Farming for Generations in Catoosa County         

James Ramey of Catoosa County has been in the beef and poultry farming business for most of his 60+ years. About ten years ago, he was joined in the family business by his grandson, James Lyles. Mr Ramey was one of the first local farmers to begin “dead bird composting.” His compost operation was up and running in the early 1980’s before it became a common and approved practice.

Three years ago, the Rameys acquired the abandoned dairy farm next to theirs. This added about 400 more acres for their business. Unfortunately there was no fencing on the new property. But thanks to the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP), administered by the Farm Services Agency with technical assistance through the Lafayette Field Office of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), they obtained some cost-share help.

The CCRP assisted with streambank exclusion fencing. The Rameys have been working with the South Chickamauga Creek Land Treatment Watershed Program (PL566) for years. The PL566 has helped the family to decommission a lagoon, restore streambanks, install several heavy use areas, install cross fencing and watering facilities to allow for rotational grazing, and build a waste storage structure and composter for poultry facilities that were constructed on the additional acreage.

Ramey’s property is intersected by Bandy Road. In order to intelligently make use of all the land, they have developed a lane that actually runs under the road in order to safely move cattle and equipment without causing any traffic issues.

The Rameys are very enthusiastic about all the help they have received from Cindy Askew, District Conservationist and Bill Henderson, Soil Conservation Technician. They report that NRCS has been an aid in “total farm planning.”

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