Having grown up in an old farmhouse, a chill in the air could be felt once the late fall winds blew winter into town. One hundred-plus-year-old houses back then had a tendency to be a bit drafty. No worries though.

My mother had plenty of quilts to pass around to keep us all nice and warm during those cold nights. I remember them well each having a colorful patchwork sewn together to create one unique blanket.

And while each one had its own “personality” they all served the same purpose. I have always been a quilt fan marveling at how much work it takes someone to sew together each piece to make one final masterpiece.

Somehow, I was reminded of those quilts recently during a work trip across the state. Now, stay with me on this one. I promise it will make sense at the end!

During my trip, I visited with several people all doing something a little different in their daily lives but contributing in their own way to this one vital industry we call “agriculture.”

First, I stopped by the White Farm in Union County to visit Dustin White. His family has been farming in this area of the state for generations. Harvest season is upon them, and it was very thoughtful of him to take time out of a busy day to discuss many issues on the farm and to take me around to get a few harvest photos.

Next, I made my way to Christian County to visit Eston Glover, who is the General Manager for the Hopkinsville Elevator Cooperative. I must admit, in all my years of traveling throughout the commonwealth, I had never visited this facility. Eston was gracious enough to spend time with me discussing all this cooperative does and to talk about this year’s harvest expectations.

While in Hopkinsville, I visited, by phone with Josh Cherry and Mitchell Dick from Graves County. Josh is that county’s Farm Bureau president and Mitchell serves as the fire chief of the Cuba Volunteer Fire Department.

Both of these folks recently helped rescue a fellow farmer and neighbor from a grain bin accident. Serving their community is just a fraction of what they do to make the place they live better.

Finally, I made a stop in Henderson County to visit the Fehd family and their dairy goat farm.  Montana, David and Heather Fehd’s daughter, is the subject of one of our KFB magazine stories this month and is a fascinating young person doing great things with her Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats.

I must admit, my knowledge of this breed of animal is limited but Montana has grown to be an expert on the subject. I was impressed beyond words with her knowledge and dedication to the farm and this goat breed that is so dear to her.

While each one I spoke to or visited with on this trip was different in what they do and where they live, they are a vital part of the overall agriculture “quilt” in Kentucky

I felt the same sense of comfort, as I made my way home, as I did when my mom draped those quilts across our beds.

And that is when I realized that agriculture really is like a quilt, as I traveled down the backroads.