Raised on a farm in Simcoe, Tim Scott gets up every morning and looks out over land where his family has raised chickens, cattle and row crops for three generations. He and his father, Johnny, and his brother, Todd, still do some farming, although they are out of the chicken business now. If things don’t change, his own son, Zane, will take up farming some day, right here on these rolling hills and pasture land that the Scott's have labored on.

“I tagged along after my dad in the chicken houses from the time I was old enough to walk,” laughed Scott, tugging on the bill of his cap.

“My granddaddy, James Huelett, farmed here and ran Cullman Sheet Metal,” said Scott. “This land will never be sold unless we are forced off of it, and it will always be used for cattle. I want my own grandkids to grow up here.”

Scott has seen a lot of family farms go on the auction block. “It just breaks my heart to see the banks wind up with peoples land,” he said, shaking his head. “These days if a landowner passes away and leaves land to his heirs, it normally gets sold for housing or business development.”

That’s one of the reasons Scott does what he does for a living. He started out with the Resource Conservation and Development Council, which covered nine counties in North Alabama. “We worked on projects that would benefit both farmers and the environment. Those projects help landowners to conserve and protect their land for future generations,” said Scott.

October 1999, Scott began working on the Clean Water Action Plan, which involves the Duck River Watershed.

Scott is currently Watershed Project Coordinator for the Cullman County Soil and Water Conservation District.

 “If a farmer has cattle and chickens, he might be able to get some assistance through this program for fencing, rotational grazing on streams, pasture improvement, run-off improvement, and cross fencing, which would give him more pounds per acre,” Scott explained.

Scott pulls monthly water samples to check for turbidity after every rainfall event, does biological surveys, and other laboratory procedures to insure the safety of the water and land in this area. “This water testing shows that our farmers are the best caretakers of their resources because it’s their livelihood and they understand how to use and protect it. The land users themselves are doing a good job in helping to protect the area water supplies,” praised Scott.  “My job is to keep farmers farming.”

“We go out to the schools and teach kids where their food comes from because kids are becoming removed from farms these days. Nationwide, there are only about one and a half percent of the population who still farm. We are trying to help farmers in this area to overcome the higher overhead cost of farming, the things they have to use like diesel fuel, chemicals, and feed — things that keep going up higher and higher,” he said.

“Incomes are falling due to these high overhead expenses. In the past 15 years, the price of farming equipment has actually doubled. Farmers have to really love what they do, or they won’t make it,” said Scott. “But this is a good, honest living. The farmers in the United States produce the safest food supply in the world, under the tightest safety restrictions. In the last few years there has been a lot of labeling so that consumers will know where their food is coming from. People need to read those labels,” Scott stressed. “Former Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks worked on that legislation, and it resulted in things like fish, shrimp and other fresh foods carrying the USA label.”

Scott loves his job, and loves working with farmers and producers. “Hopefully, we are helping them to become better producers, helping them to preserve and be passionate about this way of life,” he said. “We continually educate people to preserve this natural resource base we have here in Cullman County.”

Cullman County is the number one producer of poultry, cattle and sweet potatoes and is right at the top of the egg industry, so Scott’s department is obviously helping them to do something right. “Cullman County farmers are some of the most conscientious farmers anywhere because they are, for the most part, not leasing land, they are farming their own land,” he pointed out.

Scott married the former Jessica Moses of Eva in 1999. As of this writing, the couple has two children, Arleigh Grace, 7, and Zane, 4. Katie Marie should make her appearance any day now.

Scott, along with his father and brother still run about 400 head of mama cows, and Todd farms row crops. This family is dedicated to preserving and protecting their way of life for their children and grandchildren. They are contributing members of the community, a part of the legacy of farm families in Cullman County, and proud of it.

Scott is also proud to be associated with another organization, the Lions Club. For 26 years he has been a part of what he refers to as, “the best group of men you’ve ever seen.”

“The Cullman chapter of the Lions Club works to raise money that stays right here in our county,” Scott pointed out. “I think this is the best civic organization that people can join.”

Tim Scott is one of the many Cullman Countians who take pride in living in this area.