First Generation Farmers Expand From Small Freezer Into a Retail Farm Store

My husband Kaleb and I began farming in 2015. As first-generation farmers, we dove head first into commercial poultry farming when we built four mega houses on a 40-acre property in Northern Cleburne County. Once we began poultry farming full time, our new lifestyle opened the door for the homesteading life I always longed to have. Finally, we had enough property to raise a few cows and pigs to feed our growing family. We decided after several questions about filling our freezer to try raising a few more pigs to fill the demand in our community for “freezer meat.”

Over two years, our small homestead dream grew into a small garage business where we were selling USDA-certified beef and pork to our local community. We were able to pick up a 120-acre lease 6 miles south of us to grow our herd. We visited numerous local famers markets during the market season every Saturday - all four kiddos in tow. We sold our products one cut at a time and told our stories via social media and word of mouth. Finally, in 2019 our business had grown enough that we decided it may be time to choose between our small business and our commercial poultry farm. Both of these full-time jobs were stretching us very thin. So in November of 2020, we sold our poultry farm, bought a camper, and decided to start our new adventure

We went straight to Alabama Farm Credit with our new endeavor, and our friend and loan officer was as excited as we were to see our business grow. We were able to pay down a new piece of property and finance the rest with AFC. We fixed up an old tractor shed on the property and turned it into a small farm store with a walk-in freezer and plenty of room to store, ship, and sell our products. A few months later, we decided to build our homestead here on this property as well, and AFC was there for us to help with that too.

Many young, beginning, and/or small farmers don’t think a bank would be willing to help them on such a small scale, but AFC knows that every good business dream starts SMALL. When you’re starting from scratch, there are a lot of costs that we can’t always take on as beginning farmers without help. Commercial farmers work on big scales with big numbers, and they need help, too(we did!), but AFC sees those exact needs on a smaller scale and has stepped in to bridge this gap by partnering with YBS farmers.

Though we still have much to learn, do, and accomplish--we have grown out of that small freezer in our garage and into a retail farm store with shipments going out all across the Eastern United States. We host farm tours, open each weekend for in-store shopping, ship out beef and pork every two weeks, and have even started selling branded shirts, hats, candles, and stickers! We have worked hard as a young family to get to where we are, and we have learned many lessons the hard way(by trial and error), but there is no doubt that our business could not have grown and would not have grown without the faith and trust of AFC in our small business dream!

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Together We Grow Foundation Awards 11 Scholarships to North Alabama Students

May 20, 2026

The Together We Grow Foundation is proud to announce the awarding of 11 scholarships totaling $27,500 to students pursuing education and careers in agriculture and related fields across North Alabama, reinforcing the Foundation’s commitment to investing in the future of Alabama’s agricultural community. The Together We Grow Foundation was born from a group of young farmers who recognized a growing need for college scholarships to support students entering Alabama’s agricultural sector. What began as a shared concern has grown into a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating opportunity, leadership, and long term success for students across the state. This year’s awards include 10 Young Roots Scholarships and one Cultivating Leaders Scholarship. The Young Roots Scholarship is designed for graduating high school seniors, and the Cultivating Leaders Scholarship supports students graduating from a two year college who plan to pursue a four year degree. Scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement and active involvement in their schools and communities. 2026 Scholarship Recipients • Ella Barkley, DeKalb County — Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Animal Science • Kylie Calvert, Cullman County – Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Animal Science • Kiley Cochran, Jefferson County — Cultivating Leaders Scholarship recipient; attends Wallace State Community College and will major in Communications • River Cox, Calhoun County — Plans to attend the University of West Alabama and major in Forestry Technology • Jayden Friedrich, Cullman County — Plans to attend the University of South Alabama and major in Radiology, with a minor in Agricultural Sciences • Jackson Haynes, Cullman County — Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Biological and Agricultural Technology Management • Blaine McDuffa, Franklin County — Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Animal Science • Elijah Miller, Colbert County — Plans to attend Northwest Shoals Community College and major in Industrial Systems Technology • Addison Norwood, Limestone County — Plans to attend the University of Mississippi and major in Legal Studies • Gracie Stidham, Cullman County – Plans to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham and major in Nursing • Melanie Studdard, Cherokee County — Plans to attend Auburn University and major in Mechanical Engineering The Together We Grow Foundation receives proceeds from Alabama Farm Credit’s Ag Night at the Rocket City Trash Pandas, with VIP ticket sales directly benefiting Together We Grow scholarships. VIP tickets are on sale now for Ag Night, set for June 19 at the Rocket City Trash Pandas stadium. The Foundation primarily raises scholarship funds through community supported events, including Agri Shoot at Selwood Farms, an annual sporting clays fundraiser held each fall, which will take place on September 18 at Selwood Farms this year. Through the support of Alabama Farm Credit and community partners, the Together We Grow Foundation continues to strengthen the future of agriculture by investing in students who demonstrate both academic excellence and a commitment to serving their communities. For more information about the Together We Grow Foundation, VIP ticket sales, or upcoming events, visit thetwgfoundation.com.

Loyd Rutherford Named 2026 Academy of Honor Recipient, Scholarship Established at Auburn University

May 17, 2026

Alabama Farm Credit (AFC) proudly recognizes former board chairman Loyd Rutherford as a 2026 inductee into the Farm Credit Bank of Texas Academy of Honor, the Bank’s highest distinction for leadership and service in agricultural credit. Established in 1968, the Academy of Honor in Agricultural Credit recognizes individuals who have made valuable and significant contributions to agriculture, rural communities and the Farm Credit System. Each year, one deserving individual is inducted into the Academy of Honor, and a one-time $25,000 scholarship bearing the inductee’s name is awarded through a college or university of their choice. Mr. Rutherford has chosen Auburn University as the recipient of the Loyd Rutherford Academy of Honor Scholarship, which will support five students with $5,000 scholarships to further their education and careers in agriculture. A lifelong agricultural producer and business leader, Rutherford was raised on a farm and spent much of his life farming cotton, soybeans, wheat and broilers, while also managing the Lawrence County Exchange, the local farmers’ cooperative known at the time by that name. His deep agricultural roots shaped a career defined by service, leadership and a commitment to rural communities. Rutherford dedicated nearly 30 years to advancing agriculture through his leadership within the Farm Credit System. He served on the AFC board of directors from 1990 to 2019, including more than two decades as chairman from 1995 to 2017. During that time, he helped guide the association through the farm crisis of the early 1990s, significant structural transitions, and decades of sustained growth. He consistently championed stockholder interests and long-term stability while also serving on numerous district and national Farm Credit boards and committees. Rutherford was formally recognized as a 2026 Academy of Honor inductee at the Farm Credit Bank of Texas Annual Meeting, where his steady leadership, hands-on involvement in agriculture and lasting impact on rural communities were celebrated. Throughout his career, he was supported by his wife, Janice Rutherford, whose encouragement and partnership were integral to his lifelong dedication to agriculture and service. The scholarship established in Rutherford’s name reflects both his legacy and the Farm Credit System’s continued investment in the next generation. The funds will be awarded through Auburn University to students pursuing agriculture-related fields of study, helping recipients continue their education and build careers that strengthen rural America.