When Jerry Hunton was nine years old his family got their first chicken barns. His mom, Jessie, and dad, Floyd, met during World War II, and then married and moved back to Arkansas to make a life farming in the Arkansas Ozarks. Jessie, who was an integral part of the farm up until the past few years, was simply grateful to not be in the cotton fields of her native Oklahoma anymore. A life tending chickens and cows seemed to suit her better. What started for the Huntons on 220 acres grew as the family was able to purchase neighboring land. With the addition of Jerry and his wife Karen’s six children, (“five of the six still in arms reach,” Jerry smiled,) and 12 grandchildren, the family has kept the 600-acre farm up and running over the years.
The dairy cows left several years back, and the family traded in Holsteins and Jerseys for Angus.
The Early Days
“I graduated high school, then went to college and was still working on the farm. I was fixing to get married and I had been injured in an accident falling off the hay truck. Well, one day dad came in, and, at this time, I don’t have a dime to my name, and dad says, Do you want to buy the farm across the street? It was 128 acres with a house that was falling down on it. But I said, “sure,” and we made it happen. I was working on the house, milking cows and going to school,” Jerry recalled with a smile.
It hasn’t slowed down since. Life has taken Jerry many places, including seven years spent in the National Guard, time with the Lincoln School Board, the Arkansas state legislature and more recently to the Washington county judge’s seat. But Jerry was never too far removed from the farm and his family.
Jerry is quick to give credit to the two women in his life, (his wife Karen and mom Jessie), for all he and his family have been able to accomplish.
But that is what this farm family is about. “My dad and mom helped me and now I am trying to help my children help themselves,” Jerry explained.
“It would be extremely hard for my children to have what they have here, on their own, Jerry explained, citing fuel and fertilizer costs making tough times for young farmers.
Fertilizer at the Poultry Farm
“It is funny to talk about fertilizer issues with all the fertilizer around here (in poultry litter),” Jerry noted. “Right now there are regulations saying you can’t apply more than two tons of litter per acre.” The question is whether or not farmers will be able to continue applying litter as fertilizer in northwest Arkansas at all. Jerry explained that recently a federal judge has been asked to declare a moratorium on spreading chicken litter in northwest Arkansas because the Attorney General says it is an imminent health risk. The federal judge hasn’t ruled yet, but Jerry is certain there are ways to safely use chicken litter as fertilizer. And not using chicken litter for fertilizer will have greater effects than using it, he fears. "Commercial fertilizer will not grow grass like chicken litter will,” Jerry said.
Jerry has spent a lifetime trying to position himself and his fellow farmers where they can be good neighbors, efficient businessmen and environmentally sound farmers.
He currently works with the University of Arkansas, incorporating many of their Best Management Practices at his farm, as well as keeping a commitment to environmental stewardship evident to all passersby with a sign along the highway in front of his house reading, “We Practice Environmental Stewardship,” “Recognized by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.”
Fuel at the Poultry Farm
“We use natural gas to heat our poultry houses. We approached the Arkansas Western gas company and had a $30,000 gas line installed; we ran the line four miles in the late 90s," Jerry said. "Up to now the difference between the price of propane and natural gas, we’ve pretty much broken even. Now I am pretty sure we’re ahead.”
In addition to a less-traditional heat source, the Huntons also cool their buildings in a different way. “We have cool cells to cool the buildings, and the buildings have solid walls,” Jerry explained. Fans at one end of the building pull air through the house, from the end where the cooling cells are. The solid walls cut down on heating costs. Jerry’s biggest concern with this type of system is how much water is required. But it’s hard to argue with a system that works so well. “It can change the temperature of a house by 10 degrees and you get this movement of air – a combination of lowering the temperature and increasing air flow,” Jerry said.
In 2002 the Huntons converted to solid wall cool cells. “We were a prototype for Simmons (growers) with this style of house,” Jerry said.
Politics at the Poultry Farm
Jerry has been actively involved in public service nearly his entire life. He said he really enjoys helping people, but it could be said he enjoys helping people help themselves. He currently serves as the president of Poultry Partners, an interest group branched from another group suggested originally by Mark Simmons, whose father founded Simmons Foods, Inc. In an effort to improve grower relations, Mark wanted poultry farmers to have a grassroots growers association. Jerry is eager for more growers to become involved in Poultry Partners. “If there’s one thing good that could come out of everything I’ve done or said, it is that it will prompt one more person to be involved and active concerning issues that affect farmers everywhere.”
