County winners for the 73rd annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program have been selected.
The county winners will be visited by a set of judges to determine eight district winners, who will be announced June 16. The state winner will be announced Dec. 6 at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon in North Little Rock.
Since 1947, the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program has served as a vehicle to recognized outstanding farm families throughout the state. The objectives of the Farm Family of the Year program are: To give recognition and encouragement to farm families who are doing an outstanding job on their farm and in their community; To recognize the importance of agriculture in the community and state; and To disseminate information on improved farm practices and management.
The county winners are:
East Central District
Lee – Drew Wooten, Marianna
Lonoke – Thaxton Brothers Partnership, Carlisle
Monroe – Adam Chastain and family, Holly Grove
Prairie – Ryan Bell family and Greg Bell family, Des Arc
Pulaski – Bo Brook Farms, Roland
St. Francis – West Higgins family, Forrest City
White – Brad Peacock family, Bald Knob
Woodruff – Bryan Robertson, Augusta
North Central District
Baxter – Rob and Sally Hall, Gassville
Cleburne – Shane and Ashley Mason, Prim
Fulton – Brach and Alesha Hill, Viola
Independence – Bobby and Amanda Dunehew, Newark
Izard – Brandon Johnson family, Evening Shade
Marion – J.L. and Angie Wagoner, Flippin
Searcy – The Hagemann family, Marshall
Sharp – Davis FarmsStone – Jerry and Russanne Shannon, Mountain View
Van Buren – James Reed family, Choctaw
Northeast District
Clay – Mitch and Pam Brown of B & B Farms, Corning
Craighead – Chris and Breanne Damron, Jonesboro
Crittenden – Sam and Andrea Pirani, Marion
Cross – Jarred and Joey Taylor, Wynne
Greene – Allen and Karen Davis family, Paragould
Lawrence – Josh and Jack Brand, Imboden
Mississippi – Senter Farms, Osceola
Poinsett – Berger Farms, Weiner
Randolph – Anthony Wells Family, Imboden
Northwest District
Benton – Jim Singleton family, Gravette
Boone – Will and Rachel Norton family, Harrison
Carroll – The Stone family, Berryville
Crawford – Kevin and Jennifer Hightower, Rudy
Franklin – Johny Crocker, Ozark
Johnson – Ricky Brown, Clarksville
Madison – Anthony Giffin family, Rogers
Newton – David Farmer family, Hasty
Sebastian – Clint Gann, Hackett
Washington – Nathan Ogden, Prairie Grove
Southeast District
Arkansas, North – Trey and Ashley Daniel, Stuttgart
Arkansas, South – Turner Farms IV, Almyra
Chicot – Armstrong Bros, LLC, Eudora
Drew – Edward and Angela Schenk, Monticello
Jefferson – Chad Render, Pine Bluff
Phillips – Joe Brown Farm, Marvell
Southwest District
Bradley – Josh and Krystle Hays, Warren
Calhoun – Rick and Shelley Hargett, Hampton
Hempstead – Chris and Denise Sweat, McCaskill
Lafayette – Shane and Mandy McClelland, Lewisville
Nevada – Richard and Cathy Jones, Prescott
Western District
Conway – 3 Brothers Farms, Morrilton
Faulkner – Tom and Jamie Henry, Greenbrier
Logan – Gerald and Rachel Strobel, Paris
Montgomery – Mark Cogburn, Norman
Perry – Quinten and Dena Johnson, Dardanelle
Pope – Stevie and Tamara Duvall, Atkins
Yell – James and Tiffany Miller, Dardanelle
West Central District
Clark – Mike, Luke and Natalie Leamons Farm, Arkadalphia
Dallas – Hank and Lisa Sullivent, Sparkman
Grant – Hunter and Jennifer Phelps, Prattsville
Hot Spring – Kay and Kaylee Casey, Malvern
Howard – Leo Hughes Family, Nashville
Sevier – Ismael and Maria Ramirez, De Queen
“The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program recognizes the outstanding farmers and ranchers across the state,” said Rich Hillman, president of Arkansas Farm Bureau. “These families are involved in essential work, not only providing food for our state, but the country and the world. “Congratulations to these farm families. We are proud to highlight their work and dedication to Arkansas agriculture.”
The Farm Family of the Year program begins each year with the selection of top farm families in each county and culminates in December with the selection of the state Farm Family of the Year, who then go on to represent Arkansas at the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Arkansas has had two overall winners, Brian and Nan Kirksey of Clark County in 2008 and Wildy Family Farms of Mississippi County in 2016. All winners are judged on their farm production, efficiency, management, family life and rural/community leadership.
Sponsors of the Farm Family of the Year program are Arkansas Farm Bureau, the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, and the three Farm Credit agencies that serve Arkansas: AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas and Midsouth Farm Credit. Additionally, support for the program is provided by the Arkansas Agriculture Department, Arkansas Department of Career Education, Arkansas Press Association, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development. Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization of almost 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.
