Producer of the Month
Lafayette Williams - Knoxville, TN

Lafayette Williams was born and raised on his family farm in Knox County.  The farm was a land grant to his family in 1801, and has been in production ever since.  By the time he was a year old, his father and grandfather would take him to the stockyard, he began buying cattle at the age of seven.  His daddy said that he had gone “Cattle Crazy!” He received his Masters Degree in Animal Husbandry from the University of Tennessee in 1963.  He later became a co-owner in the Knoxville Livestock Center from 1989-2007, after its third year in operation it became the largest livestock market in the South.  He is currently a co-owner of the Plateau Livestock Exchange in Crossville.

His farming operation consists of 80 commercial Angus cows and three registered Angus bulls.  Some heifer calves are retained or sold as replacement heifers.  The remainder of the calves are fed and finished on the farm and sold directly to the consumer as freezer beef.   The Williams’ family farm is nearly 300 acres; they also lease an additional 70 acres from a neighbor.  Until the 1970’s, they raised cattle, hogs, sheep, corn, wheat, tobacco, and various produce.  For the past 35 years they have raised only beef cattle and hay. They are also developing agri-tourism activities and have opened their farm to the public.  The family has enjoyed the time on the farm and hope to share the experience and knowledge with others.

When asked about his thoughts on the future of the cattle industry Williams replied, “Currently, cattle numbers in the US are down.  Fewer people are entering the cattle business.  With the increased age of farmers, the number of farms has reduced and production costs have risen. Cattle farmers can see this through only if the consumer is willing to pay for the product.   The key to the cattlemen’s survival is for the consumer to purchase our beef at a price that allows us to produce the quality product that they demand.”

Williams’ has severed on many committees and boards within the agriculture industry, including Tennessee Livestock Association, Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association, Knox County Livestock Association, Knox County Cattlemen’s Association, Knoxville Feed Calf Sales, and Tennessee Beef Industry Council.   He is currently serving as the Secretary of the Executive Committee for the Tennessee Beef Industry Council.