Rudd is new manager at UK’s Eden Shale farm

Says he’ll continue the work of Wyles, Hawkins

By Tim Mandell
timm@owentonnewsherald.com

— Photo by TIM MANDELL
Eden Shale Farm manager Shannon Rudd wraps wheat, while assistant manager Eugene Caldwell checks another bundle. Rudd said that by wrapping the wheat, it keeps out oxygen — which causes the wheat to rot. Wrapping the wheat forces out the bad bacteria and allows the wheat grass to ferment and make a higher quality product. The wheat will stay wrapped until about October, when it will be fed to beef cattle.

Researchers in Owen County are trying to find ways to make improvements in the world of farming.
The University of Kentucky’s Eden Shale Research and Demonstration Farm — located at the intersection of Highways 22 and 845 — has a long history of conducting experiments in an attempt to improve the quality of farm life.
“Our farm is set up as a demonstration farm, where we can make positive improvements on agriculture in the area,” said Shannon Rudd, who recently took over as the farm manager.
He’s just the third manager the farm has had since its inception. He follows in the footsteps of Joe Wyles, who took over for long-time manager O.D. Hawkins.
“We’re trying to see what we can do to make it profitable to be in farming,” Rudd said.
The research team has been experimenting in areas such as Christmas trees, strawberries, orchards, beef cattle, and grapes, trying to learn as much as possible about each area in order to make improvements, or be able to test the profitability of farming each product.
What they learn, they hope, will help producers, consumers and other researchers.
“Hopefully we can apply it back directly to the producers to help them to increase income,” Rudd said. “The professors, they’ll take the research and write it up and hopefully they’ll be able to publish this research and allow other people to research this and perform their own tests and hopefully we’ll get a continued knowledge curve we can follow where we’re always making improvements.”
According to a University of Kentucky Web site, the original idea for Eden Shale Farm began in 1953, when farmers in the 33-county area in which the Eden series of soil predominates, decided to create a demonstration farm to find answers to problems unique in the area.
In 1955, individuals and groups purchased five farms and combined them into one large farm, then handed the farm over to the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture and Experiment Station.
Since then, the working farm has continued to do research.
Rudd has long been involved in farm research.
He grew up on a farm in Menifee County, where his father often did research experiments.
“Anything that came along that was good for the county, we tried on our farm,” Rudd said. “We were the guinea pigs.”
Rudd, who still owns a farm in Menifee County, was working in Dry Ridge when he learned of the opening at Eden Shale Farm.
He had previously worked for the University of Kentucky in Animal Sciences, and with his wife working in Cincinnati, had moved to northern Kentucky.
He’s now in the process of learning at Eden Shale from outgoing manager Joe Wyles.
“I love research and being on the cutting edge,” Rudd said.
With the new position Rudd inherits a staff of five workers.
“They’re an extremely experienced staff,” Rudd said. “These guys have been dedicated to this farm for many years. They really know what’s going on and how to handle research and farm work. They’re an outstanding group across the board.”
The farm has other research projects in the works, while always looking for ways to continue to improve the farming community.