About wf ranch
A person shift from pasture to preservation
Our Background
We come from a long line of farmers and ranchers. For years, our work focused on cattle, hay, and land management. Conservation wasn’t our starting point — but it’s where we ended up.
WF Ranch – Kentucky is now a small-scale, family-led effort to restore forest health on private land, starting with our own.
Duke Farm History
Our KY farm was originally owned by the Willaim D. Cochran family in 1938. After a Cochran family member death in 1953, the property changed hands. In 1954, Andrew (Andy) and Hula Duke made farm their home. Andy and Hula were well known and respected in Maysville: Andy enjoyed keeping various livestock on the farm. He really like riding standard bred horses. Miss Hula was an passionate advocate for Maysville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Famous guests to the Andy and Hula Duke home included:
- 1955 – KY Governor A.B. Happy Chandler
- (circa 1970) – The Talking Heads (Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth)
- 1972 – the Marquess and Marchioness of Reading England
- Retired US Supreme Court Justice Stanley Reed and Mrs. Reed
- US Ambassador William Trueheart
- US Ambassador James Moose
After the Dukes pasted, Mr. Hord purchased the farm at auction. The property exchanged hands soon. Pat and Jane Fay , who lived on a nearby property, purchased the farm in 2001. The Fays completed an extensive renovation of the farm house. They resided at Stoney Oaks Farm until 2020.
Over the years and until 2020), fences deteriorated, grazing stocking levels plummeted. The meadows and rolling hills were invaded by pear trees, Osage orange trees, locust trees, and Amur bush honeysuckle.
A more detail history is available upon request. It is authored by Thomas Duke.
WF Ranch history
(Warren Co., OH – Wayne Co., OH – Somerset Co., PA -Adams Co., OH – Parker Co., TX – Mason Co., KY)
Kelly and I were blessed to grow into our adulthood in differing paths. Kelly was a city girl from eastern KY who enjoyed summer vacations to the Arkansas mountains. I was born and raised north of Cincinnati. As I grew older, I frequently traveled back to Adams County, OH (across the Ohio River from Maysville, KY) to enjoy work and adventures on farms owned by my grandparents, parents, and Aunts/Uncles. Each season was busy with cattle, hay, garden, and the tobacco crop. As a disclaimer, I was fortunate to return home after each weekend. I will always acknowledge my cousins worked tirelessly through the week and I was a weekend participant.
Warren County, OH farmers further inspired me to wish to participate in agriculture. There are too many names to mention. I fear some may be omitted indivertibly if names were mentioned. Most, if not all, were members of the Mason Grange 1680. I witnessed and participated in their farming enterprises.
While attending The Ohio State University, Agricultural Technical School (Wooster, OH), I was mentored by the Mr. James Orr family (Orrson Farms) and dairy staff on his Holstein dairy. It was a great experience with a large milking herd, larger farm machinery, and different crops.
Somerset, PA has beautiful country and landscapes. In 1982, small dairy farms dotted the countryside. Bill and Connie Marteeny allowed me to intern. I learned much from Bill, Connie, Mark, Karen, and Bill’s mother. I’ll always remember the John Deere 4020 tractors and the big blue A.O. Smith Harvestore silos.
My Dad and I raised several tobacco crops in Adams, Co. We enjoyed the weekend get aways at the West Union, OH and Wrightsville, OH farm. Mom participated as well. She always kept us well feed and focused. It was the best of times and memories. It was a special day when the new John Deere 2350 tractor arrived at the farm.
Our Parker Conty, TX adventure was special. Kelly and I watched our children grown and we rebuilt an old dairy farm site into a Angus cattle and custom hay operation. The Coastal Bermuda hay was much different from the orchard grass/Timothy/clover hay of the Midwest. Mr. JE Jennings, lifelong rancher/farmer, was a special friend. In the 10 years, we made friendship that we’ll always treasure. It was painful to say goodbye to TX.
Now we are enjoying the restoration of our smaller Mason County, KY farm. Our livestock include hairless sheep and commercial cattle. Our goal is to remove all the established invasive Amur honeysuckle from our woodland so the native tree can flourish and repopulate.