JA Farms in Arkansas: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and Contact Notes
Profile updated November 2026
JA Farms is a cattle, hay and feed business at Bismarck in Hot Spring County, Arkansas, owned by Jeremy and Magen Allen. Arkansas Farm Bureau named the Allens its 2023 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year after they won the West Central District, and Talk Business & Politics reported that a 300-head cow-calf herd is the base of the operation.
| Location | Bismarck, Hot Spring County, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Founded | The Allens have farmed for 28 years as of 2023, per Arkansas Farm Bureau |
| Sectors | Cow-calf cattle; hay; custom feed; trucking; farm and hardware store |
| Scale | 300-head cow-calf herd; blends more than 20 custom feed mixes for customers |
| Why it is notable | 2023 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year; competed in the Southeastern Farmer of the Year program |
| Ownership | Family owned by Jeremy and Magen Allen and their four children |
| Official website | Arkansas Farm Bureau 2023 Farm Family of the Year page for JA Farms (no official website found) |
History of JA Farms
Arkansas Farm Bureau announced on December 8, 2023 that Jeremy and Magen Allen of JA Farms were the state's Farm Family of the Year, a program that has recognized outstanding farm families since 1947. The Allens had farmed for 28 years and have four children, Lane, Brody, Evelyn and Eli. They went on to compete against nine other state winners in the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year program in Moultrie, Georgia.
Arkansas Farm Bureau also published a video farmer profile of Jeremy and Magen Allen of Hot Spring County in 2021, which shows the operation was already getting attention before the state award. JA Farms Feed and Mercantile opened in 2022 after Bismarck lost its only hardware store.
What JA Farms Grows and Raises
The base of the farm is a 300-head cow-calf herd, supported by a hay operation. The farm's feed business, JA Farms Feed, blends more than 20 custom feed mixes for customers, and JA Farms Trucking mainly serves the needs of the feed business.
JA Farms Feed and Mercantile is a retail farm store that sells feed along with hardware, plumbing, tack, gardening and other supplies. Talk Business & Politics reported that the store opened in 2022 because the town had lost its only hardware store.
How JA Farms Makes Money
Cow-calf production
Calves from the 300-head herd are the foundation of the cattle revenue, supported by hay grown on the farm.
Custom feed and trucking
JA Farms Feed sells custom mixes, and the trucking arm moves product mainly for the feed business, which lets the family control logistics.
Farm and hardware store
The mercantile sells feed and everyday supplies to local customers and fills a gap left by a closed hardware store, adding a year-round retail stream.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from JA Farms
Add services around the cattle. Feed, trucking and a farm store use the same customers and equipment as the herd and smooth out the seasonal calf check. Review licensing, feed regulations and insurance with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture before adding a feed or retail business.
Serve a local gap. The store opened because the town lost its only hardware store, which is a reminder that unmet needs in small towns can be good business. Cow-calf producers can also check Livestock Risk Protection, forage programs and FSA loans through USDA.
A farm that started with cows and ended up running a feed mill, a trucking company and the only hardware store in Bismarck has clearly heard that every cow needs a support staff. Readers of farm.FM who enjoy farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes will say this is the rare ranch where you can buy the hay, the tack and the plumbing fittings in one trip. Hats off to the Allens.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
How to Contact JA Farms
Website: https://arfb.com/farm-family-year/family/ja-farms/
No official website, address, phone or email was found for JA Farms in the sources reviewed, so the Arkansas Farm Bureau page is the best verified public page, November 2026.
JA Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Arkansas Farm Bureau - 2023 Farm Family of the Year page for JA Farms
- Talk Business & Politics - JA Farms named Arkansas Farm Family of the Year
- Arkansas Farm Bureau - Video farmer profile of Jeremy and Magen Allen
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - National and state farm data
- USDA Farmers.gov - Programs, insurance and loans for farmers
JA Farms FAQ
What does JA Farms do?
It runs a 300-head cow-calf herd and hay operation, a custom feed business, a trucking arm and a farm and hardware store.
Where is JA Farms?
At Bismarck in Hot Spring County, Arkansas.
What award did JA Farms win?
It was named the 2023 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year by Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Is there a JA Farms website?
None was found; the Arkansas Farm Bureau page is the best verified public page.
JA Farms shows how a cow-calf operation can build feed, trucking and retail businesses around its herd and its hometown. For more producers and programs, see the Arkansas state guide on bestfarms.top.