In Jackson County, northeast Arkansas, a legacy of sustainable agriculture has endured for five generations. We spoke with Jennifer James, a fourth-generation rice grower, about her family’s long-standing commitment to conservation. This dedication to land stewardship has helped them navigate the challenges of farming and earn recognition as an Arkansas Century Farm, an honor awarded to land that has been owned and cultivated by the same family for more than one hundred years. Read Jennifer’s story.
Today, Jennifer farms alongside her father, husband and son, but that was not always part of her game plan. After high school, Jennifer headed to university with dreams of a career in the city, but the sights, sounds and rhythms of farm life drew her back. During her first year, she switched her major from accounting to agricultural business – a decision she has never regretted.
Jennifer and her family farm their own land as well as acres they rent from families in the community who no longer farm themselves. “In many ways, we serve as their ‘substitute family farmer’, caring for their land as if it were our own,” says Jennifer.
The family farms more than 6,000 acres (circa 2,400 hectares), around 2,000 acres of which are rice, including both long- and medium-grain varieties as well as jasmine rice. They also grow soybeans, corn and winter wheat and produce seed for other farmers, which helps diversify their offering.
Weather Risks
In this part of northeast Arkansas, summers are humid and winters are mild. The area receives around 50 inches (approximately 125 cm) of rainfall annually, making it one of the wettest states in the U.S. However, as Jennifer explains, the rain doesn’t always fall at the right time; around two-thirds of rainfall occurs outside the growing season, requiring additional irrigation, while rain during the growing season can often bring its own set of issues.
“One of our biggest challenges is dealing with wet conditions during planting and harvest,” Jennifer says.
In addition, being in Tornado Alley, the farm faces severe weather risks, including storms, hail and tornadoes. Fortunately, the farm’s diverse mix of crops – with different planting dates and maturities – acts as a buffer. “It means a single storm is less likely to hinder planting or damage the entire crop,” Jennifer explains.
Managing Water
Despite the challenges posed by the elements, the family remains resilient. They work diligently to protect the natural resources on which their livelihood depends and to preserve the farm for future generations, as they have always done.
Land stewardship and resource conservation have been at the heart of their operation for decades, dating back to Jennifer’s father and his siblings. One of the first things they did was precision-level the fields, which allows for quicker and more even drainage, a godsend when it rains during planting and harvest. They also introduced robust water management measures, which included building one of the few irrigation reservoirs in the area. This innovation helps to reduce the farm’s reliance on groundwater from the Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer, ensuring water availability for the future. Today, the farm uses a variety of water-saving methods, including Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), Multiple Inlet Rice Irrigation (MIRI) and furrow-irrigated rice.
Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, they tailor their practices to each field. This approach, combined with the use of computerized irrigation planning, has resulted in significant water savings and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Boosting Biodiversity
The family’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond crop production; they are also passionate about creating a habitat for wildlife. The harvested rice fields, which are flooded in winter, are a haven for millions of migratory waterfowl traveling along the Mississippi Flyway. In recent years, Jennifer reports seeing more golden and bald eagles, tundra swans and other wildlife flourish.
In addition, the use of cover crops in the farm’s corn and soybean rotations not only reduces erosion and improves soil health but also provides forage for white-tailed deer. “Nothing is more rewarding than seeing both crops and wildlife thrive together on our land,” Jennifer says.
Sustaining the Future
However, for Jennifer, there is more to sustainability than practices such as these – vital as they are. “For me, it [sustainability] means ensuring farming remains economically viable so families like mine can continue for generations. Most importantly, sustainability is about passing on knowledge, values and integrity to the next generation, so that agriculture itself can endure.”
It will therefore come as no surprise that Jennifer sees her greatest achievement as her son’s return to the family farm. “As a mother and farmer, I take immense pride in knowing my son values the land, the work and the legacy as deeply as those before him. Preserving our family’s story and watching it continue is the fulfilment of everything my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents worked for.”
And so, the story of Jennifer James’ family farm continues.