Arkansas Neighbors

Richard and Susan Gebhart’s family raises Hereford cattle near Grand Lake in rural Langley, Okla., on land Susan’s great-grandparents settled in 1907.

Cattle, pigs, ducks, turkeys, laying hens, meat chickens, calves and horses are found at the two locations of Falling Sky Farm. Owned and operated by Andrea Todt and Cody Hopkins, on 40 acres near Marshall, Ark., they have seven feeder pigs, 600 ducks and 150 laying hens. On their 80 acres near Chimes, Ark., they’re raising turkeys, 8,000 meat chickens, and run 29 head of stocker calves.

Jim Randy and Maelena Laverty, recently chosen as the Newton County Farm Family of the Year, exemplify what it takes to be successful on the farm today. Both would love to stay at home and work on the farm all day, but both have jobs in town.

Robert and Lynn Reynolds know about love of family and sacrifice. They also know about horses and what it takes to make them healthy and sometimes, to bring them back from the brink of death. Clear Creek Equine Rescue is the name of the not-for-profit organization they operate on approximately 140 acres of rolling hills and pasture land in Huntsville, Ark., called Clear Creek Farm. They are currently working on getting 501(c) 3 status for the rescue and Lynn stressed, “We couldn’t do it without our board members.” The non-profit status may enable them to become eligible for certain federal grants and relieve some of the financial pressure for the Reynolds family personally.

Tony and Trica Yates both work demanding jobs, but still manage to run a quality, purebred Hereford cow-calf operation just northwest of Sallisaw, Okla.

Julie Leonard of Greenwood, Ark., has dedicated her life to making a positive impact on the farming community in Arkansas.

For Casey Luther and family, a successful year in the dairy goat business results from efficient herd management, and always watching for problems that could compromise that efficiency.

In the early 1830s, treaties with Native Americans opened the Arkansas Territory up for settlement. One of the earliest families to settle on Osage Creek in the Arkansas Territory was the Chaney family. The area later became known as the town of Osage. The Chaney's property changed hands in the early 1900s to the Sisco family.

What began as an effort to clear a pasture ended in a life passion for Cecil and Sharon Swepston, owners of the Broken S Ranch in Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma. They needed the back 40 acres of their 80-acre ranch for cattle, but the area was difficult to brush hog and extremely hard on equipment. That’s when Cecil purchased some goats to take care of the problem.

Growing up in the hallowed hills of Kentucky horse country, Joyce Graening was indoctrinated into the horse culture early. Joyce vowed that as soon as she could, she'd have as many horses as possible. When the time came, Joyce fulfilled that dream, though not with the high strung Thoroughbreds she grew up around. Instead, Joyce opted for the steady and versatile Missouri Fox Trotter. After years living just outside of Fayetteville on 15 acres, the Graening's decided to make the move to the 120 acres they owned just outside of Prairie Grove. “They were about to annex us into Fayetteville and we needed more pasture. I had more horses than I had brains,” she joked. “We thought it would take awhile for the house to sell, but it only took two months. The people who bought the house wanted in quickly, so we had to scramble and lived in a travel trailer while our stable and living quarters were completed. There was nothing here; we had to put the road in and everything. We lived in the stable until our house was completed.” Following the willowy, retired professor of Kinesiology around her large stable, you get a feel for why she loves the Missouri Foxtrotter so. The photos that line the walls showcase the versatility of Joyce's horses. In one photo a beautiful dappled grey is shown in Western Pleasure, in the photo beside it the same horse is shown being ridden in a sidesaddle competition, while yet another photo shows the horse in the English class. Joyce currently has 18 Fox Trotters and a BLM mustang in her stable. Comanche, the mustang is the “babysitter” of the group. “Comanche is very smart, and when I wean babies, I just turn them out with him.” Joyce and her husband Jay, a retired professor of mathematics who taught at the University of Arkansas for 33 years, describe the farm as their retirement exercise plan. Between the horses, the 60 or so head of Limousin mixed cattle, and the assorted dogs that they are always taking in, life on the farm isn't exactly the picture of a laid back retirement.