Family: Husband, Jonathan; Kelley; and daughter, 11-year-old Emma Grace
Hometown: Prairie Grove, Ark.
Town Life: “I am a co-owner and agent of Parrish-Kelley Hometown Insurance in Fayetteville, Ark. We specialize in full-service insurance and provide clients with auto, home, life, health and other insurances. My business partner, Marcia Parrish, specializes in Medicare Solutions while I handle the personal lines. My husband Jonathan was promoted last year to service manager for Johnson Truck & Trailer in Lowell, Ark., after working there for 23 years as a diesel technician. Our daughter, Emma Grace, attends school at Prairie Grove Middle School.”
Country Life: “When our daughter was small, we decided we wanted her to grow up in an agricultural lifestyle but also within an excellent school district. We chose Prairie Grove and bought 20 acres and lease another 300, used mostly for hay and hunting. We share the hay lease with my mother, who has horses. We wanted Emma Grace to have the opportunity to raise and show livestock and chose dairy goats because Emma was just 4. We wanted her to have an animal she could easily handle. We raise ADGA registered LaManchas, Alpines and LaMancha crosses, which can be registered. We currently have 24 does, 14 yearlings and this year’s babies, along with five bucks. We mix our own ration: a commercial 18 percent protein mix supplemented by hand-mixed oats and black oil sunflower seeds. Emma belongs to the Hogeye 4-H club and is fully involved. She describes breeding as ‘getting married’ and painted our kidding supply box with the name of ‘You Have Got to be Kidding.’ She works with the goats daily and even helps in the middle of the night during kidding season. This year she pulled her first kid. She also uses our breeding records to determine breeding pairs. She is looking forward to show season and then picking who ‘gets married’ later this fall.”
Future: “We are looking forward to Emma Grace joining FFA in high school, as well as improving our herd genetics in terms of confirmation and milk production. While we are still developing the insurance business, we are looking forward to being able to spend more time at home on the mountain.”
