A Father-Daughter Farming Story
A little girl who once was terrified of mud, has chosen to follow in her dad’s footsteps and continue the family farm legacy of row-crop farming.
Rural Life
Rural Focus: Highland Pellets in Pine Bluff
It’s been a wet winter in Arkansas, and that can be a challenge for a business that relies on dry wood. The Highland Pellets plant in Pine Bluff, which opened in 2016, needs trees to produce the tiny wood pellets it makes and ships to the United Kingdom for use by British power company, Drax. […]
Lock, Stock & Barrel: Ralstons Aim for Farm-to-Table Rice
Ralston Family Farms is unique. When it comes to rice, it’s a “vertically integrated farm.” What’s that you might ask? It simply means they grow, mill, package, market, sell and ship the rice. Everything is done from the farm. It’s the closest thing to farm-to-table you can get without having Tim and Robin cook and […]
Farmer Q&A: The Hills of Howard County
Nathan and Nicole Hill are swine, poultry and cattle farmers near the community of Newhope on the Pike and Howard County line. They’ve been married 13 years. Nathan is 35 and left a job as a high school football and baseball coach, while Nicole left a nursing career in Hooks, Texas to move back home […]
Farmer Q&A: Brandon Searcy, Cross County
Meet Brandon Searcy. Brandon and his wife Amy farm 2,400 acres of rice, soybeans and corn near Wynne in Cross County. We caught up with him on his farm on a windy day and he told us what it’s like working daily with family members and discussed his deep involvement as an active Farm Bureau […]
Farmer Q&A: Chris Branscum, Perry County
Perry County Farm Bureau president Chris Branscum has a sod farm and small cattle operation near Perryville. He has been growing and selling turfgrass since 1989 and talked with us about this niche type of agriculture. Going Deeper After shooting the video, we spent a few more minutes with Chris to find out a […]
Farmer Q&A: Corbin Brown, Cross County
Corbin Brown, past president of Cross County Farm Bureau, continues an active leadership role on a state and local level. We recently visited with him on his farm near Wynne, where he told us about his 3,000-acre rice-and-soybean farming operation and shared thoughts on how his participation in two unique programs — LeadAR and Arkansas […]
Farmer Q&A: Justin Blackburn
Justin Blackburn works with USDA’s Farm Service Agency and farms 1,700 acres with his brother, Britt, in Greene County. He’s an eighth-generation farmer and grows corn, soybeans, milo, wheat, rice and other crops. Justin and his brother farmed for years with their father, Jimmy Pat Blackburn, who served on the Greene County Farm Bureau board […]
Farmer Q&A: Terry Norwood of Greene County
Meet Terry Norwood, resident of Beech Grove and president of Greene County Farm Bureau. Norwood is farming almost 5,000 acres of rice and soybeans this year. Hear what Terry has to say about his “daylight to dark” work schedule, the challenges of 2018, and the importance of Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Farmer Q&A: Dean Wall of Greene County
Dean Wall of Walcott raises a few cattle and farms 3,800 acres of rice, soybeans and corn, primarily in Greene County. Wall has served as president of the Greene County Farm Bureau and, along with his brother, Steve, was named Greene County Farm Family of the Year in 2011. Wall took a few minutes […]