Carole Williams lost her husband of 44 years, but was determined not to lose the farm they grew together.
by Pamela Rhoades, Quitman County, Miss., CED
On any given day, you might find Carole Williams driving around on her farm checking her soybean crop. You may also find her in the local Farm Service Agency office certifying her crops, picking up maps or simply finding what new programs are available.
Carole is one of the few women producers of commodity row crops in Quitman County, Miss., but she does not let being a woman stop her from being one of the best.
"If you want to be successful, learn as much as you can, ask questions and make the final determination as to what is best for your farming operations after you review all the facts,” said Carole.
A native of Crowder, Miss., Carole has been around farming all of her life. Her family has a strong history of producing commercial row crops. That experience served her well after her husband of 44 years passed away in March 2009.
Vowing not let go of what she and her husband Harold took years to build, Carole took the reins of the farming operation and now farms 815 acres of soybeans and 231 acres of wheat. The fall wheat crop yielded nearly 70 bushels to the acre. She is expecting soybean yields upward of 30 bushels to the acre.
“One of my most prized memories of Harold is when he and I would check the farm every afternoon,” said Carole, whose husband served on the Quitman County FSA county committee for nine years. “Harold loved wild turkeys and the excitement of seeing a drove in the fields.”
It was his love of farming and wildlife that encouraged the couple to diversify their land by enrolling 476 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program. The Farm Service Agency program is designed to implement practices that enhance wildlife and wildlife habitat areas, restores wetlands and enables soil conservation.
Carole’s history with FSA doesn’t stop there. “I give credit to FSA for making programs like the direct and counter-cyclical, conservation reserve and price support available to producers like me,” she said.
