Luke and Deedee Alston of Mena (Polk County) are the 2017 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The honor was announced today at the annual luncheon honoring the county and district Farm Families of the Year. The Alstons have two sons, Ryan and Drey.

As Arkansas’ Farm Family of the Year, the Alstons will compete in the 2018 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year program. A winner will be named from among 10 southeastern state winners next October in Moultrie, Ga.

“Unbelievable. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it or think that possibly we had worked hard enough to earn such a title,” Luke said. “I was born to do this. Few people I know get to wake up every morning and spend all day long working at something they love. Since I left corporate America I haven’t had a job. This is not a job for me. It’s my way of life.”

The Alstons have a diverse farm known as “Holly Springs Homestead.” In addition to Angus cattle and an 8-house broiler chicken operation, the farm also includes a large variety of fruit and vegetables. Strawberries, sweet corn, blackberries, pumpkins, muscadines, honeybees, cut flowers, tomatoes, okra, peppers and more are grown as part of the Alston’s agritourism enterprise. Luke also offers a commercial hay and haylage service where he mows, rakes, bales, wraps and stacks hay for neighbors.

The Alstons are active in Polk County Farm Bureau and Luke serves as vice president of the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association and is a member of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association board.

The Farm Family of the Year program, now in its 70th year, is the longest-running farm family recognition program of its type in the United States. It begins with selection of the top farm family in each county. Then, eight district Farm Families of the Year are selected. The competition is judged on production, efficiency and management of farm operations, family life and rural/community leadership and values.

After receiving the Farm Farmily of the Year award, they took some time to share what the honor meant to them and how they will use this platform to educate visitors to the homestead about why agriculture is so important to Arkansas.