About Us
Our Mission is three-fold
How We Impact
Meet our Executive Board

EVETTE BROWNING
PRESIDENTBIO
Evette moved to Little Rock from Los Angeles, California. She began her career in agriculture at the Arkansas Forestry Commission in 2002. Since then, she has served in many roles to include Executive Assistant to the Director, Outreach Coordinator, Minority and Women-Owned Business Officer, Business Travel Custodian, Title IV of Civil Rights Act of 1964 Coordinator, Grievance Officer, Business Continuity Planner, Webmaster, Alternate Website Manager, Grant Review Team Leader, etc. Passionate about helping others, the role of Outreach Coordinator fits her and is dear to her heart which led to her induction into the Communication’s Group Women in Industry in 2020. She is on the Board of Directors for Arkansas Land & Farm Development Corporation and the Arkansas Land & Community Development Corporation. She also is on the Sustainable Forestry & Land Retention’s Policy and Communications Committees and is active on the Arkansas State Employees Grievance Appeals Panel. In her spare time, Evette loves to shop, participate in volunteer work, spend time with family, and travel. Evette is married to Robert with one grown son, Isiah.

MICHELLE BUFKIN HORTON
VICE PRESIDENTBIO
Michelle is a Marketing Coordinator for AcreTrader, a farm capital investment company in Fayetteville. Her favorite part of the role is being able to ensure that farmland will remain in production for years to come.
Previously Michelle was the Membership & Communications Director for the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association. Michelle and her husband live on a commercial cattle operation in Decatur, Arkansas.

LINDSEY HOLTZCLAW
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONSBIO
Lindsey lives in Columbia County with her husband, Jes, and son, John Monroe. She says her passion for agriculture started by growing up on her grandparent’s farm in central Arkansas but later grew thanks to her involvement with FFA. Lindsey is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University and now serves as Director of Marketing for Farm Credit of Western Arkansas. She says her favorite responsibility in her role is telling the stories of western Arkansas farmers and ranchers. Lindsey is also an active Farm Bureau member and serves on her county Farm Bureau board.

BARBIE JOHNSON
TREASURERBIO
Barbie is an active partner on her family’s row crop farm in Desha County. She and her husband Lee along with their children Gena, Ashlee and Jake take great pride their farm is recognized as an Arkansas Century Farm. When not on the farm, she enjoys working as a Master Gardener of Drew County as well as Area 12 Special Olympics Director. Through ARWIA, she has learned of conservation practices that they have implemented on their family farm.

MONICA GRIFFIN
SECRETARYBIO
Monica lives in Pulaski County with her husband Tyler and sons Barrett and Owen. They own Cave Creek Farms where they raise beef cattle, goats and honey bees. Monica was an agriculture education teacher for 9 years before becoming a feed dealer for Umbarger & Sons Feed. Monica enjoys sharing with people about opportunities in agriculture, FFA and how to be wise consumers of agriculture products.
Meet our Area Representatives

MADISON TRAVIS
NORTHEAST AREA REPRESENTATIVEBIO
Madison is a graduate of Southern Arkansas University where she received a B.S in Agriculture Business and a M.B.A with Agriculture emphasis. Madison and her husband, Michael, live in Jonesboro, AR where she serves as a Crop Insurance Servicing Agent for Rabo AgriFinance. Madison’s time spent in her local FFA chapter began her love for agriculture, allowing her to see the impact that it has on the world.

SYDNEY BELEW
NORTHEAST AREA REPRESENTATIVEBIO
Sydney works for AgHeritage Farm Credit Services as an Ag Consumer Loan Officer serving rural Arkansas. She’s married to a fourth-generation cattle farmer and the couple has two children. She helps operate their family’s 300 head cattle operation in White County.

BROOKE ANDERSON
NORTHWEST AREA REPRESENTATIVEBIO
Brooke is a graduate of the University of Arkansas where she earned a B.S in Accounting, an M.S. in Agricultural Economics, and an M.S. in International Rural Development. She now supports her local food system by teaching business planning to the next generation of specialty crop farmers in the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food (CAFF) Apprenticeship and Farm School Programs. Continuing to pursue her passion for sustainable agricultural systems, she is also studying for a Ph.D. in Public Policy with a focus on Agricultural Policy. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and camping in the beautiful Arkansas scenery.

DIXIE MILLER
NORTHWEST AREA REPRESENTATIVEBIO
Dixie Miller is a graduate of the University of Arkansas where she completed her B.S. in Agricultural Communications. Dixie works for the University of Arkansas Animal Science Department as a program technician and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Agricultural and Extension Education. Dixie is from Farmington, Arkansas and has a passion for the cattle industry and all things agriculture.

JENNIFER M. GRIFFIN
SOUTHEAST AREA REPRESENTATIVEBIO
Jennifer is the District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. She has a degree from The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff where she majored in agriculture business with a minor in agronomy. Jennifer’s hobbies include sharing/speaking about the many opportunities in agriculture, spending time with family, cooking and traveling.

SHAYLEE WALLACE BARBER
SOUTHEAST AREA REPRESENTATIVEBIO
Shaylee is a fourth-generation agriculturalist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s in agricultural communications. Shaylee is a PR Specialist for Arkansas Farm Bureau, where she helps farmers and ranchers tell their stories through our various communication platforms. She and her husband recently bought their first small farm and hoped to add more acreage and cattle to their operation. Shaylee is also a founding member of the Bismarck Cowboy Church, where they share the gospel and incorporate agriculture and the western/cowboy lifestyle into their ministry. She is an active supporter/volunteer for Rodeo Bible Camps and Top Hand Clinics, as well as assisting with arena events throughout the state.

CLAIRE FRY
SOUTHWEST AREA REPRESENTATIVEBIO
Claire comes from a long line of wandering Cowboys, but that all stopped when her dad planted roots in southwest Arkansas and bought his first farm. Growing up on the farm as an only child, there was no choice but for Claire to go with her dad! She says she’s forever grateful for her family and the opportunity they have given her. Claire does have a job in town, serving as a program technician for the USDA Farm Service Agency. Claire says working with the USDA-FSA has opened her eyes to another side of the farming world she hadn’t seen on her family farm. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, the horses, and the lake with her friends and fiancé.

CALEIGH WATLINGTON
SOUTHWEST AREA REPRESENTATIVEBIO
Caleigh is a recent graduate of Southern Arkansas University where she received a B.S. in Agribusiness and a M.B.A. in Supply Chain Management. She works for Farm Credit of Western Arkansas as a Loan Officer in their Magnolia Branch. Caleigh grew up on a beef cattle and poultry operation in Lincoln, AR and says her experiences in 4-H and FFA led her to a career in agriculture. She currently lives in Buckner, AR where her and her husband, Coe, have a small commercial cattle herd.

GRACE TURNER
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGEBIO
Growing up, my parents have owned and operated Hope Livestock Auction as well as a cow calf operation, where I was heavily involved in both. After getting married in 2020, my husband and I combined our cow/calf herds, started a beef stocker operation, and teamed up with a local producer to bring a sheep and goat auction to the southwest Arkansas area. We also provide lease contracts to rodeo producers and individuals for livestock in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Along with helping operate the ranch at home, I work as a Financial Services Specialist at Farm Credit Services of Western Arkansas.

JENNIFER COOK
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGEBIO
Jennifer Cook runs a small cow/calf operation in Wooster with her husband, where the couple raised three boys who were also involved in exhibiting Hereford cattle. She holds a degree in Agriculture Education from the University of Arkansas and is a Board Member of the Bumpers Alumni Society. Jennifer is Foundation Director for the Arkansas FFA, an organization she was honored to serve as the first female State FFA President. She is involved in the children’s ministry at Second Baptist in Conway and was appointed to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Resolutions Committee. Jennifer is also obsessed with lavender-colored chickens and trying to grow the perfect tomato.
Meet our Collegiate Ambassadors

SARAH BARKHIMER
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITYBIO
Sarah is a junior at SAU in Magnolia studying agribusiness. She has been involved in agriculture since high school through FFA with various CDE competitions and activities. She chose to pursue a degree in agriculture because she believes that it is the most important field that exists. Sarah also helps with her family’s small show swine breeding operation, Barkhimer Farms, in Camden.

ABIGAIL PARKER
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITYBIO
Abigail is a student at Arkansas State University and works at the ASU Equine Center. She is a member of Sigma Alpha and the current secretary for the Gamma Epsilon Chapter at ASU. Abigail serves as vice president of the pre-vet club and a member of DTA agriculture honor society. She is also a current ASU College of Agriculture Ambassador. Fun fact: Abigail has five cats!

NORALEE TOWNSEND
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSASBIO
Noralee is a student at the University of Arkansas, majoring in ag communications and ag leadership with minors in agribusiness and events management. She grew up on a cow-calf operation and has a personal herd of about 30 momma cows.

MCKAYLA WILLIAMS
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSASBIO
McKayla is a double major in poultry science and animal science with a minor in biology at the University of Arkansas. She is a member of the honors college, treasurer for Sigma Alpha, and a member of the executive team for the University of Arkansas Poultry Science Club. In high school, McKayla was very involved in FFA and recently received her American FFA Degree. McKayla is also involved in Christian Veterinary Fellowship Club, where they support missionaries in other countries and share the gospel through acts of service in animal agriculture.