2024 District Farm Families of the Year Announced
The 77th annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has announced its eight district farm families, representing a wide variety of Arkansas agriculture, the state’s largest industry.
Judges will visit farms to determine the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year, who will be announced Dec. 13.
The District Farm Families of the Year are:
- East Central District: the Stewart family of Judsonia (White County) – Joshua Stewart and Dana Martin Stewart have been farming for 14 years. They raise cattle and goats on 270 acres. They have two children: Jewel and Henry.
- North Central District: the Blankenship family of Melbourne (Izard County) – David and Jennifer Blankenship have been farming for 17 years. They grow hay and timber, and raise cattle, pigs, and chickens on 435 acres.
- Northeast District: the Henderson family of Manila (Mississippi County) – Murry and Dee Henderson have been farming for 23 years. They grow cotton, corn, soybeans and rice on 4,244 acres.
- Northwest District: the Walker family of Prairie Grove (Washington County) – Larry and Be-Ann Walker have been farming for 53 years. They grow corn, treacle and hay, and raise cattle, horses, and three species of show animals on 1,661 acres.
- Southeast District: the Day family of Tillar (Desha County) – Bradley and Allison Day have been farming for 10 years. They grow cotton, corn, soybeans and rice on 10,000 acres. They have two children: Wells and Vivian.
- Southwest District: the Bobo family of Hope (Hempstead County) – Curtis and Melissa Bobo have been farming for eight years. They raise cattle and poultry on 253 acres. They have eight children: Abigail, Titus, Hali, Chloe, Tapley, Trace, Timber, and Traeger.
- West Central District: the Daniels family of Amity (Clark County) – Tim and Michelle Daniels have been farming for 20 years. They raise cattle and grow hay on 1,179 acres.
- Western District: the Brents family of Jerusalem (Conway County) – Strap and Leigh Ann have been farming for 14 years. They raise cattle and poultry and grow hay on 700 acres. They have two children: Kolton and Audie.
2024 County Farm Families of the Year Announced
The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has announced its 2024 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 – Dean & Katie Jo Price Farms PTN
- Arkansas, South – Jim & Heidi Craig
- Baxter – Ellie Lassiter
- Benton – Michael & Phillip Fletcher
- Boone – Billy Jack Burns
- Bradley – Nathan & Jodi Harrod
- Calhoun – Jeremy Martin
- Carroll – Tom & Neeley Butler
- Clark – Tim & Michelle Daniels
- Clay – Jeremy Wiedeman
- Cleburne – Eddie Whitehurst
- Cleveland – Jason & Ashley Boyd
- Conway – Strap & Leigh Ann Brents
- Craighead – Henry Dean & Jeff Finch
- Crawford – Jamie Marion
- Crittenden – Neal Williams
- Cross – Chris Wood
- Desha – Bradley Day
- Drew – Jason Cater Family
- Faulkner – Raymond & Karen Kelly
- Fulton – Cline & Ashley Hall Family
- Grant – Gator & Amber Denis
- Greene – Jeff & Linwood Wells
- Hempstead – Curtis & Melissa Bobo
- Hot Spring – Robert & Vikki Tankersley
- Howard – Billy Barton
- Independence – Danny & Cheryl Franks
- Izard – David Blakenship Family
- Johnson – Dylan & Allyson Jackson
- Lafayette – Stephen & Cindy Burton
- Lawrence – Adam & Chasity Wall
- Little River – Mark & Patty Welch
- Lonoke – Jordan & Mary Ellen Lynch
- Madison – Kenny & Rebecca Emitt Family
- Marion – Creekbend Farms LLC
- Mississippi – Murry Henderson Family
- Monroe – Kortney & Megan Gray
- Nevada – Damon Williams
- Perry – Adam & Jill Blair
- Phillips – Neil & Blake Culp
- Polk – Tracy & Mary Standerfer
- Pope – Tony & Jennifer Haley
- Prairie – Stevie & Alison Kee
- Randolph – David Rawls
- St. Francis – Galen Geisler
- Sebastian – Joel Brent Cooper
- Sevier – Justin Craig
- Sharp – Dennis Walling
- Stone – Thane & Ashley Huyard
- Van Buren – Stacy & Lisa Kirk
- Washington – Larry & Be-Ann Walker
- White – Dana Martin Stewart Family
- Woodruff – Mike & Sheila Milton
- Yell – Len & Melinda Cullins
The families will be visited by a set of judges to determine eight District Farm Families of the Year, which will be announced June 17. The Arkansas 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 three Southeast Farmer of the Year winners, Brian and Nan Kirksey of Clark County in 2008 and Wildy Family Farms of Mississippi County in 2016 and the Cobb, Lyerly and Owen Family/Partnership of Craighead County in 2023.
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.
For more information on the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program, please contact Matt Jackson at matt.jackson@arfb.com or 501-517-4237.
