A crop farmer from Northeast Arkansas, Murry Henderson Jr., has established his operation with dedication and resilience. As a first generation farmer, Murry understands facing challenges and overcoming adversities. From starting with 100 acres to now farming over 4,000 acres, he serves as a testament to what’s achievable with the right mindset and work ethic behind it. He and his wife, Dee Henderson, have built Henderson Farms from square one, and today he farms corn, cotton, soybeans, and rice. Along with his full-time farming career, he also owns and operates Lepanto Crop Service, where he flies planes crop-dusting for farmers.
Growing up, Murry didn’t come from a farming background. His family has ties to the aviation business. He and his late uncle, Winston Bowman, rented an airstrip in West Ridge, Arkansas from a family member. The airstrip was a 100-acre block that included ideal land for farming. In 2001, Murry started farming the airstrip block with soybeans. A dear friend and mentor took him under his wing and helped him get started. Through lending equipment or giving advice about crop production, Ron Holthouse served as an integral part of the beginning of Murry’s farming career.
A year later, Murry was able to add an additional 150 rented acres, and shortly after that he added 420. Through the following years he continued to grow, adding acreage as it became available. Today, the farm’s major crops consist of 4,200 acres of cotton, rice, and soybeans.
“I am blessed to have had friends and landowners who believed in me and took a chance on me,” said Murry. “My wife and I have worked very hard to make this farm what it is today, and we hope to continue building it for the next generation.”
Murry values stewarding the land better than he found it, and he’s taken actionable steps to ensure it’s profitable for years to come. Over the years, Henderson Farms has been in the Conservation Stewardship program contract with the USDA. The contract ensures farmers like Murry apply cover crops, practice no-till, and retain water. Currently, 1,500 acres are enrolled in the program. One goal on the farm is to conserve energy and water where possible. With load control installed on the electric wells and water sensors in the fields to monitor moisture, Murry is able to measure this goal and make it attainable.
When Murry started the operation, one of the biggest challenges he encountered was being a first generation farmer. From learning the basics of the business side of farming to the applicable knowledge of profitable crop production, he had a lot to learn. Establishing a successful farming operation from the ground up is not easy, but Murry proves it is possible. With decades of working hard and being willing to learn and take advice from others, his efforts shine through.
The challenge of keeping reliable labor is always prevalent, but Murry is thankful for several dedicated employees who he knows he can count on. His father, Murry Henderson Sr., also plays a vital role in his operation. He retired from his day job in 2010 and showed up at the farm the next day to get to work. At 79 years old, he is still an asset to the operation. In 2022, Murry started participating in the H-2A program which has helped with the labor challenge.
“It takes a whole team to make this farm successful,” said Murry. “We definitely could not do it without them.”
Murry is committed to continuing to grow and improve the operation. His last two and a half decades in business have proven his ability to adapt, and his open mindset serves him well as the industry progresses. As land becomes available, he hopes to add more acreage to the operation. The next big goal for Henderson Farms is to install a grain bin system. Continuing goals for Murry include improving land quality, advancing efficiency and timeliness of irrigation, and improving crop yield. Several goals he has successfully achieved are leveling land to make it viable, installing grid samples, water sensor installation systems, and equipment upgrades.
“I love this farm,” said Murry. “My wife and I feel like we have raised it and watched it grow from almost nothing. We have been very blessed and honored to get to do what we do.”
Along with the farm, he also flies full time with his flying business, Lepanto Crop Service Inc. The business provides crop-dusting services, consisting of two agriculture planes and serves about 50 farmers across four counties in Northeast Arkansas. In his early 20s, he began working for Lepanto Crop Services.
“This was where I was introduced to agriculture and knew it would be my life,” said Murry.
In 2012, he and his wife had the opportunity to purchase the business and have been operating it ever since. Murry enjoys being able to use his background in aviation to serve farmers and help them be successful. Aerial application is crucial in his region, so combining his two passions of agriculture and aviation is both rewarding and enjoyable.
Building Henderson Farms from scratch would not have been possible without Dee. She serves as the secretary for both the farm and aviation business, and she’s always there to lend a helping hand and be supportive. Murry and Dee have two children, Bryce Nelson and Macy Blake. Bryce graduated with his Master’s Degree in Commercial Aviation and is employed with Republic Airlines. He helps out on the farm where and when he can. Macy graduated with a nursing degree from Arkansas State University and is a nurse at a local hospital. Her husband, Beau, recently obtained his commercial pilot licenses and works at Lepanto Crop Services with the family.
Murry and Dee are active members of Keiser First Baptist Church in Keiser, Arkansas. Murry is also a member of the Arkansas Agriculture Aviation Association and the National Agriculture Aviation Association. In 2024, Murry and Dee were honored with the prestigious award of Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. Criteria for the award includes efficiency of production, conservation of energy and resources, and leadership in agriculture.
Murry was nominated for the 2026 Arkansas Farmer of the Year Award by Alan Beach from the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
“The Hendersons have been farming in Mississippi County for 24 years,” said Alan. “Their farm spans more than 4,000 acres. As precipitants in the USDA Conservation Stewardship Program, their practices such as cover cropping, no-till farming, water conservation technology, and soil moisture sensor enhance sustainability. In addition to the farm operation, the Hendersons serve more than 50 farmers in our community through their aerial application company of Lepanto Crop Service.”
A distinguished panel of judges will visit each finalist in August and the winner will be announced during the 2026 Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Luncheon.
Returning program sponsors in 2026 are Harper Family Holdings, the Alabama Farmers Federation, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Florida Farm Bureau, Georgia Farm Bureau, North Carolina Farm Bureau, South Carolina Farm Bureau, Virginia Farm Bureau, the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts, Ag Georgia Farm Credit, Ag South Farm Credit, and SW Georgia Farm Credit and Arkansas Farm Credit. New sponsors for 2026 include Phoebe Putney Health Systems.
As the state winner of the Sunbelt Expo award, they will receive a $2,500 cash award and an expense-paid trip to the Sunbelt Expo from the sponsors. A vest from the sponsors will be given to each state winner and nominator. The Moultrie Colquitt Co. Chamber of Commerce will give each state winner a local keepsake.
The state winners are now eligible for the $15,000 cash prize awarded to the overall winner by the sponsors. Massey Ferguson North America will provide each state winner with a gift package and the overall winner with the use of a Massey Ferguson tractor for a year or 250 hours (whichever comes first). A jacket from the sponsors will be given to the overall winner. Hays LTI will award the overall winner with a HAYS Smoker/Grill. In addition, the overall winner will receive a Henry Repeating Arms American Farmer Tribute Edition rifle from Reinke Irrigation and a diesel prize package from Howes.