Our Story

Kendall (Ken) & Lisa married in December of 1981.  However, “Childress Farms” had been established long before.  Ken moved back to Grayson County as a sophomore in high school.  During that time he lived with his Grandmother, Nina.  It was then that he began farming.  His first tobacco crop was grown when he was only 15 years old.  That crop would pave the way for the following 30 years that he and the family grew tobacco.  

After Lisa and Ken married, they purchased a one bedroom house that they’d spend their first few years of marriage working to expand.  Soon after they started their family.  Kendra came first; On a crisp, mid-November day, all while tobacco was ready to be stripped.  She spent several birthday evenings helping finish out the tobacco season.  That end of season would mean a few months of rest before it was time to start prepping for the next year.  The end of the crop also meant it was time to sell and cash in what seemed like millions of hours of the year.  Like many families in Grayson County and Kentucky, a good tobacco crop was crucial for the bills to be paid.  

It was March of 1986 when Ken, Lisa and Kendra welcomed Kellie.  Little did they all know that she’d be the best little farm girl.  Kellie loved to be outside.  And she loved to be on the go.  More times than the four can remember, Kellie would make her way behind the steering wheel of a truck or tractor or gripping the handlebars of the four-wheeler and get herself somewhere fast.  Thinking about it now, this could be the reason her own son is so eager to “go”.

The four of them spent countless hours of “quality time” working on the farm.  Whether it was in the hay field, tobacco patch, corn or bean field, or the corral, their lessons in dedication, hard work and love came with much sweat and sometimes tears.  Not only were the crops necessary for farm survival but they also relied on livestock to make a living and grow the family business. 

In the early years, when the girls were small, hogs were their speciality.  Then they shifted to cattle only.  There was no family experience more chaotic than the four of them teaming up to work cattle.  Sometimes, if they were lucky, they’d rope someone into helping with the process.  But it always seemed to be the first and last experience for whoever got roped into working cattle.  The corral is no doubt where the girls learned the most cuss words.  For whatever reason, they have yet to have a tame, cooperative cow or bull. 

Fast forward a few years to now, 2021.  You’ll still find that working cattle is the most dreaded and unpredictable farm task for the Childress family.  You’ll also still find them discussing the weather and praying for rain and sunshine based on whether hay was cut or soybeans pods had fully developed.  They will also be talking about who is having what at their event barn over the weekend.  And at least while the flowers are blooming, they’ll be checking out Kendra’s latest blooms and flower arrangements she’s creating.  If it’s between 4 and 6 p.m., there’s a good chance of a Facetime call with Miles.  He loves Ollie, the family dog, the cattle, and is growing fond of the horses, Rocket and Tellulabelle.  

Needless to say, farmlife is not just a career they’ve each chosen...it’s bigger.  Farmlife is what they live and farming is what they do.  While farming looks much different than it did for their grandmother and great grandmother, the land remains the same.  Ken and Lisa have provided so much more than a livelihood, treasured memories, and a home for their girls...they’ve worked to ensure the fifth and future generations have the opportunity to farm it, live on it, and love the land just as they have.