Givhan Land and Cattle Co. in Alabama: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Givhan Land and Cattle Co. is a diversified Black Belt operation near Safford in Dallas County that was named Alabama's 2012 Farm of Distinction. It covers more than 4,500 acres with row crops, hay, a 400-cow commercial beef herd and about 250 acres of catfish ponds.
| Location | Near Safford, Dallas County, Alabama (Black Belt) |
|---|---|
| Sectors | Row crops (soybeans largest); commercial beef; hay; catfish |
| Scale | More than 4,500 acres, including about 2,000 acres of row crops and 250 acres of catfish ponds; 400-cow herd (Farm Progress, 2012) |
| Why it is elite | Named Alabama's 2012 Farm of Distinction |
| Practices | Shift from mule power to tractors and increasingly no-till farming |
| Ownership | Family operation led by Sam and Lynne Givhan; two sons work on the farm |
| Official website | Farm Progress report on the Givhans' Farm of Distinction award |
History of Givhan Land and Cattle Co.
Sam Givhan, a Vietnam veteran, returned to the family farm in 1969 and was running it as president and manager by 1972. Over the following decades the operation moved from mule power and manual labor to tractors and increasingly no-till farming. That change in technique reflected a broader transition in Southern agriculture toward larger machines, fewer workers and conservation tillage.
Catfish production came to the farm roughly two decades before the 2012 award, and Sam Givhan expanded it later. He told Farm Progress that he saw farms had to reach a viable size or exit, which helps explain why the operation grew into several enterprises. Two sons now work on the farm: Sam, who is also an attorney, and David, who manages the beef and hay operations. The farm was named Alabama's Farm of Distinction in 2012.
What Givhan Land and Cattle Co. Grows and Raises
The farm covers more than 4,500 acres, with about 2,000 acres in row crops, of which soybeans are the biggest. It keeps a 400-cow commercial beef herd and produces hay, and 250 acres of the property are catfish ponds. Black Belt soils and the region's pond-building tradition make catfish a natural fit in Dallas County and neighboring areas.
Using the same land base for crops, cattle, hay and fish gives the business several products that respond to different markets and different weather. No-till practices reduce passes across the field and help protect soils that can be vulnerable to erosion. The brothers split responsibilities, with David managing cattle and hay, which keeps day-to-day oversight clear on a farm with several moving parts.
How Givhan Land and Cattle Co. Makes Money
Row crop sales
Soybeans are the largest crop on about 2,000 acres of row ground, and they are the farm's primary field-crop product.
Beef cattle
The 400-cow commercial herd produces calves for sale, supported by the farm's own hay production.
Catfish production
About 250 acres of ponds produce catfish, an enterprise the farm added and later expanded. It adds a livestock-type revenue stream that does not depend on pasture.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Givhan Land and Cattle Co.
The first lesson is that scale and diversification can work together. Sam Givhan has described the pressure to reach a viable size, and the farm answered by adding enterprises that use different assets: fields, pasture and ponds. Operators with a limited land base can ask which underused resource, such as low ground for ponds, could carry a new enterprise.
The second lesson is steady modernization. Moving from mule power to no-till farming took decades, and each step reduced labor and protected soil. A final point is family roles: with one son managing cattle and hay, responsibilities are clear and succession is under way.
Going from mules to no-till is the kind of career arc that makes a farm story worth telling, and Sam Givhan has lived every step. After the fish and cattle chores are done, visit farm.FM for farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, including at least one about how many things a Black Belt farm can raise before lunch. Catfish, cows and soybeans all get their due, with affection.
If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.
How to Contact Givhan Land and Cattle Co.
Website: https://www.farmprogress.com/livestock/sam-lynne-givhan-win-alabama-s-farm-of-distinction-award
No operation phone, address or email is printed in the sources used for this page, so none is listed. The website link points to a published award report, not an official farm site. Confirm any visit or business inquiry through the Alabama Farmers Federation or local county Extension office.
Givhan Land and Cattle Co. Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Sam and Lynne Givhan win Farm of Distinction - Farm Progress award report
- Alabama Farmers Federation Farm of Distinction - Contest recognizes the state's distinctive farms
- Alabama Extension farm management - Farm business resources from Alabama Extension
- USDA NASS Alabama 2022 Census of Agriculture - State-level farm numbers and sales
- USDA Farmers.gov - Federal programs, loans and conservation help for farmers
Givhan Land and Cattle Co. FAQ
Where is Givhan Land and Cattle Co.?
Near Safford in Dallas County, in Alabama's Black Belt region.
What does the farm produce?
Row crops led by soybeans, hay, commercial beef cattle and catfish.
How large is it?
Farm Progress reported more than 4,500 acres, including about 2,000 acres of row crops and 250 acres of catfish ponds.
How do I contact the farm?
No official contact information was found in the sources used here. Try the Alabama Farmers Federation or the Dallas County Extension office.
Givhan Land and Cattle Co. is a good example of a Black Belt operation that grew by adding enterprises. Visit the Alabama farms guide for the state's programs and other profiled operations.