Chris Jones: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Riding down the access road to one of his pastures to move the herd into a fresh field, Mr. Dale Gibson noticed one of his calves had managed to slip away and was slowly trotting in the wrong direction. It didn't take long for him to loop around, traverse the plow lines in his Kubota utility vehicle, and corral the calf back into the herd and through the open gate.
Gibson, who was born in Madison to Emory “Hooch” and Lora (Starling) Gibson, has been farming, in one facet or another, his entire life. He inherited cattle from his father, and, in 1989, he quit his job driving for Greyhound, borrowed some money, and built chicken houses on his land. “When I decided to quit (Greyhound) and build these houses, I went for it, and never looked back,” Gibson said. Gibson is married to Carol Gibson, who is a School Board member for District 2. They attend Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Madison.
A practical man, Gibson says his favorite thing about farming is the paycheck. “Chicken farming isn't glamorous work,” he said. “Its seven days a week. Somebody has gotta be here, you can't just leave.” Gibson has plans to construct additional chicken houses in the near future.
At Gibson and Son Farms, the work is a family affair. Dale's son William, or Bill, as most know him, helps manage the chicken population, which is grown for Pilgrim's Pride as boilers. Bill is the fifth generation of Gibsons to work the same farm. In addition to cattle and chickens, the farm grows hay and rye in its pastures as part of their rotation. The chicken litter is used to fertilize the fields, and the hay is used to feed the cows, intertwining the mechanics of the farm into a well-oiled agricultural machine.