Farm Family Salute

2022 Farm Family Salute 4 June 2022 In addition to the plants and vegetables growing in the ground, Jim and Michele have a lot of 'growing' going on above the ground as well. Regarding poultry, they produce five flocks a year each yielding 40,000 broilers. at's a grand total of 200,000 per year. Add to that 110 cows and five bulls, and you begin to understand why the Pigeon farm was named Benton County's Farm Family of the Year. "We typically have a couple livestock markets and local stocker calf operations bid on our cattle at weaning," Jim said. "A practice we use with our cattle operation is rotational grazing. We believe this helps reduce the weeds from overgrazing by the cattle as well as forage lost due to excess foot traffic by the animals. is practice also helps reduce erosion around the creek located on the property. "We also recently added a rotary drum composter for the poultry operations mortalities, replacing a propane incinerator," Jim added. " is not only aids in fuel savings but also produces a quality product that can be used as a soil amendment and sold at the nursery." Both Jim and Michele have been farming for over 28 years. ey were raised being exposed to the farming life. ey each earned B.S. degrees in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University and married in 1993. Shortly aer, they purchased the original property of 84 acres and launched their cattle operation, which began as 25 head of Limousin cross cattle. A couple years later the broiler houses were built. e nursery was started in 2006 and expanded in 2013 by adding a 5-acre tract where the retail location currently resides. e cattle operation expanded to its current size in 2017 by adding an additional 183 acres just down the road and an additional 80 head of Angus/Brangus cross cattle. Today, Jim also functions as the Director of Operations for a very large contract broiler growing operation located near Westville, OK. He helps oversee the production of over 100 million pounds of chicken per year. "is operation is an important part of the diversification of the total farming operation," he said. "It allows us to play an even larger role in the food production for the world. As well as helps provide working capital for the off season." For young farmers starting out, Jim and Michele had this to say: "Farming of any kind is a way of life. We were raised on a farm and learned at a young age that hard work can be rewarding. Strive to be the best at what you do. We are constantly faced with challenges, face those head on, make the best decision you can, learn from your mistakes and don't dwell on the shortcomings. And be prepared to work long and hard days." As for being named Farm Family of the year, "We are very humbled and honored to be chosen, it has never been about the recognition for us, it's just what we do," they said. "It's rewarding to know we are ultimately growing and providing a quality wholesome product for the community, country, or world." Continued from page 3 BENTON https://arfb.com/ Bentonville 479-273-7786 Siloam Springs 479-524-8400 arfb.com 2022 Benton County Farm Family oF the year Pigeon Family Farms Jim and Michele Pigeon We appreciate your endeavors as leaders in Arkansas Agriculture!

• Cover