By Maggie Gaddy 

As his combine cuts through swaying amber waves of grain, DeKalb County’s David Kellett sees more than wheat harvest. It’s his American dream come to life. 

“I grew up watching local farmers in the fields and knew it’s what I wanted to do,” said the first-generation farmer. “Farm life is a challenge, but I think it’s in my blood. I love being outside and seeing the crops grow. The tractor views are unmatched. This keeps me grounded.” 

David grows corn, soybeans and wheat in Geraldine with his wife, Brooklyn, and son, Conner. They’re expecting an additional farmhand in August. 

“Farm life was new to me,” said Brooklyn, a second-grade teacher. “I see now the hours, hustle and heart farmers put into their work. David always says, ‘If you’re going to farm, farm right,’ meaning he puts in the extra time to make the outcome the best it can be.” 

Brooklyn plays a big role in Kellett Farms’ success, too, David said. 

“It’s a team. With her doing so much at home, I can focus on the farm when I am in the field. She just takes care of so much, and that is the biggest help,” he said.

David and Brooklyn said they are proud to instill the value of farm life in their children. 

“I spent hours lining up toy tractors in rows across the carpet as a child,” said David, 33. “I watched how farmers did things in the field, and I mimicked that. My sons will have the chance to play with real-life farm equipment. I’m proud of that.” 

Although agriculture wasn’t a family tradition, farming was always David’s goal. His journey began at the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center before he went to work for a local farmer, gaining valuable experience behind the wheel of a combine and collecting knowledge from fellow row croppers. 

By 2018, David was farming on his own and searching for ways to expand. 

Opportunity came in the form of wheat straw. 

“After wheat harvest each June, grain is hauled to elevators and mills where it’s processed into flour or feed,” David said. “Left behind is straw, which we bale and market for a variety of uses.” 

The straw finds new life as animal bedding, garden mulch and erosion-control material on construction and landscaping projects.

“Straw is a byproduct, but it’s a lot of work,” David said. “You have to have somewhere to sell it and people willing to buy it.”

David started with round bales in 2020 and expanded into square bales two years later. Today, the farm supplies more than 20 retailers.

Connections made through the Alabama Farmers Federation have lent a hand to David while he navigates a niche market. Adversity hit hard in 2025 when excessive June rain hurt yields and a straw-filled barn caught fire. 

“I was fortunate to meet Morgan County’s Mark Byrd and Calhoun County’s Daniel Trantham, who are both involved in wheat straw production,” David added. “Those connections have been invaluable. I’ve been able to find and sell quality products this way.” 

As he counts his blessings, David said he’s proud to bear the title of American farmer. 

“To take a dream and turn it into a livelihood — while helping feed people across this country — is something I never take for granted,” David said. “American people are getting American products grown by American farmers. That’s something to be proud of.”