'A community calling': 1822 Farms takes the reins in building family tradition

To Trevor Pennington and his family, roping and riding are a way of life on 1822 Farms in Williamsport in Maury County, much like a realistic version of the modern day ranching hit TV series "Yellowstone."

As Pennington mounts his horse, dressed in a white cowboy hat and cattle-steering attire, he guides the herd to a fresh green pasture for feeding during peak ranching season at the family-owned cattle operation this summer.

He suddenly spots a calf that's strayed from the herd. As his horse gallops in position, he lassos the sturdy calf, leading it back on track.

"It's a new generation of an old tradition," Pennington said, the motto of the farm. "We try to do everything as close to the original way as possible.

"The cattle is much calmer around horses, which helps to herd them, more so than four-wheelers."

From conception to consumption, the beef produced at the farm is handled with the utmost care with sustainable methods, he explains.

The 644-acre pasture-raised cattle operation with about 350 cows, is bordered by the Bigby Creek, which feeds into the Duck River, creating a fertile environment for raising and feeding cattle through natural, sustainable methods.

Pennington, three workers, including two high school and college students, as well as wife, Haverly and their children Baeu, 7, Hattie Anne, 8, contribute their labor to the family-owned operation.

Many days, his children are in tow, learning the ropes of cattle farming. They ride horses, bottle-feed calves, and play in nearby Bigby Creek, a tributary of the Duck River, which keeps the farmland lush for the grass-fed cattle.

Preserving historic property

An idyllic setting nestled in the lush Duck River bed, Pennington's father fell in love with the land when he purchased the Williamsport property on July 4, 2005.

And Pennington fought to keep it that way during the 113th General Assembly last spring when he joined farmers and constituents on Capitol Hill in Nashville to support a bill, which passed, that would keep the Duck River a scenic waterway.

The property has a rich history of generational farming that the Pennington family is intent on continuing with passion and strategic methods. The land's original owner Captain Jimmy Gray Robinson raised cattle two centuries ago building its roots on family farming since 1822, hence the farm's namesake.

Pennington's parents, Byrd and Anne Cain purchased the 600-acre farm in 2005 and in 2008, Pennington took over the operations of the farm.

A Franklin native, Pennington first got a taste of farm life when he was a young boy after his father bought a farm in Hickman County, where he led a cattle operation. He learned from his father the importance of preserving land, the rural lifestyle and giving back to the community.

He says he's proud to carry on the tradition.

Most of all, his children have a place to grow up experiencing the land, close to nature and life everyday, he said.

"They love the freedom. Kids have lost the ability to roam, explore and use their imagination. They play outside and get into good trouble," Pennington said. His daughter loves to bottle feed the calves, groom her horse and already wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.

Lessons from COVID set path for future

Shifting his focus on building a genetically superior herd from the ground up, Pennington has expanded the business, which has greatly evolved since the pandemic.

He first fell in love with the cattle business, obtaining a degree in Agriculture and Business from University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

"I fell in love with the business, the independence of producing what others are going to eat. It's providing for the community. It's giving back to the community," Pennington said.

"We feel blessed to have this land and be able to roll hay, allow cows to graze in the grass and move the herd from pasture to pasture for sustainable feeding on hundreds of acres."

The Penningtons are passionate about preserving farmland in Maury County and preserving the integrity of beef farming for the community's future.

"COVID was a stark reminder of what happens when the food chain breaks down. Meat prices were going up," Trevor said. "We couldn't buy our own meat in the grocery store and neither could anyone else, so we wanted to be a part of filling that gap. It felt like a community calling.

"Food security is important for the community."

Discovering there was a need and a demand, the Penningtons shifted their operations, deciding to process their own beef instead of selling the cows at market, never to see the final meat product again.

"During COVID, we kept getting the question, do y'all sell beef?"

Although there was an added cost up front in the transition to processing their own beef, the long-term benefits have been great.

"We were cutting out the middleman, which has reaped great rewards in the long run," Pennington said. "We have control over our product and are able to provide maximum care to our customers, build trust and ensure that the community is getting an authentic product. We can tell them how the meat was created from conception to consumption."

Concerns for the future

As Tennessee farmland begins to dwindle, the Penningtons are among the family-owned farms in Tennessee that are striving to keep the farm life alive.

"We do this because we love it," he said.

However, it's not always easy Trevor said as county taxes are raised periodically primarily based on funding needs, including public school capital and debt as the county grows. In 2021, the Maury County Commission voted to raise property taxes by 34 cents.

"The city's uncontrolled growth is a concern," Trevor said. "It hits farmers hard when you own 600 acres. Not everybody owns that much acreage. The property taxes we have to pay are far greater for us than the average families."

Pennington, as well as other neighboring farmers, believe that property tax increases should not be a blanket amount for operational farms. Cattle farmers Melissa and Randy Jones, owners of Harris-Jones Greasy Branch Farm in Culleoka — the Maury County Century Farm of the Year 2023 — have also spoken out about the tax burden, advocating recently for property tax breaks for farmers.

More: Harris-Jones Greasy Branch Farm honored as Century Farm of the Year

In Tennessee, Pennington joins 98% of the approximately 69,500 farms in the state that are family-owned, according to the 2017 U.S. Department of Agriculture Census.

Like many local farming families, preserving the land for generations is important to the Penningtons, amid the ongoing land loss in Tennessee.

Kevin Ferguson, University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension Specialist for the UT Center for Farm Management, addressed, at the annual Maury County Farm City Breakfast last spring, the alarming rate of farmland loss across the state, a trend that is also happening around the nation.

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 states) 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.

More: Maury County century farmer preserves family farmland in fight to sustain rural life in Tennessee

The Pennington family wants to continue giving back to the community and nourish citizens with top quality meat, ensuring sustainable practices as organic as possible, without being USDA certified. He argues that it's beef families can feel good about, providing the highest level nutrition, marbling and taste.

"We stand behind our product. Many people tell us it's the best burger they've ever tasted. It's fresh, raised here on the farm on open land where cattle can roam, and then processed nearby in Tennessee," Trevor said.

Studying the product for maximum return

Pennington has been studying genetics among cattle throughout his entire adult life.

"Genetics over the years is integral to what we do," Pennington said. Much of the cattle raised crosses over three to four generations of the same lineage.

Ten years ago, he sold every cow he had, starting from scratch, breeding only the highest quality cattle.

"You have to get the proper bloodline with the best maternal traits," he said. "To sell quality cattle, you have to go through the vetting process."

The cows are calm, happy and live the most natural life possible.

All cattle is pasture-raised, fed with grass, steers are switched out every year, with no inbreeding. The females stay on the farm and become the next generation.

"You get the premiere steakhouse experience but at home," Pennington said. "People are interested in the method and knowing that the product they are consuming is treated with care. We can stand behind our product. We create a more premium product than anyone around."

"It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it," Pennington said. "Everything comes from this farm, it's all something we raise."

The process takes at the minimum about two years to raise and produce a quality beef product. they also sell their meat to some restaurants.

Now, walk-in freezers onsite are stocked full of every cut of beef imaginable — one of the most popular being brisket.

"The ground brisket is what everyone wants now," he said.

Staples include high-quality cuts of steak, ground beef, beef tips, brisket cuts, beef ribs and more.

"We are able to set our own prices and are not beholden to feed lots and community markets," he said.

Where to find the beef

The organically-minded produced Angus beef at 1822 Farms with no antibiotics or hormones can be purchased through ordering online, Friday pickups at the farm and scheduled deliveries. Their meat can also be found at the Columbia Farmer's Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

"When you do what you love, you don't work a day in your life."

For more information, visit https://1822farms.com/.

Kerri Bartlett is editor of The Daily Herald.

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This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: 1822 Farms takes the reins in building family tradition in Maury County