Phillip Mann family named Phillips County's 2026 Farm Family of the Year
Philip Mann, Terri Ann Hall and Ashley Wallace were named Phillips County’s 2026 Farm Family of the Year, putting their Lexa operation into a statewide tradition dating to 1947.
Philip Mann, Terri Ann Hall and Ashley Wallace have been named Phillips County’s 2026 Farm Family of the Year, a recognition that puts the Lexa family in a statewide program built to honor more than production alone. The award highlights agricultural operations, community involvement and the management discipline that keeps a farm viable in a county where agriculture still anchors daily life.
The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has recognized outstanding farm families since 1947, and its selection process looks at efficiency of production, conservation of energy and resources, leadership in agricultural and community affairs, home and farm improvement, and overall home and farm management. That broad standard matters in Phillips County because it points to the full scope of what a successful farm has to do now: produce crops, steward land and stay active in the community at the same time.
The 2026 county honorees were announced on April 30, placing the Mann family among agricultural leaders across Arkansas. The program is open to all counties, but participation is voluntary, so the award carries extra weight when a county family does receive it. For Phillips County, the Mann family’s selection offers a local example of a farm operation that has earned respect inside a long-running state tradition rather than a one-time commendation.
Phillips County’s farm economy gives the honor added significance. The 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture counted 240 farms in the county, about 381,000 acres in agriculture and $306.5 million in total commodity sales. Crops dominate that economy, especially grains, oilseeds and cotton, sectors that depend on tight margins, careful timing and constant management. In that setting, recognition of a family farm signals more than pride. It underscores the local jobs, spending and land stewardship that ripple through places like Lexa and the wider county.
The county also has precedent in the program. Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Phillips County archive lists Richard Young as a county Farm Family of the Year in 1952, showing that Phillips County has long had families earning statewide notice for agricultural leadership. For residents watching another growing season unfold, the Mann family’s selection lands as a reminder that Phillips County agriculture remains a defining part of the county’s identity and economic future.
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