Lori Dabbs grew up on her family’s farm in Arkansas County, Arkansas
By Lorri Sloate, Arkansas County Executive Director
Despite her love for agriculture, Lori Dabbs never dreamed she would one day become the fourth generation to operate the family farm in Arkansas County, Arkansas.
Taking the Reins
Hargrove Farms Inc. was incorporated by Lori’s grandfather in the 1960s. When her father developed health issues in 1987, she and her mother became more involved in the operation. Her father retired in 1998, leaving Lori and her husband, Terry, as the operators of Hargrove Farms.
They now farm 3,000 acres of soybeans, corn, rice, oats and wheat.
USDA Assistance
Lori is actively involved in agriculture in her community. She is serving her eighth year as the minority advisor for the Arkansas County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee.
The farm is enrolled in FSA’s Agriculture Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage Program (ARC/PLC), which is a safety net program that provides revenue and price loss coverage for eligible commodities.
“FSA programs through the years have been a great asset to the farming operation,” said Lori. “When crops were lost to drought or excessive heat, FSA was there to help ease the burden of lost income. It has helped tremendously when prices or yields have been down on crops such as rice, corn, soybeans and wheat.”
They also used the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve their land. CSP helps landowners build on existing conservation efforts while strengthening the operation. The program can help improve grazing conditions, increase crop yields or develop wildlife habitat.
“We have planted native vegetation, which was on a fast decline, to establish butterfly habitats,” said Lori. “These types of programs help farmers and ranchers be better stewards of the land.”
Lori and her husband, Terry, operate Hargrove Farms, where they farm 3,000 acres of soybeans, corn, rice, oats and wheat.
Advancing with Technology
Lori and her husband have fully embraced technology. They use drones to monitor fields for damage, rely on moisture sensor technology for important irrigation information and use variable frequency motors that can turn irrigation water on or off with a push of a button and receive notification if a well shuts down unexpectedly. They also have a plan to land level the farm which will allow them irrigate 100 percent of the farm.
Their farm is one of 12 Discovery Farms in Arkansas that gather water quality data for statistical uses. They gather information on nutrients in the fields, nutrients lost to runoff and have measuring stations to keep track of how much water is in the reservoir and the tailwater recovery reservoir that is reused for other irrigation practices.
Lori was recently awarded the “Arkansas County’s Woman of the Year in Agriculture” award, which was presented at Arkansas County’s first Women in Agriculture Appreciation Event in March.
“Expand your knowledge and understanding,” said Lori. “Be involved in agriculture for your farm and in general. Don’t wait until you’re needed to be involved, be involved from the beginning. And tell your story for the generations that come after you. So much can be learned from sharing.”
More Information
USDA offers a variety of risk management, disaster, loan, and conservation programs to help agricultural producers in the United States weather ups and downs in the market and natural disasters as well as invest in improvements to their operations. Learn about additional programs.
For more information about USDA programs and services, contact your local USDA service center.
