Monticello Live

The annual selection naming  ”Drew County Farm Family of the Year” has taken place, and the honor this year goes to a father and his sons, Norris, Joel, and Eric Stevens.

The Stevens family farms 4,050 acres in Drew County, plus additional acreage in Chicot County.  They raise rice, soy beans, milo, and occasionally wheat during the winter.

The father, Norris Stevens, lives in the Dermott area, on the same land where he grew up.  Both sons, Joel and Eric, live in Monticello.

All 3 men are UAM alumni; Norris completed his business administration degree in 1971;  Eric graduated in 1995; and Joel followed, earing his diploma in 1996.

The Stevens family members are all involved in local church activities.  Norris leads the music program at Dermott Baptist.  Joel attends First United Methodist Churh, here in Monticello, and serves on church committees. And Eric plays guitar in Monticello’s First Baptist Church’s Praise Band.

Another interesting fact is that the Stevens family was selected as “Chicot County Farm Family of the Year” in 1987, when both sons were still teenagers, living at home.

Norris has always been around farming.  He has been a farmer for 58 year, and has farmed as business for 38 years.  Like their dad, both of Stevens sons, Joel and Eric, grew up in a farming family, and have chosen to follow in the family tradition of farming.

During our visit, the Stevens’ mentioned many local businesses that also play an inportant part in supporting their farming efforts, such as their suppliers of fuel, farm equipment, farm related service providers, and agricultural financing.  A compliment was also paid, as one of the brothers and I, discussed how he felt about “the land”.  Maybe that is why the sons followed the example set by their father, and chose farming as a career and a profession.  That also is probably what has led the Stevens family to be leaders in the Drew County farming community, and to their selection as “2009 Drew County Farm Family of the Year”. 

The 2009 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year is sponsored by Arkansas Farm Bureau, Arkansas Press Association, Farm Credit Services of Western Arkansas, AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Midsouth Associations, and Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, along with the cooperation of the Arkansas Agriculture Department, Arkansas Dept. of Workforce Education, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.

This year’s Drew County selection committee consisted of approximately 13 local agri-business persons: including representatives from UAM, the banking profession, USDA agriculture, and county extension agents, as well as private agricultural lenders, Farm Bureau agents, along with input form elected county governnemtal officers.

Congratulations to the Norris, Joel, and Eric Stevens families, the “2009 Drew County Farm Family of the Year”.

Also, we owe a debt of appreciation to all farmers, every time we as Americans go to grocery store, clothing store, and even now to gas stations.

The groundwork of America is done by farmers.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 10th, 2009 at 4:50 am and is filed under Announcements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.