Farming’s Future
Two Tennessee Producers Showcase A ‘Can Do’ Attitude
Is being a cotton farmer in a small town in West Tennessee the ultimate “dream job”? That statement may sound far fetched, but it perfectly describes the feelings of Gem Mitchell and Andy Shelton.
These two young men could have chosen different careers, but instead are living out their dreams and would not change a thing about what they wake up to every day in Bolivar, Tenn., a small farming town about 60 miles east of Memphis.
They don’t have the most acres or the fanciest equipment. But what they do have is a passion for farming and a willingness to succeed in what can best be described as a difficult environment.
As colleagues and friends will say, agriculture’s future looks bright if tomorrow’s farmers look like Gem Mitchell and Andy Shelton.
Perhaps it isn’t such a surprise that these two life-long friends from the same town would wind up being farmers. Their fathers were farmers, and it’s what the sons wanted to do – even if they didn’t always admit it to friends.