Not many people can say “I am a fifth-generation farmer,” but Jason Holladay of Crenshaw County can.Only time will tell whether John Robert, Jason and Ashley Holladay’s nine-month-old son, will follow in his daddy’s footsteps. But according to Ashley, the baby’s room already is covered from ceiling to floor in John Deere green.”I just want him to be happy,” Jason said. “Daddy wanted the same for me, and I am happy farming. That’s why I chose this career.”Jason’s dad, Jerry, knew how tough farming could be; however, so he encouraged his son to attend college. Jason followed his father’s advice and earned a degree in agricultural business and economics from Auburn University. But he never lost his love for the land. Throughout college, Jason continued to take care of his small cattle herd on the weekends, and after graduation, he returned home to farm full time.Jason made his first crop in 1995, and started inquiring about building poultry houses in 1996. In 2000, the Holladays got a contract with Sylvest Farms for four poultry houses and soon afterward added two more. Today, they are considered one of the top poultry growers in the county, and earlier this year, they were named the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Outstanding Young Farm Family in the poultry division.In addition to the chicken houses, Jason and his dad are partners in a 500-head beef cattle operation, and they farm 700 acres of corn and soybeans. For decades, Jason said his family made a living producing peanuts, corn and cotton, but slim profit margins forced them to diversify.”I would not be farming if I didn’t have chicken houses,” Jason said. “They pay 100 percent of my living expense. Cows and row crops are just a hobby. I don’t draw any money from either one.”That’s a sharp contrast to Jason’s great grandfathers, who were able to support their families with row crops.”When my dad and grandpa were row cropping, they could make pretty good money, and they could devote all their time to one thing,” Jason said. “It’s hard to make everything work because I am supposed to be doing three things at one time. It is a big challenge to stay on top of the game.”Jason’s poultry houses are fully automated, which helps him with time management. He only has to spend about two hours a day at the chicken houses. Between batches, however, he works for a week getting ready for more chickens.To increase the efficiency of the operation, Jason, his father and his brother, Josh, installed three 18,000-gallon propane tanks, which pipe gas directly to each house. “We’re trying to cut costs. We’re buying propane wholesale now instead of retail. That’s dropped the price from 82 cents a gallon to just 44 cents,” Jason said. “We used about 30,000 gallons this year, so that’s a lot of money saved.”The Holladays also are saving money by using their poultry litter as fertilizer. Jason said it is worth a lot more to him on his land than if he were to sell it. Jason follows a strict waste management plan, and he disposes of all dead birds in an incinerator. He also plants cover crops to prevent erosion, and he plants his row crops using a no-till grain drill.Unlike Jason, Ashley did not grow up on a farm, but she proudly has her initial on the A&J (Ashley and Jason) Farm sign. The couple met at church while they were both attending Auburn University. She earned a degree in elementary special education, but now her full-time job is helping with the farm and taking care of John Robert. Ashley said she has great memories of farming alongside her husband. “One day I rode with Jason to check on some cows, and a calf had just been born when we got there,” she said. “The calf had not eaten yet, so we waited for 30 minutes for it to eat. It was just really a neat experience for me.”When not hard at work on the farm, the Holladays often can be found at Federation or Alabama Cattlemen’s Association meetings. They also are active members of the Luverne Church of Christ where Jason serves as youth director and part-time song leader.”I just hope and pray we will be here 10 years from now,” Jason said. “I think we will be, if we play our cards right. I just feel so blessed to have all this.”The Holladays also are thankful for the friends they’ve made through the Farmers Federation.”We are mostly self-employed, and we don’t have the relationships with co-workers like others have,” Ashley said. “It’s nice to meet other people who are involved in farming and can understand.”