Hallie Shoffner
CEO, SFR Seed
About me: I grew up on my family’s soybean and rice farm. From age 10, I worked alongside my parents, especially my mother, a field researcher and pioneer in a male-dominated industry. I studied at Vanderbilt University and received a master’s degree from the Clinton School of Public Service. I explored several career options, but soon found my way home. The farm was ready for a new generation. The effects of climate change were evident, and regenerative practices were needed to reduce the farm’s carbon footprint. I was up for the challenge and began to upgrade the workforce, technology, equipment and procedures to deal with this changing environment. Today, I’m a farmer advocate for climate action, speaking to groups interested in farming and sustainability.
Lives in: Little Rock • Works in: Newport
Best Career Advice: You must be willing and able to adapt and pivot quickly. The things you want or even expect to happen may turn out differently, and that’s OK. You can handle anything in your career or that life throws your way by being flexible, planning for change and working honestly and diligently.
Lesson Learned the Hard Way: A few times in my career, I’ve made decisions relying on only one source of information to guide me. I’ve since learned to surround myself with people who know more or better than me. I make more informed and better choices when I pool the expertise of those I trust.
Call to Action: I encourage everyone to learn about where your food comes from – from the people that actually grow it. If you don’t know a farmer, talk to one at your local farmer’s market. Ask them about the challenges they face. If we are familiar with the threats to our food supply chain, we can more effectively advocate for positive change.
What Keeps Me Motivated: Hope. Climate change and other threats to our world can be daunting. It’s easy to feel hopeless in the face of wildfires and floods. But there is hope because the work to fight this turbulence is happening, and farmers are doing it. I have hope that consumers will join us.
TOP 100 WOMEN OF IMPACT IN ARKANSAS 2023
A Women’s Foundation of Arkansas Initiative