Hay production strengthens and diversifies Triple D Ranch
By Brianna Smith
For more than 200 years, the Dempsey family has adapted to meet the changing demands of agriculture. Their Jackson County farm, now called Triple D Ranch, has been home to orchards, cattle, and row crops through the generations. Today, one of the farm’s most important enterprises is hay production, a business the Dempsey family expanded to diversify income and strengthen the farm’s future.
The farm’s roots date back to 1824, when the Dempsey family’s ancestors purchased the property. Through the years, the southern Ohio operation evolved. At one time, the farm operated as Horton Dale Fruit Farm, producing apples and peaches in addition to cattle. In the early 1970s, the operation became known as Triple D Ranch, a name inspired by the initials shared across multiple generations of the Dempsey family.
