|
CARLISLE — C.J. and Cara Parker of Carlisle
will tell you blessings from above and hard work are critical to
farming success. For the second time in three years, those factors
along with C.J.’s deft management skills and diversity of crop choices,
have them as finalists for Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers &
Ranchers Achievement Award.
This award honors young farm families across the state for
their hard work, innovation, progress and the general excellence of
their operations. The winner of the award will be announced Dec. 1 at
the 77th Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention in Little Rock. The winning
couple will take home a 2012 Ford F-150 Crew Cab 4x4 truck and an
expenses-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Convention in January in
Hawaii to compete for the national award. The other finalists for the
award include Jeremy and Magen Allen of Bismarck, who raise cattle and
operate a custom feed and trucking business on the farm; and Scott and
Cassie Davis, who run a dairy farm in Prairie Grove.
The Parkers grow rice – long grain and medium grain – as well
as soybeans and winter wheat, the latter two C.J. also grows for seed
stock. “Diversity makes for a healthy farm by spreading the risks
between different markets,” he says. “Half of our wheat is grown for
seed, and the other half is grown as mill wheat. We grow oil and seed
beans. The seed beans offer extra value by getting a premium for the
seed.”
C.J., 34, thinks the strength of the farm is in its
management, a duty he shares with Cara. “Managing is where I think we
shine. It’s the most important aspect of our farming operation,” he
says. He maintains detailed records on each crop and the ground where
it grows. “My wife and I share these duties.”
Cara, 34, works fulltime on the farm now, and handles all the
bill paying, bookkeeping and even buys parts for equipment and runs
other errands. She also books the hunts for the family duck guiding
service the Parkers run during the winter on the farm. She did not grow
up on a farm but has come to love the way of life.
“It’s very gratifying. I love the fact that we’re raising our
kids on the farm,” she says. “I definitely think it teaches you a work
ethic.” The Parkers have three children, Clay, 13, Caleb, 10, and
Caty, 8.
The Parkers started farming with 200 acres in 1998 and now
farm 4,500. “We’ve been very blessed. We made strides by taking on
rough ground and working really hard, and people saw that and believed
in us,” C.J. says. “They saw that we worked hard, and we’ve been able
to pick up some of the better ground when the opportunity became
available.”
|