Dozens of black and white cows grazed in the field in front of a large red barn, unaffected by the rain. Marvin Youngerman stood in the workshop on his farm in southeastern Henderson County, dressed in a dirty denim shirt, jeans and boots. He smiled as the rain hit the silver tin roof. "It's been raining off and on all day," he said.

Youngerman is a third generation farmer in Henderson County. He primarily raises corn, soybeans and cattle.

Martin Youngerman, Youngerman's grandfather, moved to Henderson County from Germany in the mid-1800's and the Youngerman family h as been farming here ever since.

The Youngermans own 1,000 acres and rent 2,000 acres in Henderson County. Marvin Youngerman wakes up at 5 a.m. every morning to begin working on his farm. "It's never the same every day," he said. "There's not a typical day".

His work depends on the weather and what he finished the day before. He tends to the crops and cattle or moves gravel from place to place on his farm. His two sons, Casey and Alex, also work on the family farm. His wife, Lee, has worked in Lexington at the Farmer's Bureau for 10 years.

The Youngermans lost a daughter in a car accident in 1995. Dana Youngerman was on her way to open the doors for a rodeo dance when she was hit by a driver who was on the wrong side of the road. In Lexington every April, the family holds the Dana Youngerman Memorial Tennessee High School Rodeo in her honor. The rodeo is sponsored by the Tennessee High School Rodeo Association.

Marvin Youngerman said he doesn't believe the importance of farming has declined but said that making a living strictly from farming is sometimes difficult. He said most years, he's had to get another job doing mechanic work off of the farm to earn money. "I couldn't make a living doing it". he said.

This year is different. "The prices are good and the crops are better," he said. "The weather cooperated better this year." And he won't have to get an "off-farm" job this y ear.

When you do everything right, things just seem to click, he said - This is just one of those years.

His mother lives next door to his farm and some of his other relatives live down Youngerman Road. He liks the farm life for his family. "Its a good life," he said. "We're pretty much our own boss."

From the Jackson Sun by Julie Dodson November 19, 2003