WICKSBURG | RICKEY STOKES NEWS
In the face of low commodity prices and an uncertain agricultural market, Wicksburg farmer Bryan Carpenter continues to rely on faith to guide him and his family farm.
Carpenter operates JBC Farms, a multigenerational operation that has produced peanuts, cotton, corn, and cattle for decades. After losing his father in 2017, Carpenter took on greater responsibility, eventually managing the farm on his own by 2023 while his brother moved into the restaurant business.
During the winter months, Carpenter sells leftover corn and grain for animal feed while planning for the upcoming planting season — a task made more difficult as prices remain low.
“Nobody wants to work and not make money,” Carpenter said. “You’re trying to make the best investment you can.”
Despite the challenges, Carpenter says farming is a privilege rooted in faith.
“I pray, I plant, and I pray,” he said. “If I do my part, I believe God will do His.”
This spring, Carpenter plans to add soybeans to his crop rotation as he continues working the land that has sustained his family for generations.
