ARKANSAS, USA — The 2024 Arkansas Farm Families of the Year have been announced. According to its website, every year since 1947, the Arkansas Farm Bureau recognizes "outstanding farm families throughout the state."
The criteria for the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program include "efficiency of production, conservation of energy and resources, leadership in agricultural and community affairs, home and farm improvement, and home and farm management," the website said.
The program aims to recognize farm families and the importance of agriculture in the community and state while spreading information on farm improvement and home and farm management.
2024 District Farm Families of the Year:
Eight families were named in the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year "representing a wide variety of Arkansas agriculture, the state’s largest industry," Arkansas Farm Bureau said. Below is a list of those families and their farming practices, according to the website.
- East Central District:
- The Stewart family of Judsonia (White County)
- Farmers of 14 years: Joshua Stewart and Dana Martin Stewart
- The Stewarts raise cattle and goats on 270 acres.
- North Central District:
- The Blankenship family of Melbourne (Izard County)
- Farmers of 17 years: David and Jennifer Blankenship
- The Blankenships grow hay and timber, and raise cattle, pigs, and chickens on 435 acres.
- Northeast District:
- The Henderson family of Manila (Mississippi County)
- Farmers of 23 years: Murray and Dee Henderson
- The Hendersons grow cotton, corn, soybeans and rice on 4,244 acres.
- Northwest District:
- The Walker family of Prairie Grove (Washington County)
- Farmers of 53 Years: Larry and Be-Ann Walker
- The Walkers grow corn, treacle and hay while raise cattle, horses and "three species of show animals." on 1,661 acres.
- Southeast District:
- The Day family of Tillar (Desha County)
- Farmers of 10 years: Bradley and Allison Day
- The Days grow cotton, corn, soybeans and rice on 10,000 acres.
- Southwest District:
- The Bobo family of Hope (Hempstead County)
- Farmers of eight years: Curtis and Melissa Bobo
- The Bobos raise cattle and poultry on 253 acres.
- West Central District:
- The Daniels family of Amity (Clark County)
- Farmers of 29 years: Tim and Michelle Daniels
- The Daniels raise cattle and grow hay on 1,179 acres.
- Western District:
- The Brents family of Jerusalem (Conway County)
- Farmers of 14 years: Strap and Leigh Ann
- The Brents raise cattle and poultry while growing hay on 700 acres.
Last year's Family of the Year was Jeremy and Magen Allen of Bismarck in Hot Spring County. The owners of JA Farms have been farming for 28 years and have four children.
"JA Farms is a diversified enterprise, including a feed business, trucking company and retail farm store in addition to the cattle and hay operations," said Arkansas Farm Bureau.
This year's family will be announced in December at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon. The winning family will move on to represent the state at the Southeastern Expo Farmer of the Year event in Georgia.
Arkansas has won Farmer of the Year in 2008, 2016, and 2023.
2024 County Farm Families of the Year
Here is the list of the 2024 County Farm Families, according to the website.
- 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
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