Arkansas Neighbors

A small operation with a plan can be both rewarding and satisfying. When Doug and Elaine Mills moved onto their 5 acres just north of Harrison, Ark., they knew then that they wanted animals that would provide pleasure, keep the grass down and pay for themselves. They’ve basically achieved that goal.

Sometimes the pathway to farming and Oklahoma is a long one. For Bill and Ruth Dewel and their son, Alan, this is definitely the case.

Brad and Hillary Drain of West Fork, Ark., met and married in 1999. They have two children, Brady who is 10 and Samantha who is 9.

T Bar W Farms is located in the Barrens Community, near Clinton, Ark., and is owned by Tom and Gayla Whillock. Their passion for farming began in 1975 when they found out about a farm for sale. “We were young and enthusiastic,” said Gayla. They started out as a poultry farm, while growing hay to provide an extra income for the farm. In 1990 a dairy was added to the farm but discontinued in 1996 because of the difficulty of running both types of farms.

Cody Bauserman Race and Barrel Horses in Sallisaw, Okla., is a workplace and home to Cody Bauserman and Stefanie Frei.

Any individual who both farms and is heavily involved with farm loans in the banking industry has a unique perspective of the challenges facing both. Such a person is Aaron Holcombe who owns a poultry and hay farm east of Jay, Okla., where he lives with his wife, Tammie, and their two children, Ashley, 13, and Caleb, 9.

Bill and Margaret Davis, owners of Circle D Farms, have a love for farming and raising Angus cattle. Circle D Farms, located near Concord, Ark., in Cleburne County, is approximately 200 acres of pastures, rolling hills and wooded areas. Bill works at clearing acreage and making ponds on the land, mowing hay and building his herd. Margaret had a beautiful garden near the house and works on the farm with Bill. Bill’s son, Asa, lives nearby and also works on the farm helping mow hay, build/repair fences and doing whatever he needs to do.

Some people get into farming through the back door, that is without ever having lived in the country before beginning. This is the case with Greg Pierson and Janet Tekell of West Fork, Ark.

Straddling the Arkansas/Missouri stateline grows a wealth of tomatoes, radishes, lettuce, turnips, potatoes and much more carefully planted in row after row. Each plant is meticulously groomed by Patrice Gros.

If you were a bird and landed somewhere on Archbury Farms you might think you had landed in heaven. Archbury Farms is just that for Ed and Wanda Currier, a little piece of heaven on earth. The more than 1,600-acre farm is located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains in Van Buren County, with Alread, Ark., being the closest small community.