Rings Named Indiana Farm Family of the Year

From left are: family members Taryn Rockey, Kathy Ring, Shawn Rockey,
David Ring, Shane Ring, Brent Ring and Jeri Ring and
Beck's Hybrids Vice President Scott Beck.

Listen to the interview on the Brownfield Ag News Radio Network

By JAMES HENRY
AgriNews Publications

INDIANAPOLIS - The Ring family now is Indiana's Farm Family of the Year. The Dubois County family was honored during a presentation at the Indiana Farm Bureau state convention in Indianapolis. David and Kathy Ring of Huntingburg received the award with their three children and families: son Brent, his wife, Jeri, and their son Dylan, 3; daughter Taryn, her husband, Shawn Rockey, and their son Sam, 2; and son Shane.

The award is presented annually by two family agricultural businesses, Beck's Hybrids and Indiana AgriNews. It honors a Hoosier family for outstanding efforts on and off the farm.

"The Rings are a hard-working, progressive and innovative family that serves their community in many ways," said John Baugh, Purdue University director of agricultural services and regulations.

"David is always a pleasure to be around because of the positive attitude he has about agriculture and life in general." "Dave and Kathy's family are very respected in the agricultural community and are both very active in civic organizations and activities," added Superior Ag Resources Co-op agronomy manager William Weisman.

"I do not think that Dave or Kathy have ever turned down an opportunity to be helpful to neighbors in need or any kind of volunteer work for the general good of the community."

Among a very lengthy list of activities, David was a longtime member of the Indiana Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development, a group that advised state lawmakers in the General Assembly on farm-related issues. He was an ICARD director for 12 years and was first appointed by then-Gov. Evan Bayh.

David is a 30-year member of the Dubois County Farm Bureau and now is a representative on the state and national Farm Bureau dairy advisory committees.

The Rings milk about 110 Holstein cows. They also raise about 600 acres of corn, 400 acres of soybeans, 400 acres of wheat and 100 acres of hay.

"Owning a dairy farm, you never have to look for stuff to do," David joked.
Brent helps with the management of the milking. He and his wife, Jeri, also recently launched a turkey business, raising about 30,000 birds a year for Farbest Foods.

Brent is a member of the Dubois County Extension Board and the Dubois County Beverage Board and is a director for the Southern Indiana Dairy Herd Improvement Association.

In addition to farming and representing farmers on well more than a dozen different organizations, David also is a full-time agriculture instructor at Southridge High School, where he is the advisor for about 120 FFA members. Kathy shares her husband's passion for education. After a long career as a substitute teacher, she now is a full-time fifth-grade instructor at Huntingburg Elementary.

In her classroom, she specializes in language arts, emphasizing the importance of a vast vocabulary. "There are words I never want anyone to use: good, bad, things and stuff. They don't mean anything," she noted. "I'm the queen of perseverance," the educator said, explaining she writes that word on her chalkboard at the beginning of the school year. "It's an important word."

In Seymour, daughter Taryn works as a physical therapist at Progressive Physical Therapy. Her husband is a design engineer for Cummins Inc.

Shane, who works for TC Technology, a computer software development company in San Diego, flew from California to Indianapolis to surprise his family members and be with them as they recently were honored.

The Rings are proud to maintain the farm originated by David's grandfather, Herman, in 1854, and continued by his father, Roscoe. David and Brent work together to create a cropping plan that utilizes Global Positioning System grid soil sampling and lime and fertilizer application.

They also utilize the latest technologies in their dairy herd management and breeding programs, as well as a feed consultant to attain top efficiency and production. Brent and Jeri's new turkey building also boasts a state-of-art ventilation system.

"The David Ring family is an excellent example of a modern farm family doing what it takes to earn a living from the land," said Jim Peter, agriculture and natural resources educator for the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service in Dubois County.

"The Ring family is deeply involved in the surrounding community, giving of their time to make Dubois County and the sur-rounding area a better place to live," he said.

"Their involvement in community activities is appreciated by all those who benefit from their time and energy. They are valued citizens of Dubois County and the state of Indiana."

As Indiana's Farm Family of the Year, the Rings received a plaque, a yard sign and a $300 gift card. They are the 11th family to be honored with the title.

The family members also have been invited to attend the Farmers Day activities at the Indiana State Fair and will receive a vacation package based on their own interests.