Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation South Mississippi Vice President Robert Earl McGehee has been farming his family’s land in Lincoln County for more than 40 years. Now, most people consider him retired, but between his beef cattle herd and Farm Bureau duties, McGehee stays busy.
“I background about 100 calves on rye grass through the winter ever year,” McGehee said. “Everybody tells me I’m retired. All I have to say is, if that’s what retirement is, I love it.”
Over the years, McGehee has seen a multitude of changes in the agriculture industry – some good and some bad. But, no matter what happened, he prides himself on pushing forward and believing, like so many other farmers and ranchers across the state and country, better times are on the horizon.
“We farmers are strong-willed,” he said. “The trait kind of goes with farming. We’ve had a tough year, but if you listen to the farmers they are saying, ‘We’re going to do better next year.’ Believing circumstances will get better, and the faith we have in the Lord is what keeps us going – it drives us.”
If anyone knows tough times, it is McGehee. His life has always revolved around cows – first dairy cows and now beef cows. He finds peace in walking his land at least twice a day, checking his beef cows. But that peace came with many hard decisions.
“Dairying was my life, so it was a very, very tough decision to sell out,” McGehee said. “I made the decision September 1, 2009. I was milking more than 100 cows. Milk prices were nothing and our debt was growing. I left the barn that day, and I went and told my wife, Kathy, ‘I’m quitting.’ That was all I had ever known. I know for me and many other dairy farmers, making that decision made you feel like a failure.”
Today, McGehee serves more than 180,000 Farm Bureau member families as the MFBF South Mississippi Vice President. In his role, he fights to preserve farming, ranching and the rural way of life in Mississippi.
“Younger generations do not have a clue where their food and fiber comes from,” he said. “They just assume it appears on the grocery store shelves. Farm Bureau works tirelessly every day to educate consumers on where our food and fiber comes from, and I think that is one of the most important things farmers can do to keep this industry thriving in today’s world.”
McGehee knows educating consumers falls on the shoulders of Farm Bureau. It means this 100 year old organization must continue advocating for farming in Jackson and Washington, D.C. It also means educating more Mississippians and members that strong rural communities means a stronger Mississippi.
“I could not be more proud to be a member of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation and work to further its mission. I’m passionate about this organization. I like it and I believe in it.”