Ben is widely regarded as one of the finest herdsmen the Commonwealth. Having grown up on a tobacco and cattle farm outside of Paris Kentucky, Ben has been in agriculture his entire life. Ben’s career is broad in breadth and experience—having managed a vineyard and a large-scale equine farm; and spearheading no-till corn, soybean, wheat, vegetable, and straw operations in Central Kentucky before becoming Brookfield’s farm manager in 1991.

Ben retired from Brookfield in 2021 after an impressive thirty-year tenure. During his time at Brookfield, Ben  worked tirelessly with owners Jack and Betsy van Nagell, along with his team, to produce one of the finest Black-Baldy herds in Kentucky. Today, Ben continues to consult on farm operations, namely providing insight and guidance on Brookfield’s storied cattle program.

‍

Ben earned a B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Kentucky, and graduated from the Graham School of Cattle Breeding and Care. He is certified in Artificial Breeding and Beef Quality Assurance (BQA). Ben is a proud member of the Kentucky Beef Association and the National Beef Cattle Association.