Farm Family of the Year announces eight district winners

Visiting teams representing the sponsoring organizations chose the district families from among the 75 county farm families. A team of state judges will visit the eight district families in September to determine the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The state winner will be announced at an awards luncheon Dec. 5 at the Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale. The luncheon will honor all county and district farm families.

The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program, now in its 56th year and the only one of its kind in the county, highlights the importance of farm families and agriculture to the state. Selection at each level is based on farm practices, home management, and community leadership.

The eight district farm families, their farming enterprise and the counties in their district are:

Northwest District: The Rick Gurley family of Madison County operates a broiler and cross-bred cattle farm. Their farm is located near Huntsville. Their district includes Benton, Boone, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Madison, Newton, Sebastian, and Washington counties.

North Central District: The Bill Miller family of Izard County raises pullets and runs a cow-calf and stocker cattle operation on their farm near Sage. Their district includes Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Marion, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, and Van Buren counties.

Northeast District: The Bud Bingham family represents Poinsett County. They farm rice, soybeans, and wheat in the Truman area. Their district includes Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, and Randolph counties.

Western District: The Bill Black family from the Mena area in Montgomery County raises broilers, maintains a mixed herd of cattle, and manages forestry acreage. Their district includes Conway, Faulkner, Logan, Montgomery, Perry, Polk, Pope, Scott, and Yell counties.

West Central District: The Jon Vaught family of Sevier County has a hog farrowing operation and maintains a registered Angus cattle herd. They are located in the Horatio area. Their district includes Clark, Cleveland, Dallas, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Howard, Pike, and Sevier counties.

East Central District: The Jim Carroll II family of Moro in Monroe County grows cotton, soybeans, rice, and wheat. Their district includes Lee, Lonoke, Monroe, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, St. Francis, White, and Woodruff counties.

Southwest District: The Bruce Alford family of Lewisville in Lafayette County operates a large cattle backgrounding ranch. Their district includes Bradley, Calhoun, Columbia, Hempstead, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, and Union counties.

Southeast District: The Jay Coker family of Stuttgart in Arkansas County primarily produces rice on their farm at Lodge Corner. Their district includes Arkansas, Ashley, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Phillips counties.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to assist them in maintaining and improving natural resources on their lands, in an effort to ensure a brighter future for generations of Arkansans and the security of our nation’s food, fiber, and water resources.

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