Diploma in hand, Dow Brantley left Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1998 to go to work for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. Two years later, he returned to Central Arkansas and his family’s farm in Lonoke County. He’s been home ever since, farming the same ground that has sustained his family for more than a century.

On January 14, Peoples Company named Brantley its Farmer of the Year at the 2025 Land Investment Expo in Des Moines. The Brantley Farming Company operation consists of more than 10,000 acres planted in rice, corn, cotton, and soybeans. The Brantley family also operates a commercial grain elevator with a capacity of 3 million bushels, 95 percent of which is rice and corn.

“Every farmer has a simple goal: to leave the farm better than how they found it,” Brantley said in a statement announcing the award. “While I am honored to receive this award, I know our work to improve the farm each day continues. I know the work can’t be done without good people – both in terms of our 45 employees, but also working alongside trusted land managers like those with Peoples Company. The award might have my name on it, but it is a result of our entire team’s tireless work.”

A third-generation farmer, Brantley is the past chairman of the Arkansas Rice Farmers and of the USA Rice Federation, and he remains active in both organizations. He is also a member of the National Cotton Council, Agricultural Council of Arkansas, and the Arkansas Farm Bureau. In addition, Brantley is involved in hunger-relief efforts through the Arkansas Rice Depot and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

“It’s hard to find a better farmer and landowner to work with than Dow Brantley,” says Peoples Company Land Manager George Baird. “Dow and his team take great pride in their farm, working each year to make the necessary adjustments to continually set the pace in terms of yield in the area.”

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. In 2012, the Brantleys were honored by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture as a Century Farm.