Meet Young Farm Family Finalists – The Porter Family, Clay County

Fresh out of high school, Jacob Porter's checklist had a hefty line item: Finagle a way to farm full time from near scratch.

Fourteen years and countless hours of labor later, he and wife Misty live out that dream in the hills of Clay County.

"It's just in my DNA," said Jacob, who grew up on a hog farm and began raising cattle as a teenager. "Everyone has a thing they truly love to do, and farming is mine."

Jacob was just 20 when he plunged into poultry farming. He built four broiler chicken houses - a leap of faith that positioned him for future success.

"Being young gives you an advantage," said Jacob, 32. "Here I am 12 years in, and I don't have the debt above my head that I had. Some people get in at my age, and they're taking out loans for $2 million. I'm ahead."

In those early days as Jacob tended flocks, rebuilt fences and beefed up his cattle herd, Misty earned a degree in elementary education from Auburn University. The farm became her classroom, too, as she learned the ins and outs of agriculture from her high school sweetheart. The Porters married in 2015.

A natural educator with a calm demeanor, Misty has spent the last decade caring for kindergartners at Ashland Elementary School. She's planting seeds of agricultural knowledge through lessons on the chicken life cycle, "adopting" a dairy calf and leading science experiments.

"That is my favorite part about teaching, the science and the agriculture," said Misty, 33, who co-chairs the local Women's Leadership Committee to promote ag literacy. "All kids can do this and get excited about it. Anything we can get our hands dirty with, I like to bring to my classroom."

Admittedly Type A, Misty thrives on organization, giving credence to the adage that opposites attract.

"Jacob is carefree," Misty said. "He goes with the flow. I love a plan. Most of the time, that's not going to work on a farm. You adjust and have faith that things will work out."

Misty and sons Olen, 7, and Asher, 2, beeline to the farm after school. There, they find Jacob, check cows, mend fences and give thanks for God's creation.

Smiles stretch across the boys' faces as they traipse through pastures, jump on mounds of cotton seed destined for feed bunks or load up for a spin in the tractor with Jacob.

"He wants to teach them all the things and be there and be present," Misty said. "Farming takes a lot of time, but he includes them in everything. It doesn't matter if he has to go back out to the farm afterward, he's always there for bedtime. Seeing him take on the role of dad, it's his purpose."

Jacob has balanced family time while improving the farm. In the last decade, they've increased the cattle herd, improved livestock genetics, added custom hay work and acquired additional acres. They've also expanded into hog production, harkening back to Jacob's childhood.

Each step has been grounded in guidance from above, Jacob said.

"I'm not sure how anyone can live life without faith," Jacob said. "Being a farmer, we get to see it firsthand. We can do everything, as far as giving animals the right nutrition, but you can only do so much. The man upstairs is in control."

A selfless servant, Jacob has cultivated leadership skills through involvement in ag organizations. He serves on the State Poultry Committee, State Young Farmers Committee and Clay County Farmers Federation board. His flexible schedule helps him serve the local community, too, through the volunteer fire department and church.

It's a lifestyle they hope to cultivate for generations to come.

"In the future, I'd love to still be right here doing what we're doing, maybe a little bit bigger," Misty said. "We won't be here forever, but what we leave behind us will be. Every day, we try to make a difference and leave things better than we found them."