Hortons 2017 Searcy County Farm Family of the Year
Photo: Left to right, James Horton, Silas Horton, Mary Margaret Horton, Michael Horton and Lesley Horton.
The James/Michael Horton family of Marshall has been selected as Searcy County’s 2017 Farm Family of the Year. The family includes parents, James and Mary Margaret Horton, their son, Michael and wife Lesley, and their son, Silas. The Horton family raises cattle and hay on their farm located on Lick Fork Road 13 miles east of Marshall.
The Horton family currently owns and farms approximately 400 acres. James has been farming for approximately 50 years and son, Michael, for approximately 8. Along with the 70 head cattle operation, they raise hay on approximately 40 acres. The yearly yield is approximately 500 round bales depending on weather. The Hortons said they sell their calves when they reach between 500-600 pounds.
The Hortons said that one of their goals is to improve land quality and farm quality with each successive generation. They explained that they have acres cleared, cleaned up and fenced for grazing or planted for hay. Since they started farming, they have converted wild acreage to pasture land or hay fields and have added better water tanks and less ponds. The Hortons said future expansion of the farm includes the need for more cross fencing, maintaining pasture quality and weed control. To help with protecting the environment, the Hortons halted stream bank erosion with the help of NRCS by reinforcing the shoreline with boulders/willow trees and reseeding the banks. This effort will also assist with soil conservation and water.
James explained that the original farmstead was settled in 1845 and that each generation has been farmers and mentors to the next generation to enable them to take over the family farm successfully. This practice has continued for over seven generations and the family farm was recognized as a Century+ Farm in 2015, which is a farm that has belonged to the same family for more than a century. Their farm, the Turney-Loftin-Horton farm, was established in 1845 Michael said, “Our family loves the farm life and we find the majority of our activities outside of church worship involve activities on the farm. Silas is learning animal and husbandry through caring for his pets; he takes great pride in his ability to carry out his chores on his own, with supervision of course. Feeding twenty cats and two dogs and calling up and entire heard of cows is a big accomplishment for a little boy.”
Michael added that Silas’ newest pet is a female blue heeler puppy that he named Rocksie or “Puppy Horton.” Michael added that he enjoyed 4-H activities as a child and it appears that same interest continues in Silas. As the Searcy County Farm Family of the Year, the Horton family will join 74 other county farm families in vying for district and state recognition as the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year will be
announced in December at a banquet at the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock.
Jane H. Estes, Marshall Mountain Wave
