Story and Photos by Makenna Arnold
After hauling shipments on his 18-wheeler for nearly 12 hours a day, Jeffrey Cox comes home to his farm.
According to Cox, that’s the reality of many farmers today. He works as a truck driver during the day, making deliveries in Jonesborough and Johnson City.
When he comes home in the evenings, he has a farm to run.
“Step into the barn,” said Cox. “That’s my office.”
Cox lives on a farm nestled on the backroads of Jonesborough, Tennessee. The farm originated in 1897 and has been a passed down through his family for five generations. One of the winding backroads bears the Cox family name.
He and his father both have other jobs, but farming used to be a full-time business for the their family.
Cox grew up on the farm, going to his grandmother’s house and helping with chores. As a child, he helped his grandfather raise tobacco and hay. Once, the money from these cash crops brought them a full income. As time went on, farming wasn't enough to pay the bills.
What used to be the sole means of income for his family became a hobby used for supplemental income.
Cox, his father and his sister live only a few feet from each other and the farm. An abandoned house rests towards the back of the pasture that once belonged to Cox’s grandmother, complete with an outhouse.
The farm still sells hay and the occasional calf. Until recently, Cox bred and sold colts. He still has 3 Belgian horses and one “pet” horse. He said that raising Belgian horses is his true passion. He’s been dealing with horses for almost 15 years.
“The way I work, I went in at 6:30 and I just now got off,” said Cox. “We used to raise colts. My dad still does a good job on the farm, but he’s not able to reach down and pick those heavy colts up if they have trouble. I’ll probably go back into it, if the good Lord lets me live long enough to retire.”
He stepped out of the barn and whistled for the horses to come down the hill. Then, he climbed into a work truck that he referred to as “the Gator.”
A dog jumped at Cox’s feet, eager to follow him into the pasture. Cox swung the gate wide and rumbled into the field on his truck. The cows only lazily lifted their heads to greet him, but his beloved horses met him with head-butts and nuzzles. Cox gently batted them away so he could speak. The horses resumed their dinner, their munching almost louder than the conversation.
Cox led the way to his Belgian mare. The horse towered over him; her hooves were as big as a man’s head. He leaned against her as one might lean against a fencepost.
Cox hopes to retire and focus on farming, particularly on breeding horses. In the meantime, he keeps his day job.
Despite the trials that farmers face, Cox is hopeful that one of his two daughters will take on the farm and carry on the family tradition.
Credits:
Makenna Arnold