Nestled on their farm in the quiet community of Joy in White County, Chris and Nesha Smith raise cattle and hay, operate a construction company and keep up with their 10-year-old daughter, Jalyn, who wants to be right in the thick of things.
The Smiths have been named the 2016 East Central District Farm Family of the Year; they received the White Country Farm Family of the Year recognition just weeks before. They will now compete against seven other district winners for the state title, which will be announced Dec. 8 at the Farm Family of the Year Luncheon at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock.
The Smiths own approximately 1,200 acres of land and lease another 1,000-plus acres.
“I’m shocked that we won the district honor,” Nesha said.
“I’d have to agree,” Chris said with a smile. “I feel sure there are a lot more deserving people than we are, but we are very honored we were selected.
“It is a big deal for us,” he said. “We are a family, and we farm together. We haven’t inherited this farm; we have had to do it all on our own. We have built it up over the last three or four years. We are doing it because of Jalyn,” Chris said. “As long as she is interested in it, we want to grow the farm so she can take over one day.
“We see this farm as our family legacy,” he said. “We want our daughter to raise her family here and for the farm to remain in our family for generations long after we are gone. Thinking about building on that legacy makes all the hard work that happens on the farm every day worth it.”
The Smiths have 24 registered Braunvieh breeding bulls and two registered Angus bulls as well as 460 head of commercial-bred cows or cows with calves and 75 commercial heifer yearlings. They market their livestock on a local and national level.
“We believe it’s important to do business with our local livestock auction, but we also believe it’s good to get our name out beyond our home state and national television has helped to do that,” Chris said. “In the past, we have sold some of our weanlings on Superior Livestock [an online auction site].
“Our most recent sale was due to the airing of The American Rancher on RFD-TV [digital cable and satellite TV channel],” he said. “Last year we were asked to do an interview to inform others how the Braunvieh breed has impacted our farming operation. Due to that show, we were contacted by a couple in Missouri who were looking to begin a small cattle herd. We were able to deliver them a few females to get them started.”
Chris describes the Braunvieh breed of cattle as “a meat version of the Brown Swiss dairy cattle.”
They also grow and harvest 4,000 round bales of Bermuda and Tifton 44 hay.
“We generally harvest hay two or three times a year depending on the weather,” Chris said. “It’s important we do our own because we then know what we are feeding our cattle.”
Chris, 40, and Nesha, 35, both graduated from Rose Bud High School. They have been married 17 years.
Chris went right to work after high school graduation, leasing a small farm for a while, then getting into construction work.
Nesha went onto college after high school, graduating from Arkansas State University at Beebe in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
“I was enrolled in the distance learning program and was able to get my bachelor’s degree through a partnership with Arkansas State in Jonesboro and ASU-Beebe,” she said. “At first, I was going to be a teacher but my husband wanted to start a construction business so he encouraged me to get my contractor’s license. I kept on taking teaching classes but switched my major to business administration.”
Nesha now manages the office of the construction business and also the farm. She also helps work the cattle and feed them.
Chris and his construction crew do utility and excavation work; and worked on pipelines when natural gas companies came into the area several years ago. Nesha said the construction company brings in the majority of their income.
The Smiths began farming in 2004 when they bought 500 acres from Nesha’s maternal grandfather, John Hester, who is now 82.
“He started with 640 acres,” Nesha said, adding her grandmother, Johnnie Hester, died a few years ago. “He still lives nearby and helps us.”
Nesha said her father introduced them to the Braunvieh breed of cattle.
“He had 20 head of cattle in San Antonio,” she said. “He had Braunvieh. Chris bought them from him and brought them up here. He sold everything but kept two bulls. We have grown the herd from there.”
“This farm is a work in progress,” Nesha said. “We want to get it built up so Jalyn can take over some day. We are blessed to be able to raise her on a farm.
“Jalyn loves this stuff,” Nesha said of her daughter’s interest of the cattle operation. “She goes with Chris all the time.
“She even talks about the farm when she is in school [she will be a fifth-grader at Rose Bud Elementary School in August],” Nesha said. “She said many of her classmates talk about dogs or cats being their favorite animals. She tells them, ‘My favorite animal is a cow.’”
Nesha said Jalyn has her own herd of cattle — 21 head — and leases 80 acres where she keeps them.
“She wants to develop a full-blood Braunvieh herd,” Nesha said. “She will be able to make good money with that.”
Jalyn sells her cattle at the local sale barn. She also shows cattle at the White County Fair and at national shows.
She is a member of the Rose Bud Mavericks 4-H Club and participates in the White County 4-H Horse and Pony Club and the White County 4-H Veterinary Science Club. Jalyn also raises chickens and goats for 4-H projects.
Jalyn is a member of the Junior Braunvieh Association of America and participated in the Junior National Braunvieh Cattle Show last year in Springfield, Missouri. She is also a member of the Arkansas Junior Cattlemen’s Association. Jalyn volunteers at Jacob’s Place, a shelter for the socially and economically disadvantaged, where she leads devotionals with the residents.
Chris and Nesha are members of the White County, Arkansas, and National Cattlemen’s associations and the Braunvieh Association of America. They support a variety of organizations — White County 4-H, Rose Bud FFA, the White County Fair Junior Market Sale, Arkansas Junior Cattlemen’s Association, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and Compassion International, which is a Christian child-sponsorship organization.
Additionally, Chris is a member of the Joy Volunteer Fire Department and Nesha is a member of the ASU Alumni Association and the Community Bank Advisory Board.
The Smiths attend New Hart Church where Nesha teaches Sunday school.