Family traces farming history to 1850s, earns county honor

— David Martin said his family has been farming forever.

“I am a fifth-generation farmer,” he said proudly. “We have been farmers since the 1850s, when Jim Martin settled in Steprock. The land we raise cattle on has been in the Martin family since 1900.”

Today, Martin and his family operate the Martin Cattle Co., which specializes in Gelbvieh cattle, and raise hay on their 275-acre farm in Steprock, just a short drive from Judsonia. The Martins are the 2012 White County Farm Family of the Year.

David, 56, and his wife Rita, also 56, have three grown daughters who have active roles in the day-to-day operation of the farm.

Daughter Rebecca, 34, is married to Jason Johnson. They have one daughter, Madalyn, 4. Rebecca is a 2001 graduate of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro with a degree in agricultural business. She manages a small herd of cows separate from the family farm and is employed as a computer operator at Searcy Medical Center.

Daughter Dana, 29, is married to Josh Stewart. They have one daughter, Jewel, 2. Dana graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2005 with a degree in agricultural communications. She handles record keeping, registrations and marketing on the family farm. She is employed by the American Gelbvieh Association and works from home. She is also a member of the White County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, and she and her husband are members of the Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers program.

Daughter Rasha Martin, 21, is engaged to Jordan Pate. She is still in college at Arkansas State University at Beebe, and she works a small string of heifers each year for the National Junior Gelbvieh Cattle Show.

“Our granddaughters, Madalyn and Jewel, show great interest in the farm and enjoy helping fill feed buckets, running water and checking pastures,” David said. “It is our blessing that our children enjoy and cherish the farm as we do. There is no better place than the family farm to teach children about God’s creations, hard work, responsibility and many values that are easily overlooked today.”

David, the son of the late W.D. “Bill” and Anna Martin; and Rita, the daughter of the late Hubert and Dorothy Williams, both grew up in Steprock. David and Rita graduated from White County Central High School and began dating after graduation. They have been married 38 years.

David has one brother, Billy Don Martin, who manages a small herd of cattle on adjacent land that was part of the original settlement in Steprock. He assists David in special circumstances.

In 1936, David’s grandfather, the late Boyce Martin Sr., entered the registered Hereford cattle business.

“Purebred seed stock have been on the farm since,” David said.

David’s father continued the farm as a registered Hereford operation until the 1980s. In 1976, David graduated from Arkansas State University with a degree in animal science. He went to work managing a 750-head purebred Santa Gertrudis and commercial operation. He used the knowledge he gained there to change the direction of the Martin Hereford farm by crossbreeding their original Hereford cows with Santa Gertrudis bulls using artificial insemination.

In 1990, the farm David managed was dispersed, and he and his wife purchased a small 20-acre farm near the original family farm at Steprock. With a handful of cows, they began artificially inseminating the Santa Gertrudis-Hereford cross cows to Gelbvieh bulls.

Today, the couple market their cattle to adjoining states. They also show their cattle, not only at the White County Fair but at competitions throughout the United States.

“Showing cattle has been a cherished tradition on the farm for the skills of hard work and dedication it teaches, along with the opportunity to showcase cattle to potential buyers,” David said.

“Showing cattle has been a useful tool for marketing an evaluation of our herd.”

In 2001, Dana showed the Junior National Champion Gelbvieh Female at the American Gelbvieh Junior Association’s national show in Sioux Falls, S.D. She was also awarded the National Champion Bred and Owned award, which is given to the best animal that was bred by the junior exhibitor.

“This was a testament to Martin Cattle Company’s genetics,” David said.

“Since that time, our cattle have competed strongly at additional shows.”

David and Rita both have jobs off the farm. He works for Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, and she is employed at Searcy Medical Center. They attend the Oakdale Missionary Baptist Church in Judsonia.

David is president of the Arkansas Gelbvieh Association and is a member of the American Gelbvieh Association Board of Directors.

He is an approved Santa Gertrudis Breeders International show judge and has judged numerous state and regional fairs; however, he does not judge Gelbvieh cattle shows.

Three Rivers, Pages 129 on 07/29/2012

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