David Cromley’s family has been farming in the Nellwood area for six generations, even before the City of Brooklet was founded. Cromley can’t imagine doing anything else.
After graduating from SEB, David entered UGA thinking he might become a veterinarian. He took all of the pre-vet classes as an animal science major. But after talking to his veterinarian friends, it was evident that he had a unique opportunity on their family farm to make an impact and carry on the farm family tradition.
Farm life was solidified during an internship in the Georgia General Assembly House Rural Caucus at the Capitol in downtown Atlanta. After fighting Atlanta traffic and taking Marta to work, he realized life in Brooklet on the farm looked a whole lot better.
Being raised on the farm, he fell in love with the rural lifestyle and knew it was a good place to raise a family. He wanted his children to have the same experience he had growing up on the farm.
“My dad Chap, Uncle Hal and Mr. Jimmy and Mr. Tim Aldrich have taught me through the years about faith, family, and farming. I’m very blessed to have had these men in my life to help shape me into who I am today,” said David Cromley. “My grandfather, William, passed away unexpectedly when I was only 3 years old, but his legacy lives on in my dad, Uncle Hal, Aunt Carole Godbee, and Aunt LuAnne Cromley, and their children.”
Adapting the key to success in farming
Bulloch County is changing a lot. If you are going to continue farming in Bulloch County, you must adopt the mindset of doing things better and being open to trying new things.
Lots of people are discovering what six generations of Cromleys already knew: that Bulloch County is a great place to live. However, the growth Bulloch has experienced and is about to experience has put a lot of pressure on farmers, as farmland is being converted for residential and commercial use.
David and his dad Chap currently farm 1,600 acres of row crops and raise around 300 cattle on 300 acres of pasture land annually. Their farm stretches from Brooklet to Denmark to Statesboro. Predominantly they grow cotton and peanuts, along with raising beef cattle
Like most farmers in Bulloch County, much of the land they farm is leased.
“We all rely on great partners and land owners that we have a good relationship with,” said David. “We couldn’t do what we do without them.”
The Cromleys are looking to technological advances and advances in science to help them make more yield with fewer acres. They also may have to grow different types of crops to remain economically sustainable, just like their ancestors had to do to survive.
David explained how every generation of Cromleys has had to adapt and change their farming operations to remain successful and profitable.
David’s ancestors have done everything from collecting pine tar from trees for turpentine, selling watermelons and milk from the family cows. They have also raised chickens to produce eggs, pears for Braswell's, squash for farmer's markets and have grown corn, soybeans, and tobacco. They learned to roll with the punches and to be ready to adapt. For this reason, they are still going strong six generations later.
The Cromley family legacy
The Cromley's came from South Carolina, settled in the Nellwood area after the Civil War and began farming.
The six generations include:
- Ira Cromley
- John Cromley
- William Chapman (Will) Cromley
- William Chapman (William) Cromley, II
- William Chapman (Chap) Cromley, III
- William Chapman (Will) Cromley, IV
Even though David’s brother Will carries on the Willam Chapman Cromley name, he is not involved in the farm. He works in reinsurance in Los Angeles, California.
David’s sister, Christy Seyfert, works in agriculture in Washington, D.C. as Executive Director of Government Affairs for the American Soybean Association.
His sister, Keri Anderson, is a Pharmacist and lives in St. Simons.
David is the youngest child of Chap and Barbara Cromley. He married a city girl from Marietta, Jamie, and together they are raising two children, Libby (6) and Luke (1), on the farm. Although David is the youngest, he says he never felt pressured by his parents to take on the family farming occupation.
"They always encouraged me to do what I loved, and never pushed me one way or another. It really helped to know that this was something I wanted to do, not had to do," said David.
David’s cousin Hayden Godbee, a senior at SEB and a member of the seventh generation of the Cromley family in Bulloch County, is helping them on the farm when he’s not in school.
David’s uncle Hal and his son, Colby, as well as cousins Lee and Charley Cromley, also continue the Cromley legacy in their family farming operation.
Farming is faith
David and his dad, Chap, have recently begun a new farming operation they named Kairos. Kairos in Greek means "the qualitative time of life" or "God appointed time." They understand the importance and patience it takes to do things in God’s time. In doing so, they also rely on His providence.
David loves watching things grow by putting the seed in the ground, nurturing it, and seeing how it grows. Then there is the delayed gratification you receive from a successful harvest.
“Every day on the farm, we see God’s hand in tiny miracles. Nothing that we do is something that we could do on our own without the good Lord's help,” said David. "From sunshine, rain, too much, too little -- there is nothing we can do without God's help."
One of the things David loves about farming is that there is always something new to learn. If you have a passion for learning and growing, then you’ll have a lifetime of fulfillment.
“I’m also very thankful for all of the people who support us, from UGA Cooperative Extension, the local FSA office, mechanics, our bankers, our church family at Brooklet UMC, and the countless others that help us do what we do. It definitely is a team effort,” said David.
Giving back
David and his family are known equally for the ways they serve and give back to the community as for their success in their farming operations.
David, at the encouragement of the late Lannie Lee, became the Bulloch County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Chair. Along with help from his wife Jamie and fellow farmer Ryne Brannen, they rebuilt the program. Lee Waters now heads this up.
David and Jamie went on to serve as the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Chair. He then succeeded Bill T. Akers as the president of the Bulloch County Farm Bureau.
David also serves on the EMC board of directors.
Farming future is bright
David and his peers have entered their family farm operations because they want to continue the farm legacy. They also recognize that ag is big business in Georgia. Agriculture is the #1 industry in the state of Georgia, and accounted for half of the exports that left the Georgia Ports Authority last year.
They also see opportunity and a bright future in farming. They admit the uncertainty of growth and other market conditions can be unsettling. However, when you look back at the success of generations of farmers in Bulloch County, they succeeded because of adaptation and strong faith.
In God’s time, the harvest will continue to be bountiful.
Don’t forget to thank a farmer for the sacrifices they make for each of us on a daily basis.
