Abraham Carpenter Sr.

When one thinks of quality, locally grown produce in Arkansas, the name Carpenter generally comes to mind. Visitors to the Little Rock or Pine Bluff Farmer’s Market know the Carpenter family. Led by Abraham Carpenter Sr., they have been growing and providing Arkansas customers with top-quality produce for more than 40 years. Carpenter’s Produce began as a one-acre experiment by Abraham’s wife, Katie. She was so successful selling her vegetables that Abraham purchased an additional 30 acres and the family business was born. Today, Carpenter’s Produce has grown into a 1,500-acre operation where some 30 different varieties of vegetables are grown on the family farm near Grady in Lincoln County. Abraham and Katie have five sons and three daughters who are all involved in the business in some way. Three generations of Carpenters supply produce for their store in Pine Bluff, in addition to national chains such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, and the Quality Performance Group food service. They also work with the Adams Metro company to supply quality vegetables to schools and other agencies. Carpenter’s Produce employs around 35 family members and an additional 40 to 50 seasonal workers during the peak planting and harvesting times of the year. As such, they are one of the largest employers in Lincoln County. They also donate truckloads of produce to those in need, such as the victims of Hurricane Katrina. For his leadership, vision and benevolent spirit Abraham, Sr. was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2011. Carpenter and his son, Abraham, Jr., have been staunch advocates for the horticultural industry. They have provided technical assistance to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and have traveled across the country, speaking on issues that affect family enterprises such as theirs. Despite the success of the family business Abraham Carpenter Sr. remains humble and credits their success to a strong work ethic and abiding spiritual faith.