Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward have recognized the Tucker Farm by inducting it into the Arkansas Century Farm Program. In a ceremony at the State Capitol this morning, 36 Arkansas farms were inducted. The ceremony included remarks by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders who stressed the importance of farming in the state. Agriculture, the governor said, is the number one industry in the state and Arkansas is a major contributor to the nation’s food supply.  

The Tucker Farm, located in Jefferson County, has been operated by the Department of Corrections since 1916 when the state purchased 1,384.64 acres of land for $4,801. An additional 3,056.65 acres was purchased in 1928 for $152,832 and 20 Lonoke County acres in 1985 for $30,000. The farm includes gardens and row crops of soybeans, corn, and wheat. Vegetables grown in the gardens are processed to feed inmates, saving tax dollars. Inmates who work on the farm also gain valuable, marketable skills that increase their chances for success after release.

“We have a strong success rate with inmates learning a work ethic through our program and then getting jobs,” said Davey Farabough, Division of Correction Farm Administrator. “Everything we produce goes back into the units to help offset the cost and relieve the burden on taxpayers.”

The Arkansas Century Farm program recognizes Arkansas farms of 10 acres or more owned by the same family for at least 100 years. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture began the Century Farm program in 2012 to highlight the contributions of these families to the agriculture industry as well as their overall contributions to the state.

604 farms are currently recognized as Arkansas Century Farms throughout the state including the Cummins Farm, which was inducted into the program in 2022.

Tucker Farm History

From the Ceremony