Justin and Kayla Key of Key Farms hope their passion for farming is passed to the next generation.

Justin Key works as an equipment operator for Alabama Power at Miller Steam Plant. His wife, Kayla, is Vice-President of Compliance at Pinnacle Bank. When they’re not at their day jobs, the Keys are usually baling hay or tending to cattle at their farm in the Pleasantfield community, also known as Key Farms, Inc. And since cows generally don’t schedule giving birth, it also means forfeiting lots of sleep.  

“You have to love it (farming),” Kayla says. “There are times we are out there in the wee hours of the morning and then have to get up and go to work.”

“We've been out there at 2 a.m. pulling calves,” Justin adds. “It’s a way of life—either you love it, or you hate it. “

When he was growing up, Justin helped his “grandpaw,” Newton Martin, look after his cattle. The knowledge he amassed during those years laid the groundwork for what became Key Farms. “We'd sit at the Fayette feed mill for hours waiting on feed,” Justin remembers. “Then, he got out of the cattle business and went into the hay business.”

Justin eventually took over his grandfather’s business. Today, Bermuda hay (round rolls) is one leg of Key Farms. The cow business was added in 2015. Now, Key Farms is the only registered Brahman breeder in Walker County.

“We have cattle-breeding stock—registered Herefords, Brahmans, and certified F-1s (the first generation of crossbred cattle),” Kayla explains.

The cattle on the farm are so docile that people are welcome to come and feed them. “Everybody says Brahmans are crazy, wild, and mean,” Justin says. “We breed our cattle to be the most docile we can get. A lot of that is breeding and spending time with them.”

That takes tremendous effort. After his shift at Alabama Power, Justin heads home and works the farm. Kayla helps after work and on weekends. Sometimes they recruit friends. Justin is often reminded that farming isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

“Folks look at me and say, ‘Why do you do this? It’s too much work,’” he says. “I ask them, ‘Do you like eating steak?’" 

Raising beef isn’t the only reason the Keys trade sleep for pulling calves in the early morning hours. They’ve also helped several friends get their start in the cattle business. Those friendships often become like family.

The Keys are active members of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and Walker County Young Farmers and urge everyone to support and buy from local farmers. Hoping to inspire a new generation of farmers, they encourage the younger generation to get involved in these organizations. “Cattle is something that younger people aren't part of anymore,” Kayla says. “At the fairs, they used to have pig shows, horse shows, cow shows, etc. Now there is nothing.”

Hopefully, their 9-month-old daughter, Kendall, will be among that generation. Kayla says she hopes to have Kendall 15 head of cattle by the time she graduates high school.

Emphasizing that the backbone of Key Farms is faith and family, Justin says hard work and planning alone didn’t make them successful. “Without the good Lord we wouldn't be where we are now.” 78