History
The Hembree family has operated Sugar Hill Farms in the Arkansas River Valley between Paris and Ozark since 1830 when the first tract of land was patented to one of our predecessors by then President Andrew Jackson. Later tracts were transferred by the United States Government giving this cotton plantation land on both the north and south sides of the Arkansas River. Sugar Hill Farms' agricultural heritage began as a cotton plantation. H.L. Hembree operated a cotton gin in addition to the farm. He was also president of the German-American Bank of Altus.

He handed down his love of the land to his son Raymond Newton Hembree and grandson, H.L. Hembree, III. H.L. Hembree III capitalized on the abundant resources present at Sugar Hill Farms. He pioneered the growing of rice in this area of Arkansas. He also oversaw the addition of registered cattle to Sugar Hill Farms when he managed a Santa Gertrudis herd. The Santa Gertrudis were hardy cattle that thrived on Sugar Hill Farms then unimproved pastures and minimal management. H.L. Hembree also added a commercial cow-calf operation to the farm in the 1980s.

The 1980s saw the next generation of Hembrees get involved with the management and growth of Sugar Hill Farms. Scott Hembree, H.L. Hembree's youngest son, took the reins and started making changes primarily with the row crop operations. Scott attended the University of Arkansas majoring in Agricultural Business. He took control of all tillable acreage that had been previously leased to local farmers. He did this with the help of a then new farm manager, Dave Schultes. Dave grew up on an Iowa farm and knew how to till the land. He and Scott created two more firsts for the area; they proved both sweet corn and field corn could be a profitable crop in western Arkansas. Scott also introduced a new livestock enterprise to Sugar Hill Farms - feeder pigs. This operation grew to nearly 300 sows that produced a very lean feeder pig for market.

Angus in the Ozarks
In 1991, Scott handed over daily operations of Sugar Hill Farms to his older brother Lawson so he could spend more time in other family ventures. Lawson, who is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a major in Animal Science and a graduate of Southern Methodist University with an MBA, placed an increased emphasis on Sugar Hill Farms' livestock operation. He replaced the farm's Santa Gertrudis and commercial herds with a registered Angus herd. The Angus breed of cattle was chosen for Sugar Hill Farms' foundation herd after much research into the economic traits of the various breeds. The breeds with the best economic traits were then evaluated for how they performed in the heat and humidity of the Arkansas River Valley. The research suggested Angus as the best breed for profit potential. This quantitative research was supported by qualitative research gathered from many local breeders including longtime family friend David McMahon, owner of nearby Belle Point Ranch.

The foundation of Sugar Hill Farms' Angus herd was purchased in 1996 from the Gulf Pacific herd in Idaho. This base herd grew to a herd of mature females numbering over 250. In 2008, the market for pure bred cattle along with the needs of Sugar Hill’s customers was reevaluated. The result of this study caused Sugar Hill to modify the focus of its breeding program and herd. To accomplish the goals being asked for by the market, Sugar Hill reduced the herd down to less than 100 mature females that met the criteria for moving forward. Sugar Hill Farm refocused its breeding program to obtain a moderately framed, efficiently growing, high carcass merit offspring with good maternal traits utilizing the best cow families and top AI sires in the breed.

Performance data and individual animal data has always been an important part of Sugar Hill’s Angus program but an increased emphasis began being placed on data and health in 2008. Sugar Hill began utilizing its state of the art performance facility and electronic animal identification. Weights are collected on all animals at birth, weaning and yearling along with yearling measurements and ultrasound carcass data and reported to the American Angus Association. Additionally, utilizing the EID we now record all health records for each animal. This documentation we believe aids us in identifying both under and over achieving animals with the under achievers culled.

Herd Builder Bulls.
Sugar Hill Farms is a leading producer of Angus herd bulls in Arkansas. All of our bulls are sold by low stress private treaty sale at the buyer’s convenience. Our herd bulls are the result of either AI or Embryo Transfer programs. Of those bulls produced at Sugar Hill, we select only the best calves from the farm including many from our ET program. We also select bull calves from other programs that have similar growth and carcass traits coming out of AI programs and top Angus cows.

Once selected at weaning, the bulls are continuously monitored and culled based on their individual performance measurements at yearly and 18 months. We measure and monitor frame, muscle development, thriftiness, and the genetic potential. All bulls in the Sugar Hill Herd Bull Program are ultrasounded for carcass traits. Ultrasound data and EPDs along with actual weights are available to our customers to aid them in selection of the right Sugar Hill Farm Herd Builder Bull for their registered or commercial program. All of our bulls are examined by our veterinarian for Breeding Soundness prior to completion of the purchase and are fully guaranteed fertile and ready to breed to your cow herd. If you experience any problem during the first breeding season we want to know about it and stand behind the performance of our bulls.

The Staff

The Sugar Hill Farms Team:

H. L. Hembree III with his life long friend John Sullivan.

Lawson Hembree – President

Dave Schultes – Crop Manager

Tim O’Neal Family – Tim Cattle Manager

Diana Weir – Executive Assistant