Farmers Working with Their Fathers

By: Pamela Smith

Fathers and farming seem to go together like soil and water. Often, great things germinate from the combination. Other times, the relationship can get downright muddy. Ramey Pottinger and Quint Pottinger will tell you that their farm partnership thrives because they don’t sugarcoat anything. “Blunt honesty is how we roll, and it is what makes things work between us,” said Quint.

“We work in a business where a lot of people depend on us. Open discussion is critical to making sure we don’t make mistakes,” added the New Haven, Kentucky, farmer. Dan Lakey wishes he could still sit down with his father, Dwight, to discuss farm business decisions. His father died unexpectedly of COVID-19 in 2021 and he misses his guidance.