All four Harrison AGR men: Steve, Paul, Charles and John.

Evaleka Farm in Loudon, Tenn., is named for a Cherokee Indian maiden who ended her life on the farm, according to local legend. She loved a trapper who was traveling by canoe to meet her. He was killed on the way by a jealous Indian brave who laid in waiting high on the creek embankment which is now farm property. When Evaleka discovered the tragedy, she leaped into the creek and drowned.

Today, this farm with a colorful history is home to the Charles and Mary Harrison family.
Charles Harrison, father of the family, graduated from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville (UT) with a degree in dairy science in 1953. His wife, Mary, “Mom” to this exceptional family, received her degree in home economics from UT in 1952 and worked as an extension agent for UT in Loudon County. She taught home economics at Loudon High School from 1970 to 1980. They have four children and 12 grandchildren living within 35 miles of home.

Steve Harrison finished his degree from UT in animal science in 1980. John M. Harrison received his degree from UT in 1981 with a major in agriculture business. Their brother, C. Paul Harrison, majored in agriculture business as well and graduated in 1983. He received his law degree from UT in 1986. Their sister, Amy Harrison Hinton, majored in business and graduated in 1984. All the Harrison men were members of Alpha Kappa Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho at UT-Knoxville.

The entire Harrison family: Front row: George, Sally, Mary,
Charles, Mary, Rebecca; second row: Blaine, Melissa, John,
Celia, Amy Elizabeth, Mary, Amy, Granville, Robert;
third row (standing): Paul, John, Charles, Robert, Beverly,
Steve and Mark.

Steve runs a 650-cow dairy herd on two farms that were previously owned in partnership with his father. The herd averages 23,500 pounds and produces approximately 14 million pounds per year. There are 600 acres on the home farm.

In 1967, they bought a no-till corn planter, and since then, no-till planting and double cropping have been the methods used. They grow corn, soybeans, and wheat with no-till, since their fields are too steep for plowing.

There is quicker planting and less erosion with no-till, according to Steve, but no-till saves time, labor and soil nutrients too. He handles the unwanted Johnsongrass herbicides. In 1992, the Harrisons completed an extensive building program which included a new commodity shed, manure storage facility, feed barn, and shed for weaned calves.

By summer 2004, a new dairy facility will be finished, which will permit consolidation of the dairy production on one farm with housing for the cows, feed storage, and milking parlor. Silage is stored in 300 ton bags, and about 8-10 per year are harvested..

Steve and his wife, Beverly, have three children: Mark (16), Robert “Bo” (14), and Rebecca (12). Beverly is a homemaker, formerly an elementary school teacher, and currently farm business manager. She has a degree from East Tenn. State.

John is owner of Sweetwater Valley Dairy Farms. On this 1200 acre farm, he has a dairy and a cheese processing facility. He is a sixth-generation dairy farmer and Loudon County (Tenn.) native. On his farm, 850 Holstein cows are milked three times each day. This is 365 days per year, bad weather and good, including Christmas and holidays. There are no days off.

With his dairy animals and the offspring from his dairy herd, he has around 2,200 head of cattle. This included 500 steers of mixed breeds that he raises for meat, and 80 cows in his beef herd. At his dairy farm and cheese facility, he has a little more than 20 employees. His land is used for growing corn silage, hay, and pasture.

His Sweetwater Valley cheese is found in the fancy dairy cases at local Kroger and Fresh Market stores in locations throughout Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. Many wineries purchase and sell his cheese. His facility is the only cheese producer in the State of Tennessee. Through the Internet many corporations purchase his cheese for holiday gifts.

John and his wife, Celia, have five children: Mary (12), Sally (9), John (7), Charles (5), and Amy (3). Celia is an emergency room physician at Sweetwater Hospital.

Paul is a prominent lawyer in Knoxville and a partner in the law firm of Long, Ragsdale & Waters. His legal practice represents businessmen and women in both real estate transactions and disputes. In addition to his law practice, he has a range of investments and business ventures centered around real estate and commercial properties.

Paul's background on the farm taught him that hands-on experiences come in handy in more ways than you might think. The farm taught him to deal with all types of people, to read and understand others, to handle difficult situations, to develop persistence and stay the course, to be resourceful, by necessity to be frugal, to maintain a good work ethic, and the importance of team efforts and
individual endeavors. The experiences of building fences, constructing barns, and other summer projects on the farm when he was growing up were excellent preparation for his current career.

Paul and his wife, Melissa, have two children: Blaine (8) and George (11). Melissa is a homemaker and graduate of Centre College in Kentucky. In addition to his professional duties, Paul serves on the Alumni Board and as Legal Advisor for Alpha Kappa Chapter.

Amy was in retail and bank management in Nashville and Knoxville. Then she became a pharmaceutical sales representative for a time and then a Regional Account Manager for Becton Dickinson Consumer Products in the southeast. Amy and her husband, Robert, a lawyer and UT graduate, have two children: Mary Grace (5) and Granville (2 ½). Amy is busy as a homemaker now. Amy says, “Most of my brothers' friends were just like big brothers to me especially during my college years. AGR's have a special place in my heart.”

Charles' first experience in the AGR house was pledge president. It was quite a job with brothers such as Brent Hurd, Rex Bracy, Joe Armstrong, and others! They were a handful, reports Charles! After two years at Maryville College, Charles transferred to UT, so he missed the leadership and management opportunities faced by Charter members of his chapter that immediately preceded him. He says that living at the house provided the experiences of getting along with others, making new friends; and becoming acquainted with brothers that remain among his very closest friends today.

Steve was Noble Ruler in 1979, John was Treasurer in 1980, and Paul was Noble Ruler in 1982. For Steve, John, and Paul, AGR provided excellent leadership training in chapter offices, extensive public speaking possibilities, and numerous occasions for expressing their ideas in groups or arguing a point of view. While living in the fraternity house, the brothers practiced leadership and management skills, chiefly financial management, record keeping, and budgeting that have served them well after they graduated. The awards received by these brothers were many, and their student leadership activities included numerous AGR, College of Agriculture, and all-campus organizations.

In 1971, illness threatened to end the family dairy farm for Charles and Mary. A blood clot developed in one leg of Charles and his doctor advised him to begin liquidating his Holstein dairy herd without delay. Charles did not like the flavor of this drastic action. He had built the family dairy operation with his father over many years.

His sons, then 13, 12, and 10 went into the farm milking parlor and began working with hired help to continue the farm operations. According to Charles and Mary, that incident played a key role in the decisions of their sons to stay on the family farm. Obviously, Charles recovered nicely from the blood clot. Charles says, “There are still not enough young people in farming, but the future is brighter than it was. Not too long ago, many people went into agriculture simply because they could not do anything else. Today, they are doing it because that is what they want to do.” Mary says, “Young farmers today are better educated and better prepared to make a profit in farming.”

When advising current AGR brothers, Charles recommends that they look for opportunities in unique areas, not be afraid of hard work and long hours, follow their dreams, set goals to reach along the way, and realize the importance of giving back to their communities. He especially suggested service to areas wherever they grew up. As examples, volunteer work, serving on boards or as officers, and being guest speakers were cited, particularly in agriculture, community, and church groups.

Joe Harrison, younger brother to Charles, is also a member of Alpha Kappa and is very dedicated to AGR today. He has moved back to Tenn. after retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Air Force. He served as a navigator on B-52 Stratofortress bombers.

Dr. Max Gregory, UT, 1952, who was an AGR brother with Charles, says, “We are very proud of the Harrison family and their contributions to the success of the Alpha Kappa Chapter. This family has given generously of their talents as well as their resources, and we all, undergraduates and alumni, appreciate their accomplishments.”
 

[ AGR News | SICKLE & SHEAF | AGR's Home Page | @g online ]