GRAVETTE - Farming is a family tradition for Jeff and Melissa Smith of Gravette, one they want to pass on to their two sons.

“I think we have a responsibility to our youth to better the world for them and to pass it on to them,” Melissa Smith said.

The Smith family was recognized Friday as Benton County’s Farm Family of the Year for 2013. Jeff and Melissa and their sons - 19-year-old Sayer and 17-year-old Noah - were honored with plaques, proclamations and resolutions from local, state and federal officials.

The Smith family represents “America at its finest,” said County Judge Bob Clinard, who spoke first after being introduced by emcee Jim Singleton, who chairs the Farm Family Selection Committee.

Jeff and Melissa Smith have a poultry and beef cattle operation on 165 acres on Rocky Dell Road just northwest of Mt. Pleasant between Gravette and the Hiwasse community. They have four broiler houses and produce 750,000 broilers per year as contract growers for George’s Inc. They also operate a cow/calf operation with about70 head of cattle. Melissa works as human resources manager for McKee Foods in Gentry.

The couple met after Jeff Smith moved to the area from his native Texas in 1975. Melissa Smith is a lifelong area resident whose parents - Doug and Shirley Bertschy - were named Benton County Farm Family of the Year in 1976.

Jeff Smith said his family in Texas also was involved in farming. “My grandparents, on both sides of my family, were farmers,” he said. “My mother’s folks still raise cattle and they’re in their 90s.”

Both Jeff and Melissa graduated from Gravette High School and both attended the University of Arkansas, where Jeff studied poultry science and worked on the UofA Poultry Research Farm and the UofA Savoy Beef Farm. Melissa graduated from UofA with a degree in Health Education.

Shortly after their marriage, they purchased 80 acres and were contract turkey growers for Hudson Foods in 1990. They converted the operation to broilers in 2000 and became contract growers for Georges Inc. Their livestock operation began from offspring of calves Melissa’s parents had given her as a young girl. Jeff became a Certified Artificial Insemination Technician, which has allowed for faster improvement of their herd.

In operation of Mt. Pleasant Farms Inc., the family has installed energy saving conversions as well as conservation/recycling household practices.

State Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, presented the Smiths with a citation adopted by the Arkansas House of Representatives. Douglas praised the family for their “tireless work ethic and efforts to uphold our agriculture traditions.”

Other recognitions came from Jeff Thacker, representing U.S. Representative Steve Womack from this district; and Katherine Goff, representing U.S. Senator John Boozman. Brad Fortner, of Farm Bureau Insurance in Rogers, presented the Smith family with the official Farm Family of the Year plaque.

Others present among the large crowd which attended the ceremony held on the lawn in front of the spacious Smith home were Steve Curry, Justice of the Peace from Gravette, and Gravette Mayor Byron Warren.

Honoring farm families is a tradition dating back to 1947. Those selected are recognized, not only for their farming operation, but also for their leadership roles and community service at the county, state and even national levels.

County winners from throughout the state will be among those competing for the honor as Arkansas Farm Family of the Year recognition.

The Smiths’ lists of services are impressive and include support of and working with 4-H and FFA activities, coaching various youth sports and serving on such boards, active in cattle associations, PTO and various school/student projects, working to end domestic violence, advisory boards at UofA and many other activities including at their church.

Their son, Sayer,19, was active in FFA and 4-H at the local and state level, was a 4-H Teen Star, State Ambassador and record book winner. In school he was active in numerous clubs and extra-curricular activities. A graduate of GHS, he is a sophomore at Olivet Nazarene University and is a pastoral internat Bentonville Nazarene Church.

His brother, Noah, 17, will be a senior at Gravette High School this fall. He is a member of the football team, active in clubs and serves as class officer. He is active in 4-H at county and state levels and was named State Record Book winner, was an Arkansas Teen Star and is State 4-H Ambassador. Both boys have participated in church mission trips.

Susan Anglin, justice of the peace for District 9, is also a farmer and an active member of the Benton County Farm Bureau. She said agriculture is still very important in the county, although it has changed and will likely continue to change as the county grows.

“It’s going to be tough for Benton County because we’re becoming more urban,” Anglin said. “I think we’ll always have a strong agriculture community. The farm sizes may be smaller, but I’m hopeful they will always be a part of the community. We’ve got more poultry and small cattle operations now and not so many dairy operations. It is changing, but it’s important we continue to point out the importance of agriculture to our economy.”

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The Westside Eagle Observer contributed to this story.

News, Pages 1 on 06/12/2013