Robert “Jake” Kelly will retire officially after 20 years in the Air Force on August 1, but he’s already on the next chapter in his life with New Heritage Farm just north of Abilene, Texas.
“In 2021, when my wife and I decided to retire here in Texas, and we put roots on her family’s land just north of my last duty assignment (Dyess Air Force Base),” he said. “My wife’s grandparents raised livestock on the land under the name M&B Farm, but after their passing, the land sat idle for over 20 years.”
He said New Heritage Farm was established for two main reasons.
“First, we must ensure that our children have the opportunity to learn and have something from which they can continue to grow when they get older,” Kelly said. “In my travels, I have seen how agriculture can have a huge impact on local populations. Using what I have learned, I wanted to ensure my local community always had fresh, clean food available.”
The farm has poultry, rabbits, and hydroponic vegetables and fruits. Plans are to expand into an apiary, swine production, and agricultural tourism within the next two years, he said.
He is currently enrolled in Heroes to Hives to help start his apiary.
Kelly received a Fellowship Fund grant in 2024 provided by Tractor Supply Company. It will be used to build a 10-by-20-foot hydroponic greenhouse and to provide support material. Kelly said that will enable him to expand from an indoor experiment to a 700-plant grow operation.
Challenges
The area’s limited water and sandy soil can make farming difficult, he said, which prompted him to look into other types of agriculture, such as aquaculture operations.
While Kelly is putting down roots in Texas, his upbringing was in farm country in Winchester, Indiana.
“I spent a lot of time working on farms while living in town,” he said. “I gained a lot of love for agriculture working these various farms while growing up, but I decided to enter the Air Force when I graduated high school.”
Kelly spent 15 years in emergency management and counter-weapons of mass destruction operations while in the Air Force. He was deployed five times and served at eight different installations.
His last five years were in Texas as a 1st Sergeant, helping Airmen in distress.
“As I prepared to retire and transition out of the military, I enrolled in the Texas A&M Battleground to Breaking Ground program, which gave me the tools to restore my wife’s family farm,” he said. “I got lucky and apprenticed with Doug and Melissa Havermann at Mesquite Field Farm in Nixon, Texas, who really gave me the skills and knowledge to get things going.”
Satisfaction
Working on the farm is a fulfilling experience, he said.
“I enjoy getting my hands dirty and owning the farm’s successes and failures,” he said. “There are always challenges, and I learn new things every day. I also enjoy knowing that the hard work the family puts in will help instill a hard work ethic that our children will benefit from in their own endeavors.”
Kelly added that having the farm is about family.
“This is truly a family operation to establish a new heritage for our kids to continue with, and it wouldn’t be possible without all the help,” he said. “I have support from 10 family members who help provide experience and support in these endeavors.”
He said he is especially thankful for his wife, Breana, and her mother, Callie Caldwell. “They made this operation possible,” he said. “Without them, none of this could have happened.”
