Page 7 - Salute to Arkansas Farm Families

Advertising Supplement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Salute to Farm Families • Thursday, December 8, 2016 • 7H
2016 District Farm Families of the Year
The eight district winners in the 69th annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program have been select-
ed, representing the diversity of Arkansas agriculture, the state’s largest industry. The district winners will be judged to determine a state winner to be announced Dec. 8 at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock.
The district winners are as follows:
• Chris and Nesha Smith of Sear- cy (White County) in the East Central District: The Smiths raise Braunvieh and Angus cattle and grow Bermuda and Tif- ton 44 hay on 2,386 acres. They have one daughter, Jalyn.
• Fred and Dorothy Sue Denison of Batesville (Independence County) in the North Central District: The Denisons have a cow-calf operation and grow hay on 460 acres. They have two children, Fred Denison Jr. and Bobby Denison, and three grandchildren, Katie, Adam and Kori.
• Stacy Family Farms of Wynne (Cross County) in the Northeast District: Bob and Annette, alongside their children, farm soybeans and rice on 2,200 acres. Bob and Annette have three children, Jake, Sam and Jessica, and four grandchildren, John, Caro- line, Audrey and Henry.
• Peach Pickin’ Paradise of Clarksville (Johnson County) in the Northwest Dis- trict: Mark and Shay Morgan raise beef cat- tle and grow peaches, nectarines and hay on 423 acres. They have one daughter, Kate.
• Jim and Dina Hubbard of Marvell (Phillips County) in the Southeast Dis- trict: Jim and Dina farm rice, soybeans, corn and wheat on 2,850 acres. They also have a seed business where they sell certi- fied rice and soybeans. Jim and Dina have one daughter, Brittany.
• Stephen and April Allen of Lewisville (Lafayette County) in the Southwest Dis- trict: The Allens raise poultry, cattle, timber, wheat and hay on 660 acres. They also own a lawn-care business and a construction busi- ness. They have three children, Geordan, Josiah and Garrett.
• Joe and Jill Brinkley of Grannis (Polk County) in the Western District: The Brinkleys raise broilers, cattle and hay on 645 acres. Additionally, they have a land-clearing and poultry-litter service. They have three children, Carrie, Brent and J.D.
• Joel and Amanda Whisenhunt of Nashville (Howard County) in the West Central District: The Whisenhunts raise poultry, cattle and hay on 368 acres. They also raise and train purebred border collies for working cattle. The couple have three children, Hayden, Lauren and Caleb.
“What a great reflection on the bounty of Arkansas agriculture,” said Randy Veach of Manila, president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. “This program is a fantastic way to shine a spotlight on the great farm families that are far too often overlooked.
“No other business sector has a larger economic impact in Arkansas. The men and women of agriculture, and their fami- lies, work diligently every day to maintain a business and a lifestyle that represent the very best our state has to offer.”
The Farm Family of the Year Program begins each year with the selection of top farm families in each county and culminates with the selection of the state Farm Family of the Year, who will then go on to repre- sent Arkansas at the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year com- petition. All winners are judged on their farm production, efficiency, management, family life and rural/community leadership.
“These families are the backbone of our state, and we are honored to recog- nize them for their excellence, not only in farming, but also in their communi- ty,” said Mollie Dykes, coordinator of the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Pro- gram. “It’s important for us all to stop and thank these farmers and ranchers who en- sure we have food on our tables and clothes on our backs.”
Sponsors of the Farm Family of the Year Program are the Arkansas Farm Bureau, the Electric Cooperatives of
According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Arkansas’ largest producing crop in sales as of 2015 is soybeans.
Arkansas and the three Farm Credit agencies that serve Arkansas: AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas and Midsouth Farm Credit. Additional- ly, support for the program is provided by the Arkansas Agriculture Department, the Arkansas Department of Career Education, the Arkansas Press Association, the Univer- sity of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conser- vation Service and Rural Development.
— Courtesy of the Arkansas Farm Bureau
Many farm families in Arkansas find agricultural success through raising cattle.