County winners for the 70th annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program have been selected, according to the Arkansas Farm Bureau.
County winners will be visited by judges to determine the eight district winners, to be announced June 19. They will be visited again by different judges in July to determine a state winner, which will be announced Dec. 7 at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon at North Little Rock.
The county winners include area farmers:
Southeast District: Arkansas, N. – Cedar Corner Farm: Jason Smith and Chris Dickson, Ulm; Arkansas, S. – James Phillips, Crocketts Bluff; Ashley – Old Milo Tree Farms and Pumpkin Patch: Brad and Lonni Davis, Hamburg; Desha – Danny and Theta Wilson, McGehee; Drew – Mike and Shelly McGregor, Monticello; Jefferson – Conyer Farms: Lawrence “Wink” Conyer, Pine Bluff; Lincoln – Jon Kelly White, Star City; Phillips – Timothy Jones, West Helena;
Southwest District – Bradley – Jim and Linda Davis, Prattsville; Calhoun – Jimmy and Laura Hammack, Hampton; Columbia – James Dixon, Magnolia; Hempstead – Keaster Farms: Clovy Keaster, Ozan; Lafayette – Jeff and Shelby Lamkin, Buckner; Little River – Dale Sansom, Ashdown; Miller – Rocking CK Farms: Chase and Krystal Groves, Garland City; Nevada – Greg and Marcel Wilson, Prescott; Union – Tom and Mary Loftin, El Dorado;
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
West Central District – Clark – Lynn and Debbie Pye, Arkadelphia; Cleveland – James Farmer, Rison; Dallas – Gene and Wilda Sue Brazeale, Sparkman; Garland – Donnie Moore, Hot Springs; Grant – Cody and Meg Harrington, Sheridan; Hot Spring – Carl Shultz, Malvern; Howard – Nathan and Nicole Hill, Newhope; Pike – Chad and Kay Stewart, Kirby; Sevier – Will and Sidney Bailey, DeQueen;
The Farm Family of the Year program begins each year with the selection of top farm families in each county and culminates in December with the selection of the state Farm Family of the Year.
The state Farm Family of the Year will go on to represent Arkansas at the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. In that contest, Arkansas had two winners, Brian and Nan Kirksey of Clark County in 2008 and Wildy Family Farms of Mississippi County in 2016. All winners are judged on their farm production, efficiency, management, family life and rural/community leadership.
For details and the complete list of famrers, visit www.arfb.com