ELKINS -- Mike Young said farming is in his family's blood.
"We love farming," he said Monday morning from his family's broiler operation in rural Washington County south of Elkins.
AT A GLANCE
Farm Family Of The Year
The Mike and Teresa Young family of rural Elkins are this year’s Washington County Farm Family of the Year and have a chance to be named Arkansas Farm Family of the Year on Dec. 11 in Little Rock.
Steve Eddington, spokesman for Arkansas Farm Bureau, said the state is divided in seven divisions and each divisional winner will compete for the state title.
The Northwest division includes Washington, Benton, Madison, Carroll, Sebastian, Crawford, Boone, Newton, Johnson and Franklin counties.
Benton County will announce it’s Farm Family of the Year on July 15 and the divisional winners will be named sometime next month.
Arkansas Farm Bureau, the Arkansas Press Association, the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, AgHeritage FCS, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas and Farm Credit Midsouth are sponsors of the annual recognition program.
Additional program support is provided by the Arkansas Department of Career Education; the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture; and USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Rural Development.
Source: Staff Report
Mike and Teresa Young, along with their adult sons, Mitchell and Tyler, were named Washington County Farm Family of the Year Monday.
"They are a hard-working family that is well respected in the community," said Johnny Gunsaulis, Washington County extension agent.
The extension service was part of a committee that selected the county winner. The Arkansas Farm Bureau is coordinating sponsor of the program that started in 1947.
Mike and Teresa Young bought their first cows 25 years ago and have slowly built an operation that also includes turkeys, chickens and hay fields.
"We had to build the farm up one piece of equipment at a time," Mike Young said. "It was just something we knew we wanted to do."
Teresa Young said they were around farming their whole lives.
"We just jumped in and did it and prayed," she said. "It's a great way of life."
The Youngs have 80 head of cattle and three turkey-breeding houses for Cargill. They also have broiler houses with George's and are handing that part of the operation off to their sons.
"We are helping them get started. Young people just can't afford to start their own farm and it keeps many away," Teresa Young said.
She said the farm life helped shape her sons by teaching respect for others and respect for life.
"It kept me out of trouble," Mitchell Young said of growing up and working on the farm.
Tyler Young said he and his brother always knew they wanted to farm and run their own business. They have four new chicken houses to start with and will get their first flock from George's on Friday.
The 46-foot by 520-foot houses each will hold 28,200 chicks for the 52-day growing period five times a year.
Kendall Pendergraft, broiler manager for George's, said Tyler and Mitchell Young will be the family's third generation to grow for the company.
"We've been working with the family for a long time and they do a great job," Pendergraft said.
The sons also help with the hay fields and cattle operation. Mitchell does all the hay cutting and Tyler does all the baling.
Mike Young said he would like to increase his herd size and grow more hay for the cattle.
"We are very blessed to have sons that help us every day on the farm. They enjoy farming as much as we do," he said.
NW News on 06/10/2014