Fall 2016

ural appraisal work that I have come to really love,” he says.
“There’s always a story behind every piece of farm property and
with every successful ag producer. I enjoy getting to know the
land owners and the production and management decisions
that go into Midsouth agriculture. It’s fascinating work.”
Three years after joining Farm Credit, Matthews was
promoted to Vice President and Chief Appraisal Officer. Today,
he is the office’s appraisal manager and also serves as one
of the Association’s operations managers. Matthews and the
team of three other appraisers cover the Delta of northeast and
eastern Arkansas, and a little bit of the Missouri Bootheel. The
work, he says, provides something different every day.
“The Midsouth is probably the only place in the world where
you can place a seed in the ground and grow it. It doesn’t
matter what it is,” Matthew says. “We grow it all here—rice,
cotton, soybeans, corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, milo…you
name it. We also do a lot of appraisal work involving cotton gins,
grain facilities, and sweet potato processing plants. We get
involved with a little bit of everything in the ag field.”
Matthews says he and his staff consult with internal staff
(loan officers, analysts) as well as land owners and farmers on
property and ag market conditions. As such, they become the
eyes and ears of the agricultural real estate industry, staying
current with trends ranging from ag economics and land values
to agronomics and conservation. To keep up with the changing
landscape, Matthews focuses on recruiting and maintaining a
qualified appraisal staff. One of his passions is ensuring that the
young appraisers on his team are properly educated and trained
to complete credible appraisal assignments.
“One of my successes is seeing past trainees become
good, solid rural appraisers,” Matthews says. “With more rural
appraisers nearing retirement, we need to continue filling the
gap and attracting young people to come into the industry.
It is difficult for a new appraiser to get into this profession at
this time. We need to find a way to help them get in without
watering down the profession. I believe that the integrity of our
profession can only be maintained by keeping our standards of
required education and training high.”
One of the actions that Matthews took early on was to join
the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers
(ASFMRA), earning his Accredited Rural Appraiser (ARA)
accreditation as soon as he could (in 2012). He has since
found that he receives calls for assignments from clients who
want an appraiser with the ARA designation. In 2015, he went
further and earned his Real Property Review Appraiser (RPRA)
accreditation from ASFMRA. Matthews is currently one of only
two RPRA’s with an ARA in the state of Arkansas.
Today, Matthews has completed instructor training and plans
to start helping ASFMRA teach continuing education courses
for members. He is also active at the local and state levels
with other professional organizations, including the Jonesboro
Regional Chamber of Commerce, where he has served on the
board and also the Agribusiness Committee. He is currently
serving on the Craighead County Farm Bureau Board and
was also appointed by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the
Arkansas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board.
“ASFMRA has offered me a solid foundation of education for
my career,” says Matthews, who has rarely missed a national
ASFMRA conference since becoming a member. “Equally
as notable are the connections that you make as an active
member. The networking part of ASFMRA is tremendous. Other
members are always willing to help and provide any information
that they can.”
The Matthews are a family of appraisers. His wife of more
than 30 years, Julie, is Vice President and Chief Appraisal
Officer at a bank based in Jonesboro and their youngest son,
Houston, is in the process of entering the profession. Their
eldest son, Daniel, is a Master Electrician at Arkansas State
University and also runs the family’s 50-head cattle operation
outside Jonesboro.
Cary and Julie relish the fact that their two sons and three
grandkids live close by. Their family time is spent with the
grandkids, and Matthews gets to do a little hunting during the
winter months. The family also enjoys getting away to their
summer home at Norfork Lake in scenic north-central Arkansas.
SAYS MATTHEWS: “IT’S A PEACEFUL GETAWAY
IN THE COUNTRYSIDE FOR US TO CONNECT WITH
THE OUTDOORS AND FAMILY FOR A WHILE.”
LANDMAGAZINES.COM
187