Rein Rippey and why he is Proud to be a Farmer

HENRY COUNTY, Ala. (WTVY) - According to the US Department of Agriculture, about 200 thousand farms have diminished in the US since 2007.

With agriculture being the backbone of necessities like clothes and food, it is crucial that younger people, such as third-generation farmer Rein Rippie, continue to work in farming.

Like many other farmers, Rippey’s love for the land sparked at a young age. He looked up to his grandfather who ran his own farm here in the Wiregrass.

“I’d come up here and hang out with my granddad. That was kind of early, early years before I really was running a bunch of stuff,” said Rippey. “I’d come up here and I loved every minute of it. Being out here, just hanging out and called it working, even though me and my granddad were probably goofing off a little bit.”

Now, Rippey works on the farm full-time and has since earned his Agronomy and Soils degree from Auburn University in 2017.

“Not only does he work with his hands, but he’s very good at anything he does and I am very proud of him,” said Ed White, Rippey’s grandfather.

At only 28 years old, Rippey doesn’t fit the mold of what one may picture when they think of a farmer, but he’s thankful for his older mentors and the generations of farmers before him, especially those in his family.

“There’s definitely a lot to prove being the younger one. Obviously, you’re not going to have as much experience as the older generation and things like that,” said Rippey. “I think there’s a lot to prove and a lot to learn from the older generation and I think we can all work pretty good together and make things happen.”

Today, Rippey is working to yield his biggest harvests of peanuts and cotton yet.

Though he is still relatively new to farming, he’s proud to be giving it his all every day and setting the standard for the next generation of farmers.

“I am proud to be a farmer because I like being a steward of the land,” said Rippey. “I like to grow these crops, take care of the soil, and use good farming practices to ensure that future generations can still utilize this land in the same way that we do.”

Rippey is also part of a group called the Henry County Young Farmers which is composed of local agriculture workers ages 18-35.

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