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, which will be announced Dec. 13, according to a news release.
The District Farm Families of the Year are:
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.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
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) — Murray 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.
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 Brents have been farming for 14 years. They raise cattle and poultry and grow hay on 700 acres. They have two children: Kolton and Audie.
The annual Farm Family of the Year program begins with the selection of top farm families in each county and culminates in December with the selection of the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year, which then represents Arkansas at the Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year competition. Arkansas has had three Southeastern Farmer of the Year winners: Brian and Nan Kirksey (Clark County), 2008; Wildy Family Farms (Mississippi County), 2016; and the Cobb, Lyerly and Owen Family/Partnership (Craighead County), 2023.
Families are judged on farm production, efficiency, management, family life and rural/community leadership.
Sponsors of the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program are the 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, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.