West Farms is a story of resilience, tradition and a deep-rooted love for the land
PRAIRIE GROVE, ARK. – The West Family’s history on their Prairie Grove farm stretches back to 1860, long before their current modern chicken houses, impressive cattle herd and lush Bermuda fields, and two full years before the Civil War’s Battle of Prairie Grove.
For 165 years, generations of Wests have lived and worked the same piece of land, helping it evolve from a Civil War hospital site to a bustling hay and cattle operation. Through those generations – which included high school sweethearts and tractor-riding grandsons – the West’s story is one of resilience, tradition and a deep-rooted love for the land.
“Randy’s great-grandfather started the farm in 1860, and his great-grandmother watched the Battle of Prairie Grove from the house that Randy grew up in. They used that house as the Northern Army hospital during the Civil War,” explained Cheryl West. “It’s kind of amazing when you think about it – that it actually happened right here where we work and farm every day.”
Through changing times and landscapes, the Wests have remained grounded – running their farm as a family operation rooted in love, resilience and daily support.
As Randy and Cheryl’s daughters – the fifth generation – Lindsay and Natalie were growing up, they helped with the farm’s Tyson-contracted chicken houses, which the family operated for 40 years. Along with tending to the chickens, they also pitched in with the hay operation, learning to rake, bale and haul Bermuda grass hay harvested from 220 acres of grassland – a crop that now anchors the family’s work. Their hands-on experience with both chickens and hay helped shape their understanding of the day-to-day demands of farm life, laying the groundwork for their own children to step in.
“We’ve now been raising Bermuda grass hay for horses,” West explained.
Keeping the hayfields productive takes careful attention year-round. Each field is soil tested annually, and fertilizer is applied based on what the land needs to maintain healthy levels of pH, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. To control weeds, the Wests use pre-emergent sprays, though stubborn varieties like crabgrass sometimes push through and require extra treatment. Clovers are kept out, since they can block sunlight from reaching the Bermuda grass.
The West’s hay is sold to numerous local stables in and out of state, with most of it going to the Farmers Co-Op in Prairie Grove, and it also supports a successful cow-calf operation.
While the farm has grown into a thriving business, the family roots are the important factor. At the heart of it all is Randy and Cheryl’s story – one that began when they were high school sweethearts.
“We got married, and I moved two miles,” Cheryl explained.
Their relationship helped propel a long-standing tradition of family farming. Their farm is a home – not just a business.
Natalie Bartholomew married and settled just down the road from the family farm. Her sons, Brody and Witten, help their grandpa Randy and their dad Colt Bartholomew, with farm work whenever they’re not in school. Meanwhile, out in West Texas, Randy and Cheryl’s other daughter, Lindsay Kennedy, also stayed close to her agricultural roots, now married with a family of her own.
When Brody was just a few months old, Cheryl stepped in to care for him while Natalie returned to work. He often rode in his grandmother’s arms as she made her rounds on the tractor – from the hayfield to the chicken houses and everywhere in between. It was in those early years that his connection to the land began to take shape.
Brody was around the age of 8 or 9 when he began operating a tractor himself. His Grandpa Randy had one rule: he had to be able to reach the pedals and stop the tractor.
Balancing school and farm life, eighth grader Brody enjoys sports just as much as helping his dad and grandparents out on the farm.
Unlike most kids his age this summer, his schedule will consist of “wake up, go to football (practice) and then go straight to the hayfield,” Brody explained.
Most of the hay operations important responsibilities are given to Brody, as he is the oldest sibling, but his younger brother, Witten, is still in charge of a very important task – the snack wagon.
“Witten will load up the Gator with snacks and drinks and bring them to us throughout the day,” Cheryl mused with a smile.
Although he still has a few grade school years left, Witten is already learning the value of helping out – just like his older brother.
Even now, Brody is already stepping into a leadership role. Whether it’s backing up hay trailers, handling equipment or making day-to-day decisions in the hayfield, Brody is gaining hands-on experience that mirrors the responsibilities his grandparents have shouldered for decades.
The Wests’ daughters’ love and support have allowed the sixth generation to carry on, as their children begin to mature and learn the importance of tradition and the history rooted in their family’s land. Brody, in particular, is evidence of this.
It’s easy to see the pride Randy and Cheryl West have in their family — a deep, enduring pride shaped by hard work, shared values and generations of dedication.
On land where soldiers once marched, Brody now drives a tractor, his hands steady on the wheel as generations watch with pride.
