The Clark Family is keeping their patriarch’s dream alive
CONWAY, ARK. – Flying C Ranch started in 1980 as a small cow/calf commercial operation and is now a large direct-to-consumer operation with a store onsite and many opportunities for the public to learn about farm life.
Dr. Robert Clark was not only a well-respected local surgeon, but he was also an avid aviator and cattleman. He started purchasing cow/calf pairs in 1980 and soon his “Flying C Ranch” had 16 pairs.
“He would go do his surgeries, then come out and mess with the cows on the farm,” his son, Michael Lee, said.
He and his wife, Leanna Lee Clark, were married in 1996, and until he died in 2023, they grew the ranch to include more than a thousand acres in Mayflower, Bigalow, and Conway. They ran a largely commercial Angus cow/calf operation, Leanna said.
“We expanded the acreage and the number of cattle,” she said.
In 2014, they started doing direct-to-consumer marketing from the sales barn to selling to the consumer directly, she said.
The herd is fed on grass all year, Michael said. The last 150 days before harvesting the animals, they are fed corn mineral and grains to get the higher-quality beef. Both he and Leanna agreed that the family owes a lot of credit for their raising procedures to the local and state extension offices.
Robert had a dream of what the ranch would look like, and his family has made sure to keep their patriarch’s dream alive even after his passing. Michael and his wife, Lauren, work closely with Leanna to keep the ranch not only functioning, but growing. Sometimes other family members help along the way.
“The farm has been on a transformation journey, and I am so proud of the progress. It is truly a family affair. My mother-in-law could sell germs to a sterile environment. Her charisma is contagious, and people love her,” Lauren said. “Michael is the backbone of ensuring the operation is sound, raising the animals, and being a good steward of the land. Numerous family members lend a hand and their unique skillsets, and Dr. Clark’s (our patriarch) legacy lives on every day.”
Lauren is largely responsible for the marketing, including maintaining the website and social media. This is in addition to her full-time job in marketing.
In November 2022, the family opened their farm store in an old dairy barn easy of Conway. The Pre-World War II barn is now where the family sells their freezer beef, chicken, pork, and lamb, as well as items from other local vendors.
“It was Dr. Clark’s idea to have it there,” she said. “It’s turned out very well.”
All items in the store are either homemade or homegrown, Leanna explained. The other items include jellies, seasonings, pecans, sauces, handmade wood items, and more. Some of the pecans come from the family’s pecan orchard in Mayflower.
“Everything has to be locally raised,” Michael added. “It’s very seasonal.”
The family uses the Cypress Valley Meat Company in Pottsville to process their meat and make the cuts ready for customers to purchase in the store. Their customer base is key to the store being as well-known in the region and as popular as it is.
“We have the best customers and customer base,” Leanna said. “They are the key to our success. The doctor used to say that repeat customers would tell us if we were successful.”
As the family looks to the future, they plan to continue offering the best quality meat products, Michael said. They also plan to do more education on farm life and the value of purchasing local food.
“We’re focusing on quality and people,” Michael said.
The family uses several avenues to educate the public about what they do and why farming is still relevant. One avenue is their website and social media.
“We’ve simply shared the content of our farm life. We love to be transparent and show what we’re doing on our farm, and we also advertise for our store. This includes sharing customer photos of our products cooked in their home meals, and meals from our very own homes. We’ve partnered with a local advertising agency to spruce up our website, and they have been fantastic. Our goal is to continue to promote agriculture through our everyday farm life, and one of our best platforms to share this experience with is social media,” Lauren said.
When asked what advice do you have for other ranches/store owners to make their farm to fork offerings appealing to the public, Lauren said to tell your story.
“Telling your story will help you relate to people from all walks of life. There are those who are sentimental about farm life because their family history involves farming, and there are those who have never stepped foot on a farm who have become curious about where their food originates,” she said.
Giving an up-close and personal experience of farm life is another way that the family educates the public.
“We love for people to come to the farm and see how the animals are raised,” Leanna said. “They are amazed when they see these cattle and that they are happy. People say that perception is reality and (the people who visit) get a new perception once they come to the farm.”
The farm was also recently chosen as a stop on the Arkansas Farm Bureau Farm Trail. According to the AFB website, “The Arkansas Farm Trail features more than 20 farmers, and was created to help people discover where their food comes from. At each stop on the trail, you’ll meet the farm families who grew the food you purchase and create lasting memories as you travel the state.”
The Flying C Ranch website URL is https://flyingcranchar.com/, and the ranch is on Facebook and Instagram.
