M E M B E R SC E N E
A New Generation of Cattlemen An international cattle purchase and mobile app creation are just part of farming for this 22-year-old.
With only $100, but plenty of determination and ambition, 12-year-old Mason Faulkner purchased his first calf. 10 years later, Mason’s herd may look different than that first black calf he raised, but his passion to be a successful cattleman is still evident. Mason also knows that it takes more than passion to be successful. He’s banking on a unique breed, has his sights set on an ag-centered CPA career and has created a mobile app to allow himself, and fellow ranchers, to run their businesses more efficiently. Mason is a full-time accounting student at Harding University and will graduate in May 2019. He plans to become a Certified Public Accountant and work within agriculture, helping other farmers maximize profitability. “I like accounting because it’s the language of
“The best part of my job is doing what I can to help young people get started in farming,” said Farm Credit loan officer Hank DeSalvo (right). “I admire Mason’s ambition and ability to think outside the box. Creating a mobile app to make tracking cattle easier shows just how differently the next generation is approaching farming. That’s exciting.”
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business. You can see behind operations, how they work, understand the tax law and how to save money,” he said. He commutes between the family farm in Center Ridge and Searcy three times a week so that he can remain on the farm and care for his animals. He relies on his parents’ and professors’ support as he balances school and farm work. “It’s definitely unique balancing your time with academics and coming back to the farm, but my teachers understand that I’m young and I’m trying to start a business and run a cattle operation and they definitely support me,” Mason said. Mason raises registered Fleckvieh cattle, a dualpurpose breed known for their beef and dairy
