Debra splits her time between two farms in West Tennessee — her family’s legacy land in Glimp, where she’s farmed her whole life, and an urban farm in Memphis. Despite retiring from the school system, she continues to teach and share her knowledge about sustainable farming practices and horticulture as she grows her family farm.
Lockard’s Produce
While continuing her family’s legacy as the third generation to farm their land and feed her community through Lockard’s Produce, Debra has also expanded her operation to include a second urban farm, further impacting her local community through her lifelong commitment to education.
“The farm, we’re a legacy farm — at least 94 years old,” Debra explained. “I grew up farming that actual land, and we are a certified naturally grown farm. It’s just amazing to just be back on the same earth growing that I was when I was small.”
Along with the wealth of knowledge she developed on the farm, Debra eventually set out to become a Master Gardener because she understood there was more to learn. She now shares her agricultural wisdom with others in her community. While technically retired from teaching in schools, she still finds time to lead classes on horticulture and sustainable farming practices at her urban farm.
Let’s Talk Tomatoes
When we visited her farm in Glimp, she showed us around her greenhouses, where hundreds of pounds of fresh tomatoes are produced each season. Along with her prize-winning tomatoes, Debra also grows a variety of other produce like cauliflower, collard greens, potatoes, onions, and more.
She shares her greenhouse tomato planting process, emphasizing safety and precision. Her expertise and dedication make the planting process both educational and enjoyable. Debra walks Kirbe through her efficient process to plant her prize-winning Mountain Fresh variety tomatoes, which can grow up to six feet tall and produce about 10 pounds per plant.
“The goal is always to have one stem on your tomato because the suckers on the tomato plant will get away from you,” Debra said. “You need to pull those out. Many people throw them away, but that’s another tomato plant. So, when one gives out, there’s another one right there.”
She carefully tends to each plant daily, pruning and removing suckers to ensure optimal growth. Debra’s methods allow her to provide a variety of tomatoes throughout the seasons for her customers.
Expanding a Legacy Through Education
While she is deeply proud of her family’s history on their legacy land — Debra prefers her urban farm for its manageability and reduced labor. That smaller farm, which she’s blended seamlessly into the neighborhood around it, is also where she continues to educate others about sustainable farming.
In addition to working the land as a FarmHER, Debra also finds time to keep teaching farming classes twice a week every other month and hosts college visits once a month. While she has retired from the school system, Debra says she will never stop teaching.
“I had a person tell me recently, ‘Why are you retiring?’ Debra said to Kirbe. “And I said, ‘because I need to move on, on progressing with the farm.’ They said, ‘but we need your knowledge.’ And I never thought about that. He said, ‘don’t lose sharing that knowledge that you have.'”
Today, her many students carry on her legacy, ensuring the ongoing success of her farm and community in West Tennessee.