work with the Co-op, make the purchase, and then receive reimbursement from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. That makes the sticker shock a whole lot less.”
One of the farmʼs latest improvements is a Westfield MKX21384 auger purchased through TAEP. The 84-foot, 13-inch auger unloads approximately 11,000 bushels per hour, reducing truck unloading times from about 15 minutes to just six minutes and significantly speeding harvest.
Matt says the application process is straightforward and well worth the effort.
“After applying for TAEP and being approved for the auger, I contacted our local Co-opʼs outside salesman, Gilbert Martin, in Smithville,” he says. “He worked with Ernie Herrod at Rutherford Farmers Cooperative in Murfreesboro to order the parts and get this auger built.”
The auger features a hydraulic mover, winch, and multiple work and transport lights to improve positioning, lifting, and nighttime operation. Because of its size, it was assembled on-site by Tennessee Farmers Cooperative Ag Equipment USA employees Keith Pirtle, product manager, and Matthew Isley, truck mechanic.
“This auger has about every bell and whistle you can put on it,” says Matthew. “The hydraulic mover makes it easier to position the hopper under the truck, and the winch saves you from hand-cranking this large tube. The lights also make transporting and unloading grain much safer after dark.”
TAEP provides cost-share assistance for qualifying farm investments, helping producers purchase equipment and infrastructure that improve productivity. Farmers who qualify can receive reimbursement for a portion of approved purchases after meeting program requirements, which vary by category.
“Please support your local Co-ops when you make your TAEP purchases,” Matthew says. “We do a lot of Ag Enhancement work. If you have questions, talk to someone at your local Co-op about applying or what to do. Whether youʼre a large producer or a small or hobby farmer, they can help you.”
For the Herndon family, participating in TAEP year after year has allowed them to improve grain handling, increase efficiency, and reinvest savings into other areas of their operation.
For more information about the Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program, visit the Tennessee Department of Agricultureʼs TAEP webpage. Details about changes to the 2026-27 program can be found on page 16.
Discussing the latest farm improvements at Herndon Farms near Smithville are, from left, Matthew Isley, Matt Herndon, Keith Pirtle, and Gilbert Martin.
Matt Herndon applies every year for cost-share funds through the Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program to upgrade his farm and recently added to his equipment an 84-foot, 13-inch auger he purchased at the Co-op.
Dr. Levi Holt of Overton County utilizes the Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program (TAEP) for nearly every major investment at Holt Farms Angus and Green River Embryo Transfer. Levi is a veterinarian and fourth-generation cattle producer. Through his veterinary practice in Rickman, he provides reproductive and embryo transfer services across Tennessee and Kentucky. Levi’s latest TAEP addition is a WW Livestock System — approximately 50 by 58 feet with up to 12 configurable pens — that is used for sorting cattle, housing special-needs animals, and managing donor cows during embryo collections.
By Page Haynes,
Contact phaynes@ourcoop.com