The 76th annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has announced its 2023 County Farm Families of the Year.
Since 1947, the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has helped to recognize 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.
Selection criteria for the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year includes efficiency of production, conservation of energy and resources, leadership in agricultural and community affairs, home and farm improvement, and home and farm management.
The county Farm Families of the Year are:
- Arkansas, North – Clint & Lana Roth; Roth Farms; Stuttgart
- Arkansas, South – Matthew & Casey Green; M & C Green Farm Partnership; Stuttgart
- Baxter – Tony & Susan Chamberlain, Steve & Jennifer Ellison, Jordan Ellison; Faraway Vineyard; Gamaliel
- Benton – Wes & Laura Evans; Evans Farms; Gentry
- Boone – Brian and Tammy Lemon & family; Lemon Farm; Lead Hill
- Bradley – Brad & Melissa Harrod; Brad Harrod Farms; Hermitage
- Calhoun – Joey Blann; JB Cattle; Hampton
- Carroll – William Chaney III and his wife Phylicia; Chaney Farms; Green Forest
- Chicot –Mike Myers, Steven Myers & Eric Myers; Myers Farms; Eudora
- Clark – Robert & Kristy Benight; 3B Farms; Okolona
- Clay – Brock & Fallon Russell; Piggott
- Cleburne – Shaun & Candace Mason; Shaun & Candace Mason Farm; Edgemont
- Cleveland – Jason & Debbie Young; Warren
- Columbia – Chad & Jamie Daniel; 777 Farms; Magnolia
- Conway – John Maus & family; Maus Pecan Farm; Morrilton
- Craighead – Jonathan Bobbit/Bobbitt Family; JAB Farms; Lake City
- Crawford – Jared, Jessie, Dakota & Hailey Williams; Williams Farms; Mulberry
- Crittenden – Bob & Will Gammill; Smokey Alley Farm Partnership; Crawfordsville
- Cross – Melvin, Nancy, Rusty & Kalyn Taylor; Melvin Taylor Farms; Wynne
- Dallas – Troy & Amberlee Ray; Ray 5 Farm; Carthage
- Drew – Stephen & Dustin Day; Stephen & Dustin Day Farms; McGehee
- Faulkner – Tucker family; H&D Tucker Farms; Conway
- Franklin – Austin Sampley; Sampley Farms; Charleston
- Fulton – Derek & Karen Hall family; Lick Creek Cattle; Salem
- Garland – Jeff & Traci Britt; Britt Family Farm; Royal
- Grant – D.J. & Lisa Ray; Oak Hill Farms; Sheridan
- Greene – Randy Gray & Brad Gray families; Gray Farms; Beech Grove
- Hempstead – Mark & Judy Anderson; AA Farms; Hope
- Hot Spring – Jeremy & Magen Allen; JA Farms; Bismarck
- Howard – Mark & Sarah Myers; Nashville
- Independence – Chad Treadway; Treadway Farms; Magness
- Izard – Toby Smith; CT Cattle; Melbourne
- Jackson – Bill & Carey Robertson; CWC Farm; Bradford
- Jefferson – Kyle & Andrea Sealy; K & A Sealy Farms; White Hall
- Johnson – Jeremy & Shirley Hatchett; Hatchett Family Farm; London
- Lafayette – Reid & Abby Hays; Hays Farms; Bradley
- Lawrence – Fred & Bryan Schmidt; Green Wing Farms, llc; Walnut Ridge
- Lee – Clayton Long; Longshot Farms; Moro
- Little River – Tyler Davis family; Tyler Davis Family Farm; Ashdown
- Logan – Mark & Rhonda Rhein; Paris
- Lonoke – Landon & Todd Pool; Pool Fisheries, Inc.; Lonoke
- Madison – Kenny & Megan Harris family; Huntsville
- Marion – Terry Phillips; Phillips Farm; Everton
- Mississippi – The Donner family; Blackwater Farms/Donner Farms; Manila
- Monroe – David & Megan Dunn; Dunn’s Fish Farm; Brinkley
- Montgomery – Brandon & Heidee Jackson; BHJ Farms; Mount Ida
- Nevada – Brandon & Megan Tullis family; Prescott
- Newton – Ryan & Cristan Martin; Buckhorn Farms; Deer
- Ouachita – Jimmy & Kathy Starr; Ouachita Valley Angus; Camden
- Perry – Keith Lawson; Lawson Farms; Houston
- Phillips – Stan Lewis; SSR Farms/Lou Lane Farms; Barton
- Poinsett – Jesse Flye & Logan White; White Flye Farms; Weona
- Polk – Rodney & Samantha Sellers; Vandervoort
- Pope – Keith, April & Blake Holbrook; Holbrook Farms; Atkins
- Prairie – Thomas Joe English; English Family Farm Partnership; Des Arc
- Pulaski – Doug & Sheree Meyer; Rusty Tractor Vineyards; Little Rock
- Randolph – Hardin family; Hardin Farms; Pocahontas
- St. Francis – Drew & Kenlee Flowers; Flowers Farms Partnership; Palestine
- Saline – Wade Marshall & Deana McKinight families; Salt Box Farm; Benton
- Searcy – Sid & Lea Ann Lowrance; Lowrance Farms; Marshall
- Sebastian – Tracy & Julie Leonard; Huntington
- Sevier – Steven Wagner; DeQueen
- Sharp – Josh & Sissy Gray; Gray Livestock & Cattle/Joshua 24:15, llc; Williford
- Stone – Dayton McCarty family; Dayton McCarty Farm; Mountain View
- Union – Casey Wooten & Cindy Wooten; Strong
- Van Buren – Adam & Darla McJunkins family; Bar Mc Ranch; Dennard
- Washington – Travis, Ashley, Griffin, Owen & Evan Appel; Appel Farms; Elm Springs
- White – Brandon Cain Family; Cain Farms; Griffithville
- Woodruff – Brian & Melissa Alumbaugh; McCrory
- Yell – Nick & Jamie Taylor; Rafter T Ranch, Inc.; Havana
The families will be visited by a set of judges to determine eight District Farm Families of the Year, which will be announced June 13. The state Farm Family of the Year will be announced in December at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon, who then represent Arkansas at the Southeastern Expo Farmer of the Year event in Georgia. Arkansas has had two Southeast Farmer of the Year winners, Brian and Nan Kirksey of Clark County in 2008 and Wildy Family Farms of Mississippi County in 2016.
Sponsors of the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program are Arkansas Farm Bureau, the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas and the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas. 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.
