Ever wonder how a family farm survives wild price swings, weather curveballs, and shifting markets? We sit down with Kentucky producer Keith Harris to unpack the real mechanics of resilience: diversifying for stability, securing buyers before planting, and building a legacy that gives each child a lane to thrive. Keith’s story starts with dark fire tobacco, which funded decades of growth, then pivots into a multi-enterprise operation spanning 3,500 acres of row crops, retail strawberries, 270 acres of watermelons, beef-on-dairy calves, and brand-new Vital egg barns.
The conversation gets specific about business strategy. Keith breaks down how he aligned crops with available labor, why retail made sense for berries, and how wholesale contracts with Costco and Walmart turned watermelons into a scalable, time-sensitive machine—often eight to ten semi-loads per day in July. He explains the quiet skills that make or break diversified farms: prioritizing small tasks, managing teams across overlapping seasons, and partnering with brokers to keep logistics tight. We also tackle the hard truths—vegetable margins are tighter than a decade ago, tobacco’s heyday is past, and row crop income runs in cycles—plus the mindset that keeps a farm moving forward.
If you’re a grower, ag professional, or curious listener, you’ll hear practical, field-tested advice on risk management, market-building, and when to pivot versus push through. Keith’s family-first approach shows how to expand with intention, train the next generation to lead, and build structured income streams that steady the ship when markets rock. Subscribe, share with a farmer friend, and leave a review with the one insight you’ll apply this season.
