County winners for the 73^rd annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program have been selected. The county winners will be visited by a set of judges to determine eight district winners, who will be announced June 16. The state winner will be announced Dec. 6 at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon in North Little Rock. 

Since 1947, the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program has served as a vehicle to recognized outstanding farm families throughout the state. The objectives of the Farm Family of the Year program are:

• To give recognition and encouragement to farm families who are doing an outstanding job on their farm and in their community;
• To recognize the importance of agriculture in the community and state; and
• To disseminate information on improved farm practices and management.

The county winners are:

East Central District

• Lee – Drew Wooten, Marianna
• Lonoke – Thaxton Brothers Partnership, Carlisle
• Monroe – Adam Chastain and family, Holly Grove
• Prairie – Ryan Bell family and Greg Bell family, Des Arc
• Pulaski – Bo Brook Farms, Roland
• St. Francis – West Higgins family, Forrest City
• White – Brad Peacock family, Bald Knob
• Woodruff – Bryan Robertson, Augusta

North Central District

• Baxter – Rob and Sally Hall, Gassville
• Cleburne – Shane and Ashley Mason, Prim
• Fulton – Brach and Alesha Hill, Viola
• Independence – Bobby and Amanda Dunehew, Cord
• Izard – Brandon Johnson family, Evening Shade
• Marion – J.L. and Angie Wagoner, Flippin
• Searcy – The Hagemann family, Marshall
• Sharp – Davis Farms
• Stone – Jerry and Russ Ann Shannon, Mountain View
• Van Buren – James Reed family, Choctaw

Northeast District

• Clay – Mitch and Pam Brown of B & B Farms, Corning
• Craighead – Chris and Breanne Damron, Jonesboro
• Crittenden – Sam and Andrea Pirani, Marion
• Cross – Jarred and Joey Taylor, Wynne
• Greene – Allen and Karen Davis family, Paragould
• Lawrence – Josh and Jack Brand, Imboden
• Mississippi – Senter Farms, Osceola
• Poinsett – Berger Farms, Weiner
• Randolph – Anthony Wells Family, Imboden

Northwest District

• Benton – Jim Singleton family, Gravette
• Boone – Will and Rachel Norton family, Harrison
• Carroll – The Stone family, Berryville
• Crawford – Kevin and Jennifer Hightower, Rudy
• Franklin – Johny Crocker, Ozark
• Johnson – Ricky Brown, Clarksville
• Madison – Anthony Giffin family, Rogers
• Newton – David Farmer family, Hasty
• Sebastian – Clint Gann, Hackett
• Washington – Nathan Ogden, Prairie Grove

Southeast District

• Arkansas, North – Trey and Ashley Daniel, Stuttgart
• Arkansas, South – Turner Farms IV, Almyra
• Ashley–Scott Reynolds, Hamburg
• Chicot – Armstrong Bros, LLC, Eudora
• Drew – Edward and Angela Schenk, Monticello
• Jefferson – Chad Render, Pine Bluff
• Phillips – Joe Brown Farm, Marvell

Southwest District

• Bradley – Josh and Krystle Hays, Warren
• Calhoun – Rick and Shelley Hargett, Hampton
• Hempstead – Chris and Denise Sweat, McCaskill
• Lafayette – Shane and Mandy McLelland, Lewisville
• Nevada – Richard and Cathy Jones, Prescott

Western District

• Conway – 3 Brothers Farms, Morrilton
• Faulkner – Tom and Jamie Henry, Greenbrier
• Logan – Gerald and Rachel Strobel, Paris
• Montgomery – Mark Cogburn, Norman
• Perry – Quinten and Dena Johnson, Dardanelle
• Pope – Stevie and Tamara Duvall, Atkins
• Yell – James and Tiffany Miller, Dardanelle

West Central District

• Clark – Mike, Luke and Natalie Leamons Farm, Arkadalphia
• Dallas – Hank and Lisa Sullivent, Sparkman
• Grant – Hunter and Jennifer Phelps, Prattsville
• Hot Spring – Kay and Kaylee Casey, Malvern
• Howard – Leo Hughes Family, Nashville
• Sevier – Ismael and Maria Ramirez, De Queen 

“The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program recognizes the outstanding farmers and ranchers across the state,” said Rich Hillman, president of Arkansas Farm Bureau. “These families are involved in essential work, not only providing food for our state, but the country and the world. 

“Congratulations to these farm families. We are proud to highlight their work and dedication to Arkansas agriculture.”

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, who then go on to represent Arkansas at the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Arkansas has had two overall 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. 

Sponsors of the Farm Family of the Year program are Arkansas Farm Bureau, the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, and the three Farm Credit agencies that serve Arkansas: AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas and Midsouth Farm Credit. Additionally, support for the program is provided by the Arkansas Agriculture Department, Arkansas Department of Career Education, Arkansas Press Association, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development. 

Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization of almost 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.