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Tom Butler and his wife, Neeley, say they are honored and humbled to be named the 2024 Carroll County Farm Family of the Year.
And they are quick to say the credit doesn’t all belong to them.
“We couldn’t have done this without having Heavenly Father, God on our side,” Tom Butler said as the family showed a visitor around on a cool June morning. “We’ve been really blessed.”
The Butlers, along with daughters Vivian, 6, and 2-year-old twins Ida and Iris, own and operate a cattle ranch on 680 acres near Oak Grove and also rent 1,500 additional acres.
The family, originally from Idaho, moved to Arkansas six years ago when Tom accepted a job as ranch manager for the property’s then-owners, who were based out of state. When those owners decided to sell the property a few years later, the Butlers were eager to buy it.
“They decided to sell out and gave us the opportunity to try to find some financing and buy it,” Tom Butler said. “We found financing through the FSA (the federal Farm Service Agency) and through Arvest (Bank) and found some people who believed in us, and made it happen.”
Today, the family has about 800 head of cattle, including longhorns, along with several horses and the obligatory group of farm dogs who offer a friendly nuzzle to a visitor.
The Butler girls are growing up in an idyllic country setting, and they seem to be enjoying the experience. Vivian helps her dad get the family horses rigged up for a photo session, while Ida enjoys sitting atop a pony. Iris is a little more skittish of the horses but later joins Neeley on horseback for a family photo.
Tom and Neeley have been married 11 years. The couple works side-by-side to make the ranch operate smoothly.
“That’s probably the biggest blessing,” Tom said. “Any day we want to be together, we can be together. We have a lot going on and kids are busy, but it is really fun to be able to be together all the time.”
“I think we both have a passion for it, and so that makes it work,” Neeley said.
As relative newcomers to Carroll County, the Butlers said they were very surprised to be named the Farm Family of the Year.
“We know that there are other people who are probably much more deserving,” Neeley said. “But we’re very honored and very thankful.”
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