JULIE OSMAN Contributing Writer

Driving north on Interstate 75 in northern Madison County and looking off to the east before you reach the Kentucky River sits one of Kentucky’ s larger farms, spanning almost 400 acres. Ballew Farms is there. The history of this family farm( one of the largest Blackowned farms in the state of Kentucky) is rich and welldocumented: it entails one

black farmer and his wife’ s struggles and successes in the 1930’ s- from selling moonshine and using that money to purchase a farm, responding to the prejudice he and his wife faced when buying more of the surrounding land, to enjoying bringing their grandkids over to do farm chores every weekend. Lester and Verlia Ballew, the founding couple, are no longer living, but their legacy with the same passion continues

today through their fourth generation( and counting). Forward plans, hard work, sacrifice, and excellent stewardship of the land grind out daily in the farm life and chores of their grandchildren( Lonzo and Leroy Ballew), great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren who today spearhead the way for Ballew Farms to stay current. The Ballew family is now entering into the modern era of farming.

Angel Ballew( daughter

of Lonzo and Taffy Ballew) moved to the farm and built her house in 2022.“ I was involved in our farm operations before then, but never as much or entrenched as I am now. Farming is hard – you don’ t have to tell anyone how hard farming can be.... You have to diversify. You have to solve problems every day on your feet. It’ s a difficult livelihood, it’ s a difficult calling; but it’ s so, so worth it for us. We have a generational