Steve Eddington | Photos by Matthew Magdefrau
Standing at the kitchen window of her family farm in Everton (Boone County), Nita Cooper sees more than pastureland and cattle. She sees generations of heritage, a life molded by seasons and soil, and the responsibilities of a leader deeply rooted in rural values.
“I’m looking out my window at Boat Mountain,” she said in a cheerful, assuring voice, describing a familiar scene that’s as much a part of her as her name. “The grass is green. We’ve got a young first-calf heifer out there – we had to help her a bit. But you know how it is with heifers. Sometimes they just need a little guidance.”
A blend of care, knowledge and community involvement defines Cooper not only as a farmer but as a leader. Now serving as chair of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, she brings over three decades of experience in agriculture, extension work and community building to the role.
And for Cooper, it all starts at home – on the family farm, with her family by her side, and with a commitment to impacting others.
“For me, leadership is trying to help others succeed,” she said. “Trying to improve your little corner of the world, which not only improves your little corner of the world, but helps your state, helps our nation – helping others, serving others.”
“WHETHER IT’S WORKING WITH YOUTH OR ADULTS, IT TAKES EVERYONE — VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LEADERS — TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A STRONG PROGRAM. THAT’S WHAT I LEARNED EARLY ON, AND I STILL BELIEVE IT.”
— Nita Cooper on her work
in the University of Arkansas Extension Service
Nita and her husband Gary, a fourth-generation farmer, run a cow-calf operation. Their daughters, Nikki and Kim, each live within 20 minutes of the family farm with their own families. Nikki, a middle school teacher, and Kim, who works for the Farm Service Agency, grew up alongside cattle, tractors and the rhythms of farm life. Their husbands each work in an ag-related business. Nita and Gary are very involved with their five grandchildren, who she said are old enough now to help out on the farm, making it a true multigenerational operation.
“Isn’t that fun?” Nita said. “It’s something special to watch your grandkids out helping. The sixth generation is here.”
Born and raised in Horatio (Sevier County), Cooper grew up in a family that valued hard work and rural life. After high school graduation, she attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Her deep appreciation for rural life is matched only by her sense of responsibility to serve and uplift others. Cooper began her professional journey in 1988 as a county extension agent with the University of Arkansas Extension Service. Starting in Faulkner County and later transferring to Boone County, she devoted over 30 years to 4-H and family and consumer science programs.
“I like to say the folks in Faulkner County finished raising me,” she joked. “When you’re just out of college, you can be a little green. But those early years shaped me.”
She speaks of her time with Extension as the foundation of her leadership philosophy: “Whether it’s working with youth or adults, it takes everyone – volunteers, community members, leaders – to build and maintain a strong program. That’s what I learned early on, and I still believe it.”
It was through her work with Extension that Cooper first became involved with Farm Bureau, attending women’s conferences and learning about the organization’s broader mission beyond insurance.
“When people hear Farm Bureau, they think of insurance first. And yes, I’m glad we offer that product – it’s important. But it’s so much more than that,” she said.
In 2020, just a year after retiring from Extension, Cooper was asked to join the Arkansas Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. She didn’t even have a full month off before Gary returned from a Boone County Farm Bureau board meeting to let her know she’d been added to the county Farm Bureau board.
“He claimed he had nothing to do with it,” she laughed.
But Cooper didn’t hesitate. She knew the work ahead was meaningful.
“I think everyone needs to know what the Women’s Leadership Committee really does,” she said. “We advocate for agriculture, promote it to youth and adult groups and work on leadership development. But it’s also about giving back to our counties.” She’s especially proud of the committee’s Community Cultivations program, which empowers local Farm Bureau chapters to address specific needs in their areas. From food insecurity to education and outreach, the program reflects a grassroots approach to solving real problems.
“It’s everything from Hunters Feeding the Hungry to school backpack programs,” Cooper explained. “If you care about youth in your community, if you want people to know where their food comes from, there’s a role for you in this work.”
Her time on the state committee has also been eye- opening in another way: getting to see the diversity of Arkansas agriculture through the eyes of others.
“Where I live, it’s mostly cattle and poultry. But through the committee, I’ve learned about cotton and peanuts and row crops that I never had much experience with. It’s amazing what’s happening in different corners of our state,” she said.
For Cooper, leadership isn’t about titles or visibility. It’s about service. That’s why she believes so strongly in the value of women’s leadership in agriculture.
“Women bring a different perspective. They’re community builders. They see the connections between people, between problems and solutions. And they get things done,” she said.
As chair of the Women’s Leadership Committee, Cooper is helping to shape the next generation of leaders. Whether it’s organizing educational events, advocating at the state capitol or supporting youth scholarships, she’s committed to strengthening the agricultural community from the inside out.
“We need people who are willing to serve,” she said. “And we need to show them that they belong in leadership. That they’re needed.”
Other members of the Women’s Leadership Committee are:
- Vice Chair Sara Beth Johnson, Hickory Plains
- Brittany Barnes, Jonesboro, District 1
- Pam Billingsley, Ash Flat, District 2
- Polly Lichti, Huntsville, District 3
- Elizabeth Walker, Horatio, District 4
- Abigail Meredith, Hot Springs, District 5
- Margie Raimondo, Little Rock, District 6
- Mindy Lockhart, Hope, District 7
Even after retiring from a 30-year Extension career, Cooper remains fully engaged in the work that matters most to her: farming, family and community. Her story is one of continuity – passing down values from one generation to the next, while always learning and growing herself.
“I’ve had a great experience,” she said. “Being on the committee, getting to know women from across the state, seeing the diversity of our agriculture – it’s been a blessing.”
And just like that young heifer learning how to care for her first calf, sometimes leadership is simply about showing up with a helping hand, a steady voice and the kind of wisdom that only comes from living close to the land.
Watch to learn more about Nita Cooper.