Precious Williams

Precious Williams is a farmer advocate and small-scale farmer who operates a half-acre farm from her home in Ashdown, Arkansas. She has been helping farmers for many years and decided to get back into farming as time progressed. Her understanding of the value farming contributes to the community at large came from her childhood when she saw how her family and neighbors came together to share meat.  

These days, Precious is working to establish a small hobby farm in her backyard in Ashdown, Arkansas, which relies on raised beds. Due to the poor quality of soil and water table during rains, she applies compost and potting soil mixes to the raised beds and Miracle Grow to improve the soil quality.  

She says that raised beds and container planting have made farming manageable for small spaces like hers. Some additional management choices have included companion planting, adding quality compost. Wood and plastic mulch, mixed soil, and adding pollinators such as sunflowers.  

Access to land has been a challenge for Precious. While she had hoped to keep her dad’s livestock ranch after he passed away, her mother instead made the choice to sell it. Another challenge has been getting the necessary equipment and tools, such as a tractor and proper tools. “I wish USDA would have been more helpful as a beginning farmer. I believe taking more agriculture classes and working with a mentor farmer would have helped as well,” she said. 

Precious serves as executive director of the Silas H. Hunt Community Development Corporation, which helps the people of southwestern Arkansas and Northeastern Texas through its programming. It is Precious’s goal to encourage local people to follow her example to start growing their own food and provide them with the information and training to make sure they are successful. “The community benefits by having healthy, foods, improved incomes, a sense of togetherness and safer communities to live, serve, work and play,” she said.