Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Okolona's Hornsby's are Clark County Farm Family of the Year

The John Hornsby Family of Okolona is Clark County9s 2004 Farm Family of the Year.

The family farm totals 161 acres and includes ponds, meadows and pastures for a beef cattle operation.

The Hornsby family was chosen for their dedication to maintaining the "family farm" atmosphere, said Jerry Clemens, Clark County agricultural

extension agent and a member of the committee.

"We don't have very many true family farms anymore," Clemens said.

The selection committee is made up of employees of agriculture service agencies such as the USDA, the Farm Bureau and agriculture lenders, Clemens said.

The committee looks at families who derive a substantial portion of their income from an agriculture-related operation, he said.

The Hornsby family includes John, who works the family9s beef cattle operation while working as a forest tech for International Paper. John's wife, Amy, teaches art at Arkadelphia High School. Son Cody, 17, is a senior this fall at Arkadelphia High School. He is a member of the football team and National Honor Society. Daughter Kinsey, 12, is on the honor roll at Goza Middle School and is also a member of the junior varsity gymnastics team and a member of the Jazzler Dance Team.

The Hornsby farm, located off Highway 51, includes 147 acres of pasture and 13 acres of hay meadow in addition to the family residence.

The farm includes a breeding program, and steers are marketed after weaning.

"I usually sell calves twice a year," John said.

He keeps four to six heifers each year to maintain the breeding operation, he said.

The goal is to maintain between 45 and 50 head of cattle on the farm continuously, John said.

In addition to breeding and raising the cattle, the Hornsbys work to put

away enough hay each year to feed the cattle during the winter.

John and Cody traditionally take care of the outdoor farm work, although Kinsey will "jump in there to help," John said.

"She will help mend fences and she's learning how to drive the tractor," John said. "She's a good helper."

Usually, Kinsey is indoors assisting her mother with maintaining the household. The two work to preserve produce by canning pickles, peppers and other vegetables and fruits during the summer.

The farm was previously owned by the May family, and included a small

farmhouse which the Hornsbys have renovated and expanded, doing the work themselves.

The original living room and kitchen area of the house were retained and are used as a den for the teenagers and a dining area. The interior of the house is paneled in cedar with cherry door frames and accents.

Antiques and recycled items are used throughout the house as decor.

"We hate to throw anything away," Amy Hornsby said. "We'd rather find a new use for it."

The cherry used to frame the doors was given to them because it was not in prime condition. "We went to a one-man sawmill for the paneling," Amy Hornsby said. "This cherry was piled up outside. He said we could have it if we wanted it, so we've used it even though it has cracks and knots."

The use of the wood created a challenge for the Hornsbys that many families don't face with traditional interior surfaces.

The wood shrinks as it ages, Amy Hornsby said, which causes cracks to form between the planks. To solve the problem, the Hornsbys placed black roofing material behind the planks as a backing.

"It also helps insulate the walls," she said.

The wood has been sealed to maintain the red color. "When cedar dries, it can turn yellow," she said. "I like the red color, so I put a sealer on it."

Cleaning the surface could be a daunting task, but it's not according to Amy Hornsby. "We vacuum the walls occasionally."

The house also features a native stone fireplace complete with stone mantel.

Amy's artwork is featured here and throughout the house.

On the hood of the wood-burning fireplace, she has displayed the children's cowboy boots from their toddler years. "I just love their boots up there," she said.

Off the living room lies a spacious sun porch which features Kinsey's life-size dollhouse and the teenagers' exercise equipment. Beyond the sun

porch is a deck which overlooks the hay barn, pasture, ponds and meadows.

The Hornsbys plant clover for wildlife food plots each year and have stocked their ponds with channel catfish, bass and perch as well as grass carp, which help control the weeds.

John Hornsby also serves as chief of the Okolona Volunteer Fire Department and as a member on the town council. The family attends Okolona Baptist Church.

As Clark County's Farm Family of the Year, the Hornsbys will be honored at an event at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion and will compete against other families for the honor of Arkansas' Farm Family of the Year.

The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year is sponsored by Entergy and the

Arkansas Press Association, with the cooperation of the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education, Arkansas Farm Bureau, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the USDA's Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.