2017 Hempstead County Farm Family Announced

By Staff, 05/8/17 1:31 PM

imageFrom a news release by Steven Sheets, CEA – Agriculture, of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Reseach and Extension:

I would like to take this opportunity to announce the 2017 Hempstead County Farm Family, Mrs. Clovy Keaster. Mrs. Keaster operates a cattle farm in the Ozan Community.

First established in 1947, Arkansas’ Farm Family of the Year program is the longest running effort of its kind in the nation. The program sponsors are Arkansas Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Services of Western Arkansas, Farm Credit Midsouth, ACA, AgHeritage Farm Credit Services and the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, with the cooperation of the program partners Arkansas Press Association, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, USDA Rural Development, the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Arkansas Department of Workforce Education and the Arkansas Agriculture Department.

In Hempstead County the information to select a farm family is received around the first of April each year. Each county is different in the selection process, but in Hempstead County Steven Sheets, County Extension Agent-Agriculture, is the committee chairman. The nomination committee is made up of agriculture related people in Hempstead County. The committee meets around the middle of April and nominates families deserving of the recognition. The committee chairman and another representative from the committee visit with the family to inform them of the committee’s selection as the Hempstead County Farm Family.

The Hempstead County Farm Family is recognized at the annual Farm Bureau meeting. The Family is recognized at the Arkansas Farm Family Day in Little Rock during the month of December.

For more information about the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program, contact Steven Sheets at the Hempstead County Extension Service (870-777-5771).

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