Meet a Corn Farmer: Andy Davis
Andy Davis farms with his family in beautiful Sparta, Tennessee with 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat.
Enjoy the Journey of a Rural Tennessee Commute
No one enjoys being stuck in traffic, but a commute to work is part of life for many people, including farmer Andy Davis.
Davis farms with his father and two brothers in beautiful Sparta, TN. As more people have moved to the area for its rolling hills, bluegrass sounds, and rural charm, the Davis family has had to spread their 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat out further from the home farm.
“We're in hills and hollers and our average field size is about 20 acres, so we have to really scatter out to put several acres together,” Davis said. “We’re headquartered in White County, but we farm in Putnam, Van Buren, and Warren counties.”
This puts the Davis boys out on the rural roads travelling more than they care to be. Their commutes can be especially challenging because they are typically moving large equipment on narrow roads at relatively slow speeds, which can be frustrating to other drivers.
“Tennessee is booming right now. There are a lot of people moving down here and building homes. That means more traffic on the narrow back roads. We've been fortunate so far — no accidents or anything like that,” Davis said. “But with more people moving in who do not know what to do when they see a piece of farm equipment, it definitely brings us a set of challenges.”
And while this situation can be dangerous and challenging, the farmers also know their slow travel on the roads can be frustrating for other drivers.
“I understand it can definitely be frustrating when you've got somewhere to be, but we have different spots where we know we can pull off and get out of the way to let cars go by. We're not just going to keep driving and expect you to be stuck behind us,” Davis said. “I know if the shoe was on the other foot and somebody had the road blocked, and I needed to get somewhere on my tractor, yes that would be frustrating. So I understand. I would just say to those folks behind our equipment on the roads, thank you for being patient. Please bear with us, and we'll get out of your way as soon as we can.”
The busy time for farmers on the roadways is ramping up with spring planting season.
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“We're typically starting with planting corn and soybeans around the first week of April or so, but it's been wet this spring, so as soon as the weather breaks, we're going to be hitting it hard. Usually, we wrap up planting around mid-May, and then we'll plant some more soybeans behind our wheat crop when it is harvested in late June or early July,” Davis said. “Then we’ll be back out for harvesting the corn and soybeans in the fall.”
Farmers bring countless aesthetic, economic, and environmental benefits to the beautiful, rolling fields of Tennessee — plenty for rural drivers to appreciate when their country drive is slowed down behind a busy farmer’s commute to work.
“If you do happen to get stuck behind us for a little while, I would just ask maybe take some time to enjoy the landscape and try to remember that we're out working hard to put food on your plate and clothes on your back,” he said. “And we really appreciate your patience with us.”