Jennifer Moonsong/ WCLU News Director
Paul and Kathy Dennison epitomize what it means to be Kentucky farmers, and from early beginnings of a front yard tomato stand, Dennison’s Market has grown into an award winning agro-tourism destination.
“We’ve always been farmers. We were like most Kentuckians, we depended on a tobacco base. But tobacco became politically incorrect, and they started cutting everyone’s quota,” Paul said.
That was the early 90s, and it was undeniable that Kentucky agriculture was facing change.
“We didn’t want to leave the farm,” Paul said.
It was not long after that, that a fortuitous thing happened. Then Hart County Agricultural Extension Agent from UK paid the Dennisons a visit, and asked that they grow an acre large demonstration field of tomatoes.
“ I was skeptical, but we did it, and “Paul said.
When they begin harvesting the tomatoes, they set up two sawhorses in their front yard with a piece of plywood on top, and made a makeshift tomato stand.
“At that time almost everybody grew a little garden still, I didn’t know if people would buy them or not. But they did and the plants were just gorgeous, and grew big ol’, beautiful tomatoes,” he added.
It turned out that the venture was very successful, and by the third seasons the Dennison family knew that if they were to continue growing vegetables with the labor-intensive nature of the work, and using their front yard as a market, they’d have to either give it up or expand.
In 1994 they built an open shed with a dirt floor, where the modern Dennison’s Market structure stands today.
They started growing squash, melons, and other vegetables, that thrive in Kentucky’s hot, humid summers. Overtime they expand it, added a floor, space and air conditioning. Through the years their two boys grew, and are now grown ups who have come back to the farm and brought with them, grandchildren.
As if that’s not success enough, Paul, whose adoration of everything involved with farming is evident, has kept finding ways to make the process interesting and new.
“I love growing things. I’m not really a flower person, a lot of guys aren’t, but I got a little bit curious about growing flowers,” Paul said.
With the help of a drip irrigation system, he has grown chrysanthemums, and a few small patches of flowers along the way.
This year, Kathy had the idea to grow even more and let people pick their own flowers from a cut flower selection. nestled behind the blackberry patch.
“We have zinnias and snapdragons. I was afraid that when people cut them, they look horrible, but it turns out they’re like an apple tree or a peach tree. They need to be pruned. The more keep people cut them the beautiful they are,” Paul said.
It has been hugely successful. They are pleased with how much the community has embraced it.
“We certainly couldn’t do any of this without customers. Every time I looked out there there were people picking flowers. I don’t know how many were here the first day, but it was a bunch. I think it relaxes people, they enjoy getting out here in the country and doing this. They’re even little children that come and pick flowers and they look so tickled,” Paul said.
Although summer is dwindling, the colorful stand of zinnias, snapdragons and sunflowers are thriving.
The market provides clippers and two sizes of water filled mason jars for customer. They also have a sunflower field, just up the road, suitable for beautiful photos where they sell the sunflowers by the head.
Paul is now 70. He and Kathy, along with their sons and employees still work long, labor-intensive hours. It has not kept the twinkle from his eye when he speaks passionately about “growing things”.
“ If I see a little lady holding onto this rail, telling me that she loves these tomatoes, it makes me so happy. I’ve got to do what I wanted to do, in high school they tried to get me to take typing and I didn’t wanna do that. I wanted to be a farmer,” Paul said, laughing a bit at the irony, considering their social media presence.
There’s still time to collect cut flowers at Dennison’s Market, but don’t wait too long. Soon their biggest season of the year will be underway, when the pumpkin patches open their gates for pumpkin rides.
To learn more about the market, follow them on their Dennison’s Market Facebook page.
