OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) — Long before David Moore became part of the family car business, he learned what it took to raise cattle and operate a large farm.
“I joined 4-H when I was 9 years old and started showing cattle from then on,” said David Moore, who was also a four-year member of Daviess County High School’s FFA program. “So 4-H and FFA are pretty important to me even until this day.”
David Moore’s father, the late Don Moore Jr., purchased the 175-acre Maceo farm 56 years ago from J.R. Miller.
David Moore, 54, is now responsible for 50 head of cattle by living on the farm he grew up on with his three siblings — Cynthia Moore Autry and two brothers Don P. Moore III and John Moore.
Although Don Moore Jr. would find his success as an auto dealer, farming would become his passion until his death in 2016.
And for David Moore, the farm was where he and his father best connected.
“We all have a bond with our parents,” David Moore said. “Don’s was the business side; John was an athlete; I’m not necessarily an athlete. Our bond was this farm.”
David Moore would even major in ag economics at the University of Kentucky.
“Part of the reason I was an ag major was that I could relate to the price of corn and soybeans and supply and demand easier, and understood that concept, more than the price of oil in the Middle East,” David Moore said.
But after college, he wouldn’t go to work on the farm but the family’s expanding car dealership business. He’s spent time in various management roles such as the body shop, finance and business and then transitioned into the service, parts and body department.
In 2000, David Moore became the dealer at the Ford store in Hartford.
“I felt like every time the doors were unlocked, I had to be there,” said David Moore about when he started running the Ford dealership. “But what I’ve learned is that, if you hire good people and you depend on good people, you don’t have to be there every time the door is unlocked.”
And since taking over the family farm, David Moore said he’s still very much involved with the Hartford dealership and the rest of the company as well.
However, David Moore credits his siblings and his wife, Kelly, for enabling him to maintain his passion for both cars and cows.
“In a family business, we all have a certain load we have to carry and I’m still carrying some of that load,” David Moore said. “Don, John and I have a great relationship and they’ve allowed me the flexibility to cut hay and allowed me to come to work at 9 o’clock versus being there at 7:30 (a.m.). And just to keep my dad’s plan alive.”
Throughout the history of the Moore Family Farm, there have been a number of grand champion steers.
David Moore said he sells his calves to Hill View Farms Meats LLC, which is known for selling high-quality cuts of beef.
“Whether I’m selling cars or cattle, I want to produce a good product that people want,” David Moore said.
