Murdock & Sons Carries on Centuries-Old Farming Legacy in Kentucky
In partnership with: Kentucky Department of Agriculture
In the fall, with dark-fired tobacco curing in the barns and the harvest of corn and soybeans underway, Kyle Murdock is in his element. A fifth-generation farmer, Murdock owns and operates Murdock & Sons Farm, a family business outside of Murray with deep roots in Western Kentucky.
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Farming Roots
The Murdock family has been farming in Western Kentucky since the 1850s. They moved from North Carolina and settled in Graves County before eventually setting up a farm in Calloway County.
“We’ve got some good dirt in Calloway County,” Murdock said. “It’s a good agricultural area.”
Murdock’s grandfather grew tobacco, wheat, beans, and corn on the farm, along with raising a few beef cattle and hogs.
Today, the Murdocks farm around 4,000 acres, encompassing six chicken barns, 14,000 hogs, and a row crop operation. Each year, they plant and harvest everything from corn, beans, and hemp to – more recently – watermelon, green beans, and cucumbers.
After growing up on the farm, Murdock recommitted to his family’s operation instead of pursuing a different career after high school. He took over the farm full time in 2018 after his father retired.
“It’s a big responsibility,” he said. “Everything could be lost in a couple of years – things that took 150 years to build.”
For Murdock, carrying on his family birthright is both challenging and gratifying. Along with his business partner, Nathan Musser, he continues a farming tradition passed on through the generations. Musser also grew up working on the family farm alongside Murdock and his brothers, Lance and Trent, who still help out when they can.
“Nathan and I aren’t blood, but we’re brothers,” Murdock said.
Over the years, the Murdocks have adapted to changing tides in the agricultural industry, incorporating different crops, such as hemp, which Murdock & Sons Farm began growing in 2019. Organic hemp grown on the farm is processed into CBD, which has been another way for Murdock to diversify the farm.
“We’re always open to new adventures,” he said.
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Past and Present
Meat and produce from Murdock & Sons Farm are distributed all over the region, with vegetables going to chain grocery stores and grain being used for chicken feed.
While Murdock is proud of everything produced on the farm, the dark-fired tobacco grown and cured there has a unique history in the region that he’s honored to carry on. The hardwood trees of Western Kentucky and Tennessee help give the tobacco its strong, smoky flavor during the fire-curing process.
“Dark-fired tobacco has been the backbone around here,” Murdock said. “Western Kentucky is pretty well the only place for years and years where any dark-fired tobacco was grown.”
Murdock is mindful of keeping the land healthy and viable for years to come. One of the sustainable efforts he incorporates is using the chicken and hog manure to fertilize the crops instead of using commercial fertilizers.
His son, Luke, helps on the farm when he can and participates in FFA. Murdock supports his son’s interests and has hosted FFA students and advisors at the farm to learn from their row crop operation.
“Farming’s been good to us. It’s a good place to raise a family. We live a pretty good life.”
– Kyle Murdock, Murdock & Sons Farm owner
Murdock is there for every step of the growing process, from starting plants in the greenhouses in early spring to harvesting tobacco, shelling corn, and cutting soybeans in the fall. When the weather starts to turn cool and the harvest comes in, he takes pride in the hard work that has gone into continuing the family legacy for another year.
“Farming’s been good to us,” Murdock said. “It’s a good place to raise a family. We live a pretty good life.”