meet your neighbors
A Family Merger 50x100x16
One side sheeted. One gable sheeted materials.
Faron and Ginger Ledbetter work together on their family farm.
50x100x18 Roof only Materials
40x50x12
enclosed w/3” reinforced vinyl back insulation. 1- walk thru door, 2-10x10 openings, 26 ga. 40 year painted metal. All red iron frame. Materials.
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By Terry Ropp
Submitted Photo
The Ledbetter and Hill families were neighbors for generations, but now their farms are in one family A rather unique merger was founded on love rather than calf herd on the Ledbetter farm. Caroline’s grandparents Daltie and Rudy Hill purchased the land in the early 1950s. The farm had to promote income or land acquisition in Wesley, Ark. The 360-acre Ledbetter farm began with Lloyd and Cleo Ledbetter in a few chickens, as well as a commercial cow/calf herd. It was also the 1960s. Both were raised locally. After World War II, Lloyd returned among the first in Madison County to install a large poultry house. to farming by working at different farms. Then, around 1962, Lloyd and The Hill farm passed through the generations until Caroline inherCleo were renting a house when the farm next door came up for sale. ited it because she was the only direct descendent. “The farms combined like the families did,” Faron said. “Our famiDelighted, they purchased the land and developed a cow/calf operation. Lloyd and Cleo had two sons, Ray and Loy, who worked the farm lies were neighbors since the 1960s and lucky enough to raise several together. Loy never married or had children, though Ray married his generations on family land. Raising our daughters Kirstyn and Katie childhood sweetheart, Caroline Hill, who lived 2 miles down the Moore here was really important to both my wife Ginger and I.” Faron believes the most important factor in successfully running a road and thus created the love-born merger. In terms of the farm, Ray added turkeys to his parents’ cow/calf herd, as well as dairy cows small farm is diversifying income, a concept he learned from family example as well as other farmers. He also believes the appearance for a few years when his sons Faron, Jeff and Corey were young. “While I remember the milk cows and swimming with my brothers of that diversification has changed through time. Rather than dein Lollars Creek, which happens to run through both the Ledbetter pending upon several agricultural streams, such as his dad’s turkeys, and Hill farms, what I remember most fondly is helping with custom custom baling, commercial cattle and fescue seed income sources, baling,” Faron explained. “Dad cut the hay, I raked it and Uncle many small farms today have a single agricultural income stream Loy baled it. That experience gave me a chance to visit and get to such as the Ledbetter’s commercial cow/calf operation. “I feel modern-day smaller farms like ours often produce supplemenknow many people. The relationships I made then helped me later get elected as Madison County Clerk for 11 terms until I retired a tal income with off-farm jobs being the main source,” Faron said. Faron and Ginger manage the farms’ daily operation year ago and still helps me now that I sell real estate for side-by-side, even more so since Ginger retired from Collier and Associates out of Fayetteville.” Wesley, Ark. Arvest Bank in Huntsville, Ark. Ginger also runs a Faron’s father Ray passed in 2003. Caroline and three highly-detailed computerized system to keep track of Ledbetter brothers continued with the farm which now each animal and hay production so she and Faron can supports a commercial herd and is part of the trust that uncover patterns for improvement. Working the cattle, combines the Ledbetter and Hill farms. however, is like a family reunion because it’s “all hands on The 100-acre Hill farm came from Caroline’s side of deck,” including their daughters and Faron’s brothers Jeff and the family and is now used to produce hay for the cow/ Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
