Henderson Family Farm in Arkansas: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and Contact Notes
Profile updated November 2026
Henderson Family Farm of Keiser in Mississippi County, run by Murry and Dee Henderson, was named the 2024 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year by the Arkansas Farm Bureau. The family farms more than 4,000 acres of cotton, rice and soybeans and also operates Lepanto Crop Service, an aerial application company.
| Location | Keiser, Mississippi County, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Founded | The family has farmed in Mississippi County for 23 years, per the Arkansas Farm Bureau |
| Sectors | Cotton; rice; soybeans; aerial application |
| Scale | More than 4,000 acres of cotton, rice and soybeans |
| Why it is elite | 2024 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year and Northeast District winner |
| Ownership | Family owned by Murry and Dee Henderson |
| Official website | Arkansas Farm Bureau announcement of the 2024 Farm Family of the Year (no official farm website found) |
History of Henderson Family Farm
The Arkansas Farm Bureau announced in December 2024 that Murry and Dee Henderson of Keiser were the state's top farm family. The Hendersons have farmed in Mississippi County for 23 years and have two children, Bryce Nelson and Macy Henderson.
The Farm Family of the Year program has recognized farm families since 1947, and the 2024 award marked its 77th year, making it one of the longest-running such programs in the country. The Hendersons first won the Northeast District honor and then competed statewide. They were to represent Arkansas in the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year program in Moultrie, Georgia, against nine other state winners.
What Henderson Family Farm Grows and Raises
The farm grows cotton, rice and soybeans on more than 4,000 acres in the Mississippi Delta. Mississippi County is a leading row-crop county, and the mix of cotton, rice and soybeans spreads weather and market risk.
The Hendersons participate in USDA's Conservation Stewardship Program and use cover crops, no-till, water conservation technology and soil moisture sensors. That fits the Delta's heavy reliance on irrigation.
Murry Henderson also operates Lepanto Crop Service, an aerial application company serving four counties and more than 50 regional farmers, and he is active in the Arkansas Agriculture Aviation Association and the National Agricultural Aviation Association.
How Henderson Family Farm Makes Money
Row crops
Cotton, rice and soybeans are marketed through the usual channels of gins, mills and elevators, with crop choice balanced across the three.
Aerial application
Lepanto Crop Service sells spraying and application services to more than 50 regional farmers, adding fee income that does not depend on the family's own yields.
Conservation programs
Participation in the Conservation Stewardship Program means the family is paid to maintain and add stewardship practices, which can lower input costs and improve soil.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Henderson Family Farm
A service business can steady farm income. An aerial application company ties the operation to neighbors and brings in revenue in years when commodity prices are weak.
Conservation can pay. Cover crops, no-till and moisture sensors reduce cost and risk. Delta growers should contact NRCS and University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture specialists about cost-share and irrigation scheduling tools.
Flying planes over Mississippi County while farming 4,000 acres is the closest thing Arkansas has to a farm-and-fly double feature. Fans of farm.FM who like farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes might note that a crop duster's best joke is the pass that lands precisely where it was aimed. We congratulate the Hendersons, and every neighbor who has waved at a low-flying plane.
The outlet behind those laughs, farm.FM, is the nation's first satirical farm site, complete with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers. A farm.FM humorist's archive shows what a week of it looks like.
How to Contact Henderson Family Farm
Website: https://arfb.com/news/2024/dec/13/hendersons-mississippi-county-named-arkansas-farm/
No official farm website, address, phone or email was found; the Arkansas Farm Bureau announcement was the best verified public page, November 2026.
Henderson Family Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Arkansas Farm Bureau announcement - Official award announcement and farm details
- Talk Business & Politics - Independent coverage of the award
- USDA Census of Agriculture - Official national and state farm statistics
- University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - Land-grant research and extension
- Arkansas Department of Agriculture - State agency partners and programs
Henderson Family Farm FAQ
What award did the Hendersons win?
They were named the 2024 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year.
What do they grow?
More than 4,000 acres of cotton, rice and soybeans.
What is Lepanto Crop Service?
An aerial application company run by Murry Henderson, serving four counties and more than 50 farmers.
Where is the farm?
Keiser, in Mississippi County, northeast Arkansas.
Henderson Family Farm shows how row crops, conservation and a service business fit together in the Arkansas Delta. See the Arkansas farms guide for more elite operations.