Boggy Creek Farms in Screven Georgia

Leading the Legacy with Kristy Arnold

On any given day in Screven, Georgia, Kristy Arnold can be found where she’s always felt most at home, out among the cattle, working the same land her grandparents first cleared more than 80 years ago. What began in 1941 with mules, hand tools, and a loan from the Federal Land Bank has grown into Boggy Creek Farms, a thriving cattle operation rooted in tradition but shaped by innovation. 

Now a third-generation owner and operator, Kristy carries that legacy forward with a clear understanding: preserving a farm doesn’t mean standing still – it means evolving with it. 

Coming Home To Carry It On

For Kristy, building a life in agriculture wasn’t a straight path. It was shaped by timing and a deep love for the farm. After earning her master’s degree, she returned home to teach, staying connected by helping on the farm when she could. When her father asked her to come back full-time, she made the leap, leaving the classroom behind and buying into half the operation, along with its debt. 

What followed were eight years working side by side with her father, years she now calls invaluable. “There’s so much you think you know just because you’ve been here your whole life,” she says, “but it’s different when you’re in charge.” From finances to daily operations, she learned what it takes to sustain both a business and a legacy.

When her father passed in 2015, he left her more than land. He left her the confidence to lead it. 

Innovating The Operation

When Boggy Creek Farms began in 1941, the work looked very different. Kristy’s grandparents cleared the land with sheer determination to turn timber into farmland. Over the decades, the operation evolved alongside the industry, shifting from a mix of tobacco, soybeans, and hogs to a diversified farm that eventually centered on cattle and forage production. 

Today, that evolution continues under Kristy’s leadership; only now, innovation looks less like clearing land and more like advancing genetics.

About 22 years ago, Boggy Creek Farms stepped into the world of embryo transfer, a practice that has become central to the operation. In simple terms, it allows the farm to multiply the most desirable cattle genetics at a much faster rate than nature alone would allow. “We’re mass-producing superior genetics,” Kristy explains.

Working with some of the most sought-after bloodlines in the industry, embryos are implanted into the commercial herd at Boggy Creek Farms. Those cows then carry and raise the calves as their own, a process that blends cutting-edge science with the same hands-on care that has always defined the farm. “We have a lot of cows that are raising calves that are not genetically connected to them,” she says.

The result is a more consistent, higher-quality product – something the beef industry has steadily worked toward for decades. Where beef quality once varied widely, today’s focus on genetics has dramatically improved the eating experience for consumers, while helping producers remain competitive. 

For Kristy, innovation isn’t about replacing tradition; it’s about strengthening it. From rolling thousands of bales of hay each year to exploring new technologies to improve efficiency, every decision is rooted in the same goal her grandparents had over 80 years ago: to build something better with each generation.

Woman Leading the Herd

In meeting rooms across the industry, Kristy is used to standing out, often as the only woman at the table. It’s an experience that has shaped her perspective, especially as the industry recognizes 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

“It is a growing thing, but I’ll be honest with you,” she says. “I don’t think it’s new. I think it’s new that women are getting recognized in that format.” In her own family, women have always been part of the work. About her grandmother, she says,

“She worked just as hard as he did,” noting she may not have attended meetings, but was just as vital to the operation.

That same mindset shaped Kristy’s upbringing. “My dad never told me not to do something because I was a girl,” she says, a foundation that built both her skills and her confidence.

Today, her advice to young women, including her own daughter, is simple: be willing to work for it. Success in agriculture takes determination and drive.

A Partnership That Grows with The Farm

As Boggy Creek Farms has grown and changed over the years, one thing has remained constant: its partnership with AgSouth Farm Credit. A customer for nearly two decades, Kristy values having a trusted lender. “It’s important to have a lending institution that understands agriculture,” she says.

For her, the relationship goes beyond financing. She leans on the AgSouth team as a trusted sounding board, knowing they’ll offer honest feedback – not just what she wants to hear. “They really become part of your family,” she says, noting their role in helping keep the operation sustainable and shape a payment management plan that works.

That level of trust is what sets AgSouth apart. When asked if she would recommend Farm Credit to others, her answer is simple: “Absolutely. If your business revolves around making payments that fit your business, then I think Farm Credit should be your first stop.”

Looking Ahead

When Kristy looks to the future of Boggy Creek Farms in Screven, Georgia, her focus is clear: whatever comes next should work for the next generation. Agriculture is always evolving. What made sense for her grandparents in the 1940s isn’t what works today, and what works today may not be what carries the farm forward tomorrow. 

“In agriculture, what we do really well is adapt and overcome,” she says.

That mindset is something she sees in her own children, who have grown up on the farm just as she did. Whether they choose to carry it on or carve their own paths, Kristy hopes the operation remains strong and sustainable, ready for whatever direction the future 

Watch The Full Interview:

International Year of the Woman Farmer

AgSouth Farm Credit is proud to celebrate the Farm Credit's International Year of the Woman Farmer. This recognition honors the essential role women play in advancing agriculture today. Every day, we’re privileged to work alongside women who are leading farms, preserving family legacies, and shaping the future of agriculture.