Ryan Norris

Turning stumbling blocks intostepping stones…

BY CAROLYN DRINKARD

In the Sandflat Community, just south of Thomasville, Alabama, there is a small farm where Tamara and Caleb Norris live with their three biological and three adopted children. Each one of the children in this close-knit family has a personal story of overcoming challenges with courage, resiliency and faith. The Norris family serves as an inspiration for anyone seeking a way to turn stumbling blocks into stepping-stones.

Ryan Norris is the second oldest son. From the day he was born, Ryan showed an infectious smile, a winning personality and an industrious spirit. Very early in life, however, the youngster faced some challenges that might require him to take a different path and work a little harder than most other kids.

At 18 months, Ryan Norris was diagnosed with Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus. By the time he was in first grade, Ryan had endured 5 surgeries. He has a shunt in his brain and has to go periodically to be checked. Even with these stumbling blocks, this innovative young man has worked hard and now owns many different businesses and his own herd of Black Angus cattle.

The family always enjoys a vacation at the beach and spending time together. Pictured is the Norris family (l to r): Ella, Hunter, Madison, Tamara, Natalie, Caleb, Bradley and Ryan.

At 18 months, Ryan was diagnosed with Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus. By the time he was in first grade, he had endured five surgeries. Ryan could not participate in any contact sports or physical activities that required force on his neck. He also had to live with a shunt in his brain.

These stumbling blocks may have kept Ryan from many activities that other children enjoyed, but they never dimmed his hardy spirit or his positive outlook on life. If anything, obstacles made Ryan much more driven and determined.

From the beginning, Tamara and Caleb Norris let Ryan choose his own path. “I prayed that the Lord would give him something that he loved to do and do well,” Tamara explained. “We wanted him to do the things that made him happy.”

Ryan found his passion on the family’s tranquil farm. He loved the outdoors, where he found his happy place with the farm animals. This led him to 4-H, which delighted his parents. Not long into his first Chick Chain project, however, Tamara and Caleb realized that their enterprising child was not only learning about chickens, but he had also figured out a way to start his own egg business. At one time, he had 60 hens and a thriving partnership with a local business owner.

Ryan’s favorite 4-H activity was the dairy project. He showed heifers in the Montgomery Dairy Show and was a Dairy Premier Exhibitor winner. “When I was in 4-H, I had a little trouble halter-breaking my heifer at first,” he laughed, “but after I got the knack of it, I got better.”

Ryan still owns 10 Black Angus cows, and he spends time with these gentle creatures. He plans to expand his commercial herd in the future.

Early in life, Ryan learned to combine hard work with resourcefulness. Whenever he got paid for any job, he hid his cash in a pillowcase. Once when Tamara found the pillow, she was astonished to discover how much the youngster had stashed away. She promptly took him to the bank to open his own savings account.

At 13, Ryan started a grass-cutting and pressure-washing business with his older brother, Hunter. Using profits from his farm products, he bought his own mower, weed eater and power washer. “I always liked to work outside,” he said. “I have to be outdoors, doing something.”

When Ryan was 16, Tamara and Caleb purchased a skid steer with a mulching head and started a family business, called “Sandflat Mulching.”

Ryan’s favorite 4-H activity was the dairy project. He showed heifers in the Montgomery Dairy Show and was a Dairy Premier Exhibitor winner. He loves spending time with his cows and plans to increase his commercial herd. When Ryan was 16, Tamara and Caleb Norris purchased a skid steer with a mulching head to start a family business, called “Sandflat Mulching.” Caleb taught Ryan how to run this piece of equipment and clear plots of land.

Ryan said his strong work ethic came from his dad. Caleb Norris (r) taught his son how to do things with his hands, like fixing tractors and big equipment. He also showed him how to manage money and stay out of debt. Most of all, Caleb helped Ryan believe in himself. Ryan said that his dad told him he could do anything, if he just worked hard at it.

Caleb taught Ryan how to use this equipment to clear plots of land. For his last two years at Thomasville High School, Ryan chose the Work-Based Learning program, so he could leave at noon and go to his job. “It’s more fun to work,” he said. “I don’t like sitting around.”

After high school, Ryan took over the daily operation of Sandflat Mulching, managing land, clearing tracts, bush hogging, planting food plots and building roads. Now, Ryan and his mother own the business together.

“I wanted a job where I could make a difference,” he stated. “I like it when I can see what I have done, where the whole image changes because of what I did. I get a lot of satisfaction out of that.”

That’s why he enjoys running the mulcher. As the skid-steer gobbles undergrowth, small trees and dead limbs, it changes the looks of both farm and forest landscapes.

Whether small plots or large tracts, Ryan stays busy with bookings scheduled months ahead. He also travels to other parts of Alabama for contract jobs.

After taking an online landscaping course, Ryan created Norris Landscaping in 2022. He has a crew of three full-time and two part-time helpers. Ryan designs the layouts and recommends plants suitable for this area. He also offers hardscaping.

For relaxation, Ryan enjoys hunting, fishing and playing a good game of golf. “I played on the THS Golf Team,” he laughed. “Golf is my stress relief, even though I stay too busy to play much anymore.” Another goal is to design, build and manage his own golf course one day.

Ryan Norris has a strong work ethic, which he believes he got from his dad, Caleb Norris. “Dad taught me how to do things with my hands,” he said proudly. “He taught me how to fix things, like tractors and big equipment. Dad made me believe I could do anything, if I worked hard at it!”

At 19, Ryan Norris already owns and manages six businesses. He has never let stumbling blocks hold him back. Instead, he finds a way to turn them into stepping-stones and now, he moves forward toward a very bright future.

Ryan Norris shows some of the equipment he has purchased for his many different businesses. The lawn mower is one he purchased with profits from his farm products and lawn care business. Caleb Norris taught Ryan to use the equipment. After graduating from high school, Ryan now runs Sandflat Mulching by himself.

Ryan Norris graduated from Thomasville High School in 2021. His family joined him on the field after the ceremony. Pictured are (front, l to r) Bradley Norris, Madison Norris and Natalie Norris. (Back, l to r) Hunter Norris, Caleb Norris, Ryan Norris, Tamara Norris and Ella Norris.