Ken Culp III, Nicholasville, Kentucky
Dr. Ken Culp, III is Principal Specialist in the Department of 4-H Youth Development and is Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Family Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Culp was born and raised near Rensselaer, Indiana, on a 2500 acre livestock and grain farm, with a beef feedlot capacity of 1200 head.
Ken was a 10-year 4-H and 5 year FFA member. He was a member of the 1978 Purdue Livestock Judging Team, which won the National Championship Contest at the North American. He was high individual in cattle at both the Mid-South Fair and the Keystone International Livestock Exposition. He coached the Purdue Livestock Judging Team from 1983-1985 and was the first graduate student to do so. Ken received three degrees from Purdue; BS in Animal Sciences; MS in Ruminant Nutrition and PhD in Educational Foundations and Administration.
Ken has judged livestock and showmanship in 15 states from Minnesota to Florida and from California to Massachusetts. He is the only person in the world to have coached a state championship 4-H livestock judging team in three different states: Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
Together with four generation of the Culp family, Ken and his family operate Grand `Ole Place Farms, with divisions in Indiana and Kentucky. The Culp family breed, show and sell ChiAngus, Chianina, Hereford, Angus and Maintainer cattle, semen and embryos.
Ken is currently serving his fourth term as a member of the American Chianina Association's board of directors. He has served as secretary of the board for five years and three years as chairman of the board.
Ken and his wife, Nancy, live in Nicholasville, KY and are the parents of three daughters, Brittany, Kelsey and Laurel, all of whom are actively involved in the cattle operation. All three girls have served as the National Chianina Queen. They have one granddaughter and one grandson. Their grandchildren are carrying on the family tradition of exhibiting at the National Junior Heifer Show and the North American International Livestock Exposition. The Culps have participated in 20 consecutive Junior Chianina Heifer Shows. In 2020, Ken and his family exhibited both Grand Champion ChiAngus Heifer and Bull at the NAILE.