Silent Shade Planting Company began in 1979 when Willard and Laura Lee Jack migrated from Ontario, Canada, to Silent Shade Plantation in the northeast corner of Humphreys County in Mississippi. They started farming a diversified row crop operation of approximately 1,000 acres with one additional employee just outside of Tchula, Mississippi. By 2000, the farm had grown to approximately 3,000 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans, and rice, and in 2001, Willard Jack received the award for the Lancaster/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year.

In the next ten years, two of Willard and Laura Lee’s children, Stacie and Jeremy, returned to work on the farm. Jeremy Jack began to run the day-to-day farm operations. Stacie Koger managed the farm financials. With their return, the family decided to further expand the business by increasing their farming acreage. In 2013, Jeremy and Stacie were recognized as one of Progressive Farmer’s Best Young Farmer and Ranchers, and Jeremy Jack was recognized as Bayer Crop Science’s Young Sustainable Farmer.

What began as a husband and wife operation has flourished into a family business employing five family members: Willard Jack, Laura Lee Jack, Jeremy Jack, Stacie Koger, and Elizabeth Jack. Silent Shade also employs approximately 20 local residents from the Mississippi delta. They are very proud of their history and look forward to opportunities that may come their way in the future.

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