Farming a long tradition for Groves family
GARLAND CITY, Ark.—This year’s Miller County Farm Family of the Year has family that’s been farming about as long as the award has existed.
With this year marking the 70th year that the Arkansas Farm Bureau has been handing out the award, Chase Groves’ family involvement in farming goes back about that far.
“I am a fourth generation rancher and we were both humbled when we heard that we received this award,” Groves said of his reaction and his wife, Krystal’s reaction, to being named as the county’s 2017 Farm Family of the Year, last month. “We were both surprised and humbled because we knew that there were so many other great farm families in Miller County.”
Presently, the family raises beef cattle on farm land near Garland City and like other award recipients, this family’s farming and ranching operations were rated on their management, goals, achievements and plans for development and future expansion as well as on planned improvements and changes in their operations.
“First, we are keeping one of the largest groups of heifers we have ever kept this year,” Groves said. “We are becoming more efficient at grazing, so we are growing our cowherd without increasing acres and this past winter, we unrolled all of the hay fed to our cows, in order to better spread the nutrients out on our pasture so as to not isolate certain feeding areas. Also, creating good relationships and thinking outside of the box is a must.”
Born and raised near Garland City Groves said he grew up hauling hay and working in pecan orchards.
“I also grew up exhibiting and showing livestock at the county, state and national levels,” he said. “As kids, both Krystal and I were heavily involved in 4-H as well as in Future Farmers of America. We both credit the success we’ve experienced in life, to those programs.”
After graduating from Lewisville High
School in 2002, Groves went on to earn an associates degree from Eastern Oklahoma State College in 2004 before going on to earn a bachelor of science degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, in animal science in 2006 while minoring in poultry science as well.
“I bought my first cows when I was in college,” Groves said. “My senior year in college, I purchased a semi-truck and hopper bottom trailer and returned home and went to work for my dad during the winter months. I drove the truck during the local wheat harvest, then followed the wheat harvest from Texas to Kansas, then returned home for the local fall harvest. I then had the opportunity to go to work for the American Simmental Association as a field representative for two and a half years (between September 2008 and April 2011.)”
Eventually, Groves managed to start leasing land and in March of 2012, he started his own beef cattle growing operations.
“Our operations have slowly started to grow from within and we hope to continue in that direction for years to come,” he said. “I loved being outdoors and there aren’t that many people who can wake up in the morning and see baby calves being born. I see miracles daily. Because I grew up on a family farm, the call for me to come back to my roots was loud and clear.”