Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.

Many high school seniors around the county have chosen the popular option to continue with education after they walk across the graduation stage, but for Tommy Murray, the classroom setting ended when he got his graduation papers.

Tommy Murray

Murray, 18, said he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a prominent farmer since his days at Tharptown High School have come to an end.

Murray has been helping his father for the past year out on the family farm and believes there is no other place he would rather be.

“I like the idea of being outside working on the farm with no boss hanging over you and just being out there on your own,” he said. “I’ve been helping my dad plant on our 1,000 acre farm lately and hopefully one day I’ll be able to stretch it and farm 2,000 acres.”

On a typical farming day, Murray said the alarm clock would ring around 5:30 a.m. so that he can get up and be ready to hit the farming trail by 6 a.m. As of now, they are currently in the planting phase, so Murray will plant the fields until about noon, taking a break to grab a burger and a drink for lunch. Then hitting the fields again until the sun goes down.

“We plant all kinds of thing like cotton, corn, soybeans, just whatever needs to be planted that day,” he said. “Once everything sprouts up, we sell some barrels to Mark Tompkins and Billy Stidham for their feeding stores. We also sell bags to deer hunters, who want to spread corn on their green fields.”

Murray admits there are some dangers that go along with the farming career if your not paying attention to what you are doing.

“One day I was helping load a track hoe and it flipped sideways,” he said. “It scared me a little and I guess that is one of my fears, but I enjoy farming and that is what I plan on doing for the rest of my life.”

In tenth grade, Murray began taking career tech and power equipment courses to increase his knowledge about farm equipment.

“As far as power shop goes, I’ve learned some safety rules and other stuff that could really help me in the future to be successful,” he said.

As far as college goes, Murray said it’s all right for some people, but it’s just not for him.

“Honestly, I’m just tired of school and ready to be done,” he said. “My parents are pretty supportive of me making my own decisions and I have decided to continue with farming and they are ok with that.”

Murray has attended the Tharptown school system his entire life and said he remembers his father use to farm the land where the high school sits before it was built.

“My dad would stop in after farming the land and teach students here about a few aspects of farming when I was younger,” he said.

Murray’s spare time is mostly spent outdoors as well. He describes his perfect day as heading down to the creek for fishing and four-wheeler riding.

“I also like to do a little deer and coon hunting here and there,” he said. “My dad plans on taking me to Montana to do some quail hunting for my graduation present.”

Murray said he considers his dad, Thomas Murray, to be a role model for him.

“He is a hard working truthful person,” he said. “I may make a few changes, but I wouldn’t mind to live a similar life compared to him.”

As the school days pass and graduation creeps closer, Murray anxiously waits to get out of school.

Five years from now he would like to at least make enough farming to buy some land around Tharptown, build a house, maybe get married and have a family and continue to living the country life he has always dreamed about.

“I really enjoy it out here. There is nothing like the fresh air and wide open spaces in the country,” he said.

“There are hardly any cliques formed way out here like there is inside the city. This place is just home to me and I plan on staying right around this area.”