history
Kentucky cattle farm
Triple T Farms has always been known as a home for quality cattle; as far back as the early nineteen hundreds, when neighbors from miles around would bring their family farm milk cow to be bred to Rufus Tarter's prize and only Hereford bull in the county. Rufus Tarter, my grandfather, bought the land that Triple T Farms sits on. And so it began...
He was a farmer, operated the general store and was a postmaster in the community of Norfleet, Kentucky. It was there that he raised a family of five sons and one step daughter. One of those sons, Wayne, was my father. Dad expanded the farm as he continued to move the operation forward. Somehow between crops and cows, he found time to court and marry the love of his life, my mother Betty. Together through hard work and determination they toiled the land, raised three children, and enjoyed life.
Dad was always cautious, but innovated and tried to be a leader and front runner in his agricultural community. He was a man of integrity, well thought of by all, and believed that a handshake was as solid as oak. He believed in taking pride in completing the task at hand, no matter what it may have been. Whether it was crops or cattle, quality was always placed above quantity. Even today, in a world of high tech farming, those same values still hold true at Triple T Farms.
We take a great deal of pride in what we do and still breed cattle by individual selection of genetics. Our word is our bond. I still have a sense of the old school in me and I try to live by those values each day. The love of cattle and farming was instilled in me at a young age. Like many children growing up on farms, I thought if I could ever get away from it I would never return. Needless to say, it was too late. The soil was in my blood and I was destined to return.
I, however, returned under unfortunate circumstances. In the early 1990's, dad suffered a massive stroke. Someone had to take over the operation and my other career allowed me to do so. I rolled up my sleeves and went to work. I took to the approach that my dad had taught me...quality before quantity.
Dad passed away on December 31, 1995. It was a great loss to all of us, as it is to any family that was as close as we were. He was one of the most wise and broad minded men I have ever known. He was my best friend and he will always be my hero. I feel his spirit with me everyday and sometimes I can almost see him smiling with approval of the direction that Triple T Farms has taken. Mother is still with us. Though in her eighties, she is a feisty 101 lb. ball of fire and as the matriarch of the farm, she is still teaching her children the lessons of life.
I have been blessed in so many ways and God keeps pouring them out everyday. What a wonderful life we have here Triple T Farms. Whether or not my children continue the tradition, only time will tell. Either way it is my hope that whatever they choose in life, it is with the same attitude that we have always prided ourselves on, quality over quantity. The work that goes into Triple T Farm is dedicated to the love that I have for my mother and father, Wayne and Betty Tarter.