[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19854]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                      TRIBUTE TO THE ALSTON FAMILY

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and 
congratulate Luke and Deedee Alston of Polk County. The Alstons were 
recently named the 2017 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year.
  The owners of Holly Springs Homestead--a cattle, poultry and 
agritourism farm near Mena, AR--Luke and Deedee, along with their sons 
Ryan and Drey, are fifth-generation farmers who are working the land as 
their parents and grandparents did before them. Holly Springs Homestead 
is an Arkansas Century Farm that was established in 1897 and has been 
in operation for 120 years.
  The Alstons took a leap of faith a few years ago, leaving corporate 
jobs to return to the family farm full-time. Luke proudly says that he 
was born to farm, and it is a lifelong dream to look over the hood of a 
tractor every day. Through hard work and determination, the Alstons are 
enjoying tremendous success not only commercially but also in their 
efforts to educate visitors to the homestead about agriculture and the 
many reasons it is so important to our State's past and future.
  As 2017 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year, Luke and Deedee will 
represent Arkansas well and use this award as a platform to promote 
farming and agriculture and foster respect for all the farmers, 
ranchers, and producers who contribute so much to our economy and food 
supply. They will also compete for the honor of being named the 2018 
Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year in 
Moultrie, GA.
  I wish the Alstons good luck in that competition and once again 
congratulate them on all their hard work that has culminated in this 
well-deserved honor.

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