Self-storage owner Gary Patton and his family, who operate Patton Mini Storage in Wooster, Ark., have been named the 2015 Faulkner County, Ark., Farm Family of the Year. The family raises about 200 head of commercial cattle on about 300 acres in addition to running a trucking company and the storage business, according to the source.

“Being named the Farm Family of the Year is quite an honor,” Patton said. The self-storage owner was also elected president of the Arkansas Cattleman’s Association this year, and the family farm will serve as an official stop on Aug. 21 during a state tour led by U.S. Sen. John Boozman to discuss agricultural issues, the source reported.

Patton is a third-generation farmer, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. The family has diversified its businesses several times to stay competitive and increase cash flow, according to the source. Although cattle have been a part of the farm since 1950, the family also raised hogs during the 1970s and added some produce in 1980 to increase revenue, Patton told the source. The family farm is strictly a cattle operation today.

To supplement income, the family opened Patton Mini Storage in 1993 with 24 units. Today, the business at 54 Patton Road comprises 242 units and features 24-hour access, boat/RV storage, online account management and payments, a resident manager, and U-Haul moving truck and trailer rentals.

The family business includes Patton’s son, Todd, who works full time on the farm, and daughter, Jennifer Merritt, who handles bookkeeping for the farm and self-storage business. Todd and his family live next door to Gary Patton, while Merritt and her family live across the street, the source reported.

“I am just the holder of this farm,” Patton said. “I want to pass it along bigger and better.”

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