Interview with Dean Phillip Jenkins, January 12, 1992

Partial Transcript: Uh, this is a oral history interview with Phil Jenkins, for the University of Kentucky Family Farm Oral History Project.

Segment Synopsis: Dean Jenkins discusses his educational background and the importance of education. He also describes some of the farming practices he utilizes on the farm.

Keywords: Advice; Cattle; Childhood; Crops; Discipline; Employees; Farming; Feeding; Grade school; Grandchildren; Grass; Knowledge; Land; Learning; Madison County (Ky.); Management; Middletown; Niece; Plowing; Pride; Proud; Rains; Reseeding; Segregation; Study; Subsoiler; Top soil; White Station

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Education; Education, Primary--Kentucky; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: Who do you hire?

Segment Synopsis: Jenkins discusses how he manages the farm, in particular how he hires help. He provides insight on how he quit school and began his life as a farmer. He also describes his childhood.

Keywords: Advice; Education; Employees; Family; Family life; Farming; Father; Help; Hire; Hiring; Lee Roberts; Mother; Nephew; Parents; Payment; Relationship; Role models; Saw; Sawing; Sawyer; School; School year; Son; Tobacco; Young men

Subjects: African American families; African American farmers; African American parents; African Americans--Education; African Americans--Employment; Childhood; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: When was this?

Segment Synopsis: Jenkins discusses some of the local farmers that he saw as his role models. He also discusses the difficulties and challenges of financing a farm.

Keywords: Acres; Assistance; Cancer; Cattle; Common sense; Cows; Debt; Earl Rollo (??); Farm land; Farming; Farming equipment; Food; Government; Health; Jesse Parks, Jr.; Land; Law; Peytontown (Ky.); Politicians; Profit; Role models; Starvation; Stock; Tobacco

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Economic conditions; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: I think American people are smoking less than they've ever smoked. But, uh, you take Japan, uh, you take Japan...

Segment Synopsis: Jenkins discusses the tobacco industry, specifically he touches on smoking and how people are buying and consuming tobacco products. He also describes how farmers are faring in Madison County, Kentucky.

Keywords: America; Banking; Beef Cattle Association; Cattle; Consumption; Discrimination; Extension agents; Farm land; Fields; Government; Grazing; Help; Japan; Livestock; Loans; Madison County (Ky.); Politicians; Production; Smoking; Tobacco

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Social conditions; Race relations--Kentucky; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: They, they wouldn't-- just wouldn't do it. And then, on the other hand, you, you didn't--you couldn't find many Black men that was financially secure enough that they were able.

Segment Synopsis: Jenkins discusses race relations in Madison County, Kentucky. He also talks about problems of unity within the Black community.

Keywords: Bank notes; Black community; Black people; Church; Cosigners; Discrimination; Finances; Help; Jealousy; Loans; School; Sister; Success; White people

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Social conditions; Race relations--Kentucky; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: I, I know that this might be kinda getting away from, from, from what we wanted to talk about, but you know.

Segment Synopsis: Jenkins discusses the role he believes a farmer should have in his local community. He also describes the relationship he has with some of the White farmers. He also provides insight on the condition of Black farmers in the area.

Keywords: Attendance; Black farmers; Children; Courtesy; Cousin; Farm meetings; Farmers; Help; Interracial friendship; Involvement; Irving (Ky.); Knowledge; Leaders; Leadership; Mankind; Meetings; Parents; White farmers

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Social Conditions; Race relations--Kentucky; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: Um, one other thing I wanted to ask you about, this is a very different topic, but when you think back to your growing up, um, can you tell me about farm accidents that you remember when you were a kid?

Segment Synopsis: Jenkins discusses working on the farm and some of the accidents that occurred there.

Keywords: Accidents; Bottom; Clods; Corn; Falls; Farming; Farms; Father; Hay; Haystacks; Henry Ferris; Mother; Mule; Plowing; Tobacco; Uncle Lawrence; Weeding; Work

Subjects: African American families; African American farmers; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: But, I'm a--I said something to Uncle Lawrence that I always regretted. I told him, I said, "I'll never be back until that other old mule dies."

Segment Synopsis: Jenkins discusses a time he got into a conflict with his uncle, and some other childhood memories. He also describes the kind of equipment he has on his farm and how expensive it can be.

Keywords: Accidents; Bales; Bessie Jenkins; Careful; Corn; Cousin; Employees; Family; Farm equipment; Father; Fields; Hay; John Harris; Labor; Middletown; Profit; Relatives; Sale; Skeeter; Tobacco; Tractors; Uncle; Unloading; Wagons; Work; Workers

Subjects: African American families; African American farmers; African Americans--Economic conditions; Rural African Americans

Partial Transcript: Um, we're--we've been going pretty long, um, here. I'd just like to, um, close the interview with one last question about what do you envision, um, your future in farming to be like?

Segment Synopsis: Jenkins describes what he sees as his future as a farmer. He also discusses a lesson he learned from his mother about having faith in God.

Keywords: Ability; Body; Cattle; Changes; Church; Common sense; Doubt; Family; Farming; Father; Fields; Future; Hay; Mother; Parents; Quitting; Slowing down; Trust; Youth

Subjects: African American families; African American farmers; African American parents; African Americans--Religion; Rural African Americans