Longtime farm families merge into one

A Family Merger

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Faron and Ginger Ledbetter work together on their family farm.

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 to promote income or land acquisition in Wesley, Ark. and Rudy Hill purchased the land in the early 1950s. The farm had

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. Delighted, they purchased the land and developed a cow/calf operation. “The farms combined like the families did,” Faron said. “Our fami

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.” road and thus created the love-born merger. In terms of the farm, Faron believes the most important factor in successfully running a 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 for a few years when his sons Faron, Jeff and Corey were young. example as well as other farmers. He also believes the appearance

“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. know many people. The relationships I made then helped me later “I feel modern-day smaller farms like ours often produce supplemenget elected as Madison County Clerk for 11 terms until I retired a tal income with off-farm jobs being the main source,” Faron said. year ago and still helps me now that I sell real estate for Faron and Ginger manage the farms’ daily operation Collier and Associates out of Fayetteville.” side-by-side, even more so since Ginger retired from

Faron’s father Ray passed in 2003. Caroline and three Wesley, Ark. Arvest Bank in Huntsville, Ark. Ginger also runs a Ledbetter brothers continued with the farm which now highly-detailed computerized system to keep track of supports a commercial herd and is part of the trust that each animal and hay production so she and Faron can combines the Ledbetter and Hill farms. uncover patterns for improvement. Working the cattle,

The 100-acre Hill farm came from Caroline’s side of however, is like a family reunion because it’s “all hands on the family and is now used to produce hay for the cow/ deck,” including their daughters and Faron’s brothers Jeff and

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Corey, whose time is mostly dominated by their careers at Tysons.

Farm management is based on an annual cycle that approximates the four seasons. In winter the emphasis is repairing fences, as well as feeding cattle, which includes unrolling hay every day. Cattle receive cubes once a week so they come running toward the truck rath- er than running away when they need to be gathered. In addition to spring calving, the other spring emphasis is fertilizing with local chicken litter and spraying for weeds. Summer is hay season and fall is brush hogging. Fall calving is delayed until October after brush hogging is done and there are fewer flies.

The Ledbetter herd is comprised of 75 Angus and Angus/Charolais commercial females bred by two Angus bulls. The spring and fall calving seasons run two months each, with the calves being weaned at 500 to 550 pounds and sold at the Benton County sale barn in Siloam Springs.

Though Faron tried fence line weaning, the last couple years he found separating the calves works best for him. He retains 10 heifers per year as replacements because he prefers a younger breeding herd. He waits to breed heifers until they are 21 months with the more mature age seeming to promote fewer birthing problems and a higher breeding back percentage. Bulls are replaced every seven years in order to change the bloodlines and to minimize manageability and health issues.”

“Around here we are fortunate to have many good breeding stock producers so I buy my bulls from various local farms, which diversifies my bloodlines even more,” Faron explained.

The herds are worked two months after calv- ing season when bull calves are banded and all receive shots. Heifers receive a second round because optimum herd health makes having an off-the-farm job workable. The cattle are given good minerals all year, including one with fly control during the summer though cattle are also sprayed as needed. Faron read- ily admits his biggest challenge is keeping up to date on current issues, such as black-headed buzzards and new diseases.

“Sometimes people think inheriting land guarantees success, but that simply isn’t true. Farming is hard work and requires paying attention to detail.” Faron said. “The land belongs to God and we are just temporary caretakers. Our merged families and these farms have been a blessing, something we are thankful for and never take for granted.”