The Wildy family of the Manila Community and the Finch Family of Monette have been honored as County Farm Families of the Year,
representatives of Farm Bureau and The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service have announced. The organizations are chief sponsors of the program in Mississippi County.
Wildy Family Farms includes David and Patty Wildy, Justin and Kristi Wildy, Hayley Wildy, Paul and Bethany Harris, and Tab and Taylor Wildy.
They raise cotton, corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, wheat and peanuts.
Henry and Alice Finch and Jeff and April Finch of Monette have been chosen for the Craighead County Farm Family of the Year.
They raise soybeans and corn.
The Farms will join 74 other county farm families in vying for district and state recognition as the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The Arkansas Farm Family of the year will be announced in December at a banquet at the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock.
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, Ag Heritage 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.