Not only were they named the 2025 Sharp County Farm Family of the year, but Bryan and Mary Ellen Henley, along with their two daughters 11-year-old Audra Henley and 8-year-old Addley Henley have been named the 2025 North Central District Farm Family of the Year, placing them in the running for the Arkansas Farm Family of the year.
The Henley family owns and operates H 4 Farms in Evening Shade. The family resides on 120 acres and rents an additional 410 acres in various locations.
Mary Ellen and Bryan grew up farming, a legacy they now pass down to their children.
“We were raised in it and have been in it our whole lives. My grandparents started the Ash Flat Livestock Auction 65 years ago,” Mary Ellen said.
Bryan said his family owned and operated a large farm in Independence County that operated cattle and hay.
Bryan said the family has a cow/calf operation with 120 acres on the homestead.
“We cut hay off it, but mainly have a cow/calf operation and are starting to sell heifers. We’re starting to get into selling some freezer beef as well. We’ve expanded our herd over the last few years,” Bryan said.
Despite both working full-time jobs and being involved in multiple volunteer activities, including the Sharp County Fair, 4H, and more, the family agrees that their passion for farming is rewarding in itself.
“It’s our way of life. I wouldn’t be happy in town,” Mary Ellen said.
“I enjoy seeing our kids. They’ve learned to drive on a farm, learned responsibility on a farm and learned independence on a farm,” Bryan added.
Along with the rewards come challenges, from driving to work the hay fields in Independence and Fulton County to the ever-changing markets, droughts, floods, and more.
“One of the biggest for me is that you go through ups and downs, like the market is at an all-time high right now. If cattle keep bringing this, you know what you’re going to be able to do, but you also know it’s going to come back down at some point. Never knowing how long that high is going to last and trying to grow, but not growing too fast. Not wanting too many things because your cattle bring a lot of money and then you can buy this or that.. but when the market goes down, you still have to pay for those things,” Bryan said. “There are highs and lows, there’s always something working against you.”
In 2022, a massive drought impacted farmers across the state, forcing many to sell their cattle due to a lack of feed and water, as hay became almost impossible to find. At one point, a line of farmers nearly four miles long was lined up to sell their cattle at the livestock auction that Mary Ellen’s grandparents had started decades ago.
Bryan said their family was very fortunate during that time frame, but acknowledged the threat of losing their livestock came too close for comfort.
“We were lucky, I thought we were going to have to and we got close, but because we managed our farm the right way and prepared for those things to happen with the way we rotate our cows. We didn’t have to sell our cattle,” Bryan said. “It surprised me because I thought we were going to have to sell, but we finally got a rain and the grass came back, we were lucky.”
When asked about the children’s role on the farm, Mary Ellen said they have responsibilities and extracurricular activities.
“Our kids have a lot of responsibilities around here. Especially with their show animals,” Mary Ellen said.
Bryan said responsibilities are year-round, but increase during Fair Week.
“A typical day, we start pretty early with animals to feed. In the summer, it’s getting in the hay field. Hay season is long days, when fair week rolls around, it’s a hectic week because we have animals to take to the fairgrounds, and they’ve got to be taken care of every day. It’s something all the time. Right now, were building fence, bush hogging. It’s just something all the time. But it keeps us out of the house and busy,” Bryan said. “The girls are out there working with us, because that is how they learn and we want them to have a stake in this too.”
When asked what advice they would give to someone looking at farming, Mary Ellen said it has to be a passion.
“It’s not a job, it’s our passion and something we love, or we wouldn’t do it. Be prepared for long and hard hours, but in the end, it’s our way of life,” Mary Ellen said.
When asked about future goals, Bryan said finding additional land to run cattle or for more hay production would be ideal.
“The couple we bought this farm from could have sold it to anybody. We looked for a farm and drove every weekend, probably looked at 75 other farms but they were either too big or too small. We are forever grateful to the people who sold us this place,” Bryan said. “Finding land to run cattle on is hard, and when you get the opportunity, you better take it. It’s kind of inconvenient to be out of the way. I’d love to rent more, but you have to really be on it to get property, and once you get it, you better take good care of it because there is someone else in line to get it.”
The Henley family was in agreement. When they purchased their farm five years ago, it was like a showplace, and they hope to maintain that appearance while expanding and adding some of their own wants and needs to the property.
The Arkansas State Farm Family of the Year will be judged later this summer.
Lauren is a an award-winning journalist who decided after 10 years of newspaper experience to venture out. Hallmark Times was born.
