Whispering Hills Farm Turns Overgrown Kentucky Property into Award-Winning Operation

Mike Wilson says years of hard work and stewardship helped transform the farm for future generations.

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (National Cattlemen’s Beef Association) — As National Beef Month continues, one Kentucky cattle operation is being recognized for turning neglected land into a productive farm focused on stewardship and sustainability.

Whispering Hills Farm, owned by Mike Wilson and his family, was named a 2025 regional winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award Program.

Wilson purchased the original 75 acres in 1999 after the prhttps://www.beef.org/operty had sat largely untouched since the early 1970s. He says that improving the land and keeping the farm sustainable have remained priorities ever since.

“If you don’t take care of the land, it’s not going to take care of you,” Wilson says. “So I’m a firm believer in taking care of what you have.”

He says transforming the property took years of work, but he is proud of what the farm has become.

“I’m grateful for what I’ve got,” Wilson continues. “I’m grateful for what I’ve managed to accomplish — getting it cleaned up — but it took a lot of sweat and blood to get it to where it’s at now. But I can look back on my accomplishments, and I’m very satisfied with my results.”

Wilson says he hopes the farm will continue being passed down through future generations of his family.

All month long, RFD News is highlighting beef producers who help feed families across the country and around the world. To find more stories and recipes that celebrate beef, CLICK HERE: May is National Beef Month!

Related Stories
The Iowa cattle operation was recognized for its focus on soil health and sustainable farming practices.
The Unger family says the operation focuses on land stewardship and on keeping more Hawaii-raised beef on the islands.
American beef and pork products are gaining visibility in Colombian butcher shops through training and merchandising programs.
The fifth-generation operation continues balancing family tradition with a focus on growth and sustainability.
The Nevada cattle operation continues focusing on sustainable land management for future generations.
New trade access, tariff concerns and international negotiations are reshaping the global beef market.

Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Farmer Jeffry Mitchell with the Mississippi Farm Bureau joins us for a spring planting update from the southeast region as drought, input costs, and fertilizer access complicate crop progress.
Milestone will be celebrated at the 100th State FFA Convention this summer
Cattle producers face mounting pressure as U.S.-Mexico trade talks resume, but expanding drought, rising input costs, and policy work to improve the long-term industry outlook.
Students in 4-H share how prior planning helps set themselves up for success in state fair showing season.
The White House’s plan calls for a nearly 20 percent reduction in the USDA’s budget, which would impact various food and agriculture aid programs.
JBS representatives told Reuters that the original deal has not changed and that they welcome employees back to the facility.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.