2026 County Farm Families of the Year Announced

April 30, 2026

LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program announces its 2026 County Farm Families of the Year. The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has helped recognize outstanding farm families throughout the state since 1947. 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.

Arkansas Farm Family of the Year selection criteria includes efficiency of production, conservation of energy and resources, leadership in agricultural and community affairs, home and farm improvement, and home and farm management. The program is open to all counties and is voluntary. Participation varies, explaining why not all counties have a recipient.

The 2026 county Farm Families of the Year:

• Arkansas, North - Sarah Shelton-James, Stuttgart

• Arkansas, South - Tyler Hornbeck, Dewitt

• Ashley County - William Monroe and Sarah Cope, Fountain Hill

• Baxter County - Tink Albright and Richard Taffner, Gassville

• Benton County - Pat and Whitney Haley, Maysville

• Boone County - Tim Crunkleton, Everton

• Bradley County - Travis and Katie Ferguson, Hermitage

• Calhoun County - LaBeff Family, Thornton

• Carroll County - Wade and Shannon Hill Family, Green Forest

• Clay County - Cary Wilson, Pollard

• Cleburne County - Weldon and Mary Harris, Pangburn

• Cleveland County - Allen and Beth Rippy, Rison

• Columbia County - Joseph Stacks Family, Taylor

• Conway County - Jerry and Helen Charton, Morrilton

• Craighead County - Mark and Kim Huffman, Jonesboro

• Crawford County - Clay and Nyla Parks, Van Buren

• Crittenden County - Michael East, Marion

• Cross County - Moery Family, Wynne

• Dallas County - Joy Rogers, Leola

• Desha County - Dustin and Jerry McMahan, McGehee

• Drew County - Joel and Margo Stevens, Monticello

• Faulkner County - Jeremy and Kristen Riddle, Greenbrier

• Franklin County - Nick and Gina Durning, Ozark

• Garland County - Keith and Cindy Rucker, Pearcy

• Grant County - Rick and Sheila Gesing, Sheridan

• Greene County - Jerry Gilliam, Paragould

• Hempstead County - Aaron and Jessica Huett, Hope

• Hot Spring County - Floyd and Loretta Alexander, Malvern

• Howard County - Mickey and Candie Ford, Umpire

• Independence County - Mark and Becky Cornett, Locust Grove

• Izard County - Nathan and Courtney Sanders, Franklin

• Johnson County - Shane and Amber Parker, Clarksville

• Lawrence County - Bill and Donna Jackson, Black Rock

• Lee County - Heath Bowman Family, Marianna

• Little River County - Rickey and Tanya Fawcett, Winthrop

• Logan County - Ross and June Rogers, Scranton

• Lonoke County - Tim and Leslie Odom, Cabot

• Madison County - Grigg Brothers, Huntsville

• Marion County - Devin and Christie Deislinger, Flippin

• Mississippi County - Barrett Brothers, Osceola

• Monroe County - Clayton Long Family, Brinkley

• Montgomery County - Paul and Sherry Waller, Glenwood

• Nevada County - Cole and Jamie Hillery, Prescott

• Newton County - Andrew Rocole Family, Pelsor

• Ouachita County - Earl and Donna Crumpler, Bearden

• Perry County - Garrett and Mallory Moix, Bigelow

• Phillips County - Phillip Mann, Lexa

• Polk County - Wayne McCarley Family, Grannis

• Pope County - Dustin, Jennifer and Tiffany Tackett, Dover

• Prairie County - Nicholas Gray Family, Roe

• Pulaski County - Blaine and Cindra Burgess, Roland

• Randolph County - Thielemier Farms Joint Venture, Pocahontas

• St. Francis County - Chad and Meghan Halbert, Palestine

• Searcy County - Richard Goodman Family, St. Joe

• Sharp County - Robert and Bentley Brockway, Cave City

• Stone County - Shane and Patsy McElroy, Timbo

• Sebastian County - Nathan and Melanie Sterling, Hartford

• Sevier County - Phillip and Kristy Frachiseur, Gillham

• Van Buren County - Danny and Kathy Newland, Dennard

• Washington County - Darrin and Patty Burnett Family, Winslow

• White County - Ben and Andrea Vinson Family, Rose Bud

• Woodruff County - Austin and Courtney Little, McCrory

• Yell County - John and Becky Shewmake, Danville

Judges will visit farms to determine eight District Farm Families of the Year, which will be announced June 9. The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year will be announced in December at a luncheon and will represent Arkansas at the Southeastern Expo Farmer of the Year event in Georgia. Three Arkansas families have won Southeast Farmer of the Year, Brian and Nan Kirksey of Clark County in 2008, Wildy Family Farms of Mississippi County in 2016 and the Cobb, Lyerly and Owen Family/Partnership of Craighead County in 2023.

Sponsors of the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program are Arkansas Farm Bureau, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas and Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas. Additionally, support is provided by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, 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 more than 160,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.

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Jason Brown

(501) 891-1475

[email protected]