Hometown: Gravette, Ark.
County: Benton County
Family members: Lisa (wife), Jacob (son) and Jordan (daughter)
What is your off-the-farm job/career? “I’m the president of Arvest Bank in Gravette, and I’ve been in this position for 25 years. I oversee all the banking management practices here at the bank, but primarily on the day to day, I’m highly involved in agricultural finance. It’s making loans to farmers to purchase real estate, cattle, and equipment.”
Farming Operation: “I have a total of about 600 acres that I operate in Gravette. One hundred fifteen acres of that is property that I own, and the remaining is lease property. I run about 110 head of Brangus beef cattle. I background all my own calves once I wean them, and I market replacement heifers and breeding bulls off my farm. I also produce high quality Bermuda grass.
“My goal is to always run as efficiently as I can, because property in Benton County is so expensive. I don’t really have any opportunities to expand in purchasing land. Also, I just want to raise high quality replacement animals for my customers.”
Singleton also played an essential role in helping a beginning farm family in Gravette start out on their own operation.
“I worked closely with them by helping them build fence, putting in water lines and building their cattle facilities. It was mutually beneficial for both of us because I helped them construct their facilities, but it also gave me a spot to bring my own cows. It just worked really well, and we remain friends to this day.”
What do you enjoy most about being a farmer/rancher? “Just growing up on a farm feels good just to get out and put in a good day’s work. Most of my weekends are spent baling hay, working cattle or doing anything else that needs to be done around the farm. It really proves to be a good stress relief to be able to get out of the office and do those things.”
