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:

At CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney discusses profitability, consumer demand, and how the integrated U.S.–Canada beef supply chain impacts cattle producers across North America.
The USDA’s February WASDE report looms as the CME Ag Economy Barometer shows declining farmer confidence, and more ag industry groups calling for swift policy action.
San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo Association’s Trenton Priddy preview this year’s event, which is now streaming on RFD+
Dr. Peter Beetham, interim CEO of Cibus, joined us to discuss the status of EU gene-editing deregulation and its potential implications for agriculture.
Danny Munch of the American Farm Bureau joined us to discuss USDA’s latest farm income forecast, revisions to prior estimates, and what the updated data means for farmers heading into 2026.
HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy calls on cattle producers to retain breeding cows while Ivomec receives emergency authorization to prevent New World screwworm.
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.